The film revolves around a trio of stories that all play into the idea of humanity with people encountering the absurd but also in situations that would prove to be challenging. All of which would feature a character mysteriously known as R.M.F. (Yorgos Stefanakos) as he is the titular character in all three different stories in the film. The first story entitled The Death of R.M.F. is about a man whose life is always in control until he refuses to finish an assignment he is asked to do where his life would fall apart. The second story in R.M.F. is Flying is about a police officer who learns his wife had been found after being lost in sea during a marine biology assignment, yet he realizes that something is not right as he believes the person who looks exactly like his wife is not really his wife. The third and final story in R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich is about two people trying to find someone who they believe possesses special abilities as they hope this person will become their spiritual leader for a secret cult. The film’s screenplay by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou is straightforward in its narrative, yet each story all plays into characters who are all in some strange situations as well as be in a world that is all absurd.
Lanthimos’ direction is stylish for the different approaches in telling the three different stories though they are all shot on location in New Orleans, Louisiana. Notably as some of his ideas of visual absurdity are kept to a restraint as it plays into more humanistic stories as the absurdity is more driven by the different plots in the film. Lanthimos would emphasize towards wide and medium shots in exploring some of the locations as well as to play into the sense of disconnect from reality. Lanthimos also uses close-ups to play towards some of the dramatic moments as well as some absurd and comical moments that occur in the film. Each story does have a distinctive tone as The Death of R.M.F. has an air of restraint in how the character of Robert Fletcher (Jesse Plemons) lives his day as it is always structured and controlled until he tries to kill someone for his boss/lover Raymond (Willem Dafoe) where he failed as his life falls apart where Lanthimos would maintain a sense of chaos that is burgeoning. In R.M.F. is Flying, the character of the police officer Daniel (Jesse Plemons) is coping with the loss of his wife Liz (Emma Stone) believing that she is lost at sea until he hears that Liz and another marine biologist had been found in an island.
Lanthimos’ direction in that segment is also restrained though the absurdity comes later when Daniel becomes more unhinged about this woman who is living his house where he asks her some odd things. Each segment would feature some offbeat ending that does play into this act of kindness though the third and final segment in R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich is much darker in its absurdity as it plays into the idea of cults that follows the two characters in Emily (Emma Stone) and Andrew (Jesse Plemons) are a part of as they try to find someone who they hope could be their spiritual leader. The direction has Lanthimos presenting a world that is offbeat where Emily and Andrew are part of this cult, yet they venture into the real world to find this person, though the former is also dealing with personal turmoil involving her ex-husband Joseph (Joe Alwyn) who would make things worse for her. It all plays into this desire to belong though reality would eventually kick in with an aftermath that all plays into the titular character of these three stories. Overall, Lanthimos crafts an exhilarating yet riveting film about a trilogy of tales revolving around people who deal with troubling circumstances in their lives.
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward for many of the daytime exterior scenes while also utilizing some black-and-white film stock for some offbeat inserts that add to the film’s surrealist tone. Editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis does excellent work with the editing as it has elements of stylish cuts including some slow-motion shots and jump-cuts that add to the film’s humor. Production designer Anthony Gasparro, along with art directors Andrew Carnwath and Chris Cornwell plus set decorator Amy Beth Silver, does amazing work with look of the different homes the characters live in from the posh home that Raymond lives in as well as the motel room that Emily and Andrew stay at. Costume designer Jennifer Johnson does fantastic work with the costumes in the suits that Robert wears as well as the brown suit that Emily would wear and some of the stylish clothing that many characters wear.
Special effects makeup artist Adam Bailey and hair stylist Gabrielle Burns do terrific work in some of the film’s minimal makeup effects as well as some of the design of the hairstyles that some of the characters wear. Special effects supervisor Matt Kutcher and visual effects supervisor Sebastian Barker do nice work in some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it relates to some stunts involving cars and other offbeat visual inserts. Sound designer Johnnie Burn does superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects that are created as well as the usage of sparse and natural sounds for some key scenes in the film’s natural locations. The film’s music by Jersin Fendrix is incredible for its eerie music score that mainly consists of a few choral vocal arrangements and some discordant piano pieces that add to the drama and humor while music supervisors Anne Booty, Nick Payne, and Joe Rice cultivate a unique soundtrack that features music from the Eurythmics, Dio, and Cobrah.
The casting by Dixie Chassay is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Krystal Alayne Chambers as a cult member who is hoping to be cleansed, Merah Benoit as Emily and Joseph’s daughter whom Emily rarely sees, Yorgos Stefanakos as variations of a man known as R.M.F., and Hunter Schafer as a young woman named Anna who is observed by both Emily and Andrew to see if she has any powers. Joe Alwyn is terrific in a trio of small roles as a collector appraisal who shortchanges Robert over the sports memorabilia he possesses while he also plays car passenger that Daniel deals with, and as Emily’s ex-husband Joseph who has issues with Emily’s life in the cult as well as how to deal with their daughter. Hong Chau is fantastic in a trio of roles as Robert’s wife, the wife of Liz’s colleague, and as the wife of a cult leader in Aka where Chau brings a lot of low-key restraint and humor to the characters that she plays.
Mamoudou Athie is excellent in a trio of roles as Sarah’s swim coach, Daniel’s police officer partner Neil, and as a morgue nurse where he is quite prominent as Neil who is concerned over Daniel’s behavior considering Liz’s return. Margaret Qualley is brilliant in a quartet of roles as Raymond’s in-house lover Vivian, Neil’s wife Martha, and as identical twins in Ruth and Rebecca where Qualley brings a lot of different complexities to the characters with Rebecca being the weirdest as someone who goes to Emily and Andrew over her sister believing she’s the person they’re looking for. Willem Dafoe is amazing in a trio of role as Robert’s boss/lover Raymond, Liz’s father George, and a cult leader in Omi where Dafoe brings a lot of versatility to his roles as this stern yet caring figure for Robert as well as an offbeat man in Omi who is a true believer of this idea that they’re following believing that purified water from humans will give them long lives.
Finally, there’s Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons in tremendous performances in the trios of roles they play. In the roles of Raymond’s temporary lover Rita, Daniel’s long-lost wife Liz, and the cult follower Emily, Stone provides a lot of different looks and nuances to the characters she plays with Liz being this woman who is trying to understand her husband’s odd behavior while being livelier and more humorous as Emily in her mission to find this spiritual being as well as trying to see her daughter. Plemons’ performances as Robert and Daniel are full of these complexities with former being a man whose life is structured in every way until he breaks from that structure while the latter is someone who becomes suspicious over his wife over the little things about her that he does not recognize. In the role of Emily’s partner Andrew, Plemons is more restrained as someone who helps her while also being in love with Omi as he is envious towards Emily over her connection with him.
Kinds of Kindness is a phenomenal film from Yorgos Lanthimos that features top-notch leading performances from Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. Along with its ensemble cast, wondrous visuals, an eerie music score, and riveting stories of humanity in troubling situations. It is a film that plays into a trio of offbeat stories that has a bit of surrealism as it involves people who are in situations that are beyond their control and to try and find some form of kindness. In the end, Kinds of Kindness is a sensational film by Yorgos Lanthimos.
Yorgos Lanthimos Films: (My Best Friend (2001 film)) – (Kinetta) – Dogtooth - (Alps) – The Lobster - (The Killing of a Sacred Deer) – The Favourite - Poor Things - (Bugonia)
© thevoid99 2024
The 1988 U.S. Presidential election that lead to the victory of then-vice president George H.W. Bush over the Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis yet the person who was the front runner in the primaries was Gary Hart as the film chronicles three weeks in the life of Hart in early 1987 during his campaign and how it all fell apart over news of an extramarital affair. The film’s screenplay opens with Hart’s loss at the 1984 primaries to Walter Mondale as the senator from Colorado would try again in 1988 on a campaign of ideas as he would intrigue a lot of voters who see him as a fresh face. Yet, one lousy decision to attend a party at a yacht would undo everything for Hart as it relates to questions of immorality. The film’s screenplay is straightforward yet it never goes further in its exploration of immorality as it relates to the people not doing enough to get Hart to open up as well as the world of journalism as they realize what must be done to sell newspaper. Though some of the characters such as the famed Washington Post editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee (Alfred Molina) reveal what has to be done yet he is aware that this is a part of an evolution in journalism whether he likes it or not.
Jason Reitman’s direction is largely straightforward in his compositions though the film opens with a long tracking shot on coverage of the 1984 Democratic primaries and Walter Mondale’s victory as people working for Hart are trying to figure out what to do next. Shot largely on location in the state of Georgia with some of it shot in Atlanta and Savannah with additional locations in Colorado, Miami, and New York City, Reitman creates a film set in a time where everyone was eager for change and Hart as this idealist might be their man. Reitman does create some unique wide and medium shots to get a look of what Hart is trying to do in order to reach voters but also to get a scope at the large ensemble that includes his campaign team lead by campaign manager Bill Dixon (J.K. Simmons). The scene at the boat where Hart would meet Donna Rice (Sara Paxton) is more about the party as Reitman doesn’t show Rice’s face until later in the film’s second half as there aren’t a lot of close-ups on her as she is presented as a woman who put herself in a bad situation unaware that things are going to get worse.
Since this is a film about scandal and how it destroys a man’s ambitions, Reitman and his co-writers don’t exactly go all the way into not just exploring the immorality of Hart’s actions but also into some of the seedier details into his affair with Rice. The lack of intrigue as it focuses on journalists printing the story as well as the moral implications that lead the way to tabloid news of sorts does bring the film down a bit as well as provide some scenes where the pacing suffers. Even in the third act with people in Hart’s campaign wanting him to confess his actions though Hart claims that his private life is no one’s business. The film’s climax does have suspense into what journalists ask him as one of them in AJ Parker (Mamoudou Athie) asks him about his morals as he had asked him weeks earlier during an interview that didn’t put Hart in a good light. Overall, Reitman crafts a fascinating but messy film about the rise and fall of American politician Gary Hart during his presidential campaign.
Cinematographer Eric Steelberg does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography in maintaining a low-key mood for some of the interior scenes as well as emphasize on autumn-like colors for some of the daytime exterior scenes. Editor Stefan Grube does excellent work with the editing in creating some straightforward cuts to play into the drama and some of the dramatic suspense. Production designer Steve Saklad, with set decorator Melinda Sanders and art director Cameron Beasley, does brilliant work with the look of Hart’s campaign headquarters and his homes as well as the look of the offices for the various newspaper buildings. Costume designer Danny Glicker does fantastic work with the clothes the characters wear including some of the casual 80s look that Rice wears as well as Hart’s family.
Hair stylist Lawrence Davis and makeup artist Wendy Bell do nice work with the look of the characters from the look of Hart as well as some of the 80s hairstyles women had at the time. Special effects supervisor David Fletcher and visual effects supervisor Chris LeDoux do terrific work with some of the film’s visual effects as it relates to journalists being on TV as they’re talking to real-life figures as much of it is set-dressing. Sound editor Perry Robertson do superb work with some of the sound in the way a room full of people sound like as well as the raucous sounds of journalists trying to get answers from Hart. The film’s music by Rob Simonsen is wonderful as it does feature bits of low-key orchestral music to play into the drama with some percussive-based music to play into the political aspects of the film while music supervisor Tricia Halloran feature a soundtrack of the music of the times that is played on location as it includes music by Boston, Henry Mancini, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Expose`, the Whispers, and Gene Clark plus a couple of classical piano pieces performed by Vera Farmiga.
The casting by John Papsidera is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Mike Judge as a reporter for The Miami Herald, Spencer Garrett and Ari Graynor in their respective roles as veteran Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Ann Devroy who both give Parker advice on ethics, Chris Coy as Hart’s press secretary Kevin Sweeney, Oliver Cooper as Hart’s deputy political director Joe Trippi who spends time with Hart’s wife and daughter during the scandal, Alex Karpovsky as Hart’s advance man Mike Stratton, Josh Brener as Hart’s political advisor Doug Wilson, Tommy Dewey as Hart’s deputy campaign manager John Emerson, Mark O’Brien as Hart’s body man Billy Shore, Kevin Pollak as The Miami Herald editor-in-chief Bob Martindale, and Alfred Molina in a small role as the famed Washington Post editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee who is aware of what this scandal would do but also knows that he has a job to do whether he likes it or not.
Steve Zissis and Bill Burr are superb in their respective roles as The Miami Herald reporters Tom Fielder and Pete Murphy as the two men who would investigate Hart’s personal life and discover the identity of Donna Rice. Sara Paxton is fantastic as Donna Rice as the woman who sleeps with Hart as she copes with being part of a major scandal while Molly Ephraim is excellent as Hart’s campaign scheduler Irene Kelly who tries to help Rice. Kaitlyn Dever is brilliant as Hart’s daughter Andrea who watches from afar and begins to wonder if everything her father does would ruin the family. Mamoudou Athie is amazing as A.J. Parker as a journalist for The Washington Post who goes on the road with Hart as he asks questions only to upset Hart prompting to find out about Hart’s private life as he asks him some big questions at the film’s climax. J.K. Simmons is incredible as Hart’s campaign manager Bill Dixon as a man who is trying to run the campaign but is aware of how damaging the scandal is where Simmons displays some humor early in the film but then becomes serious when things do get serious.
Vera Farmiga is wonderful as Hart’s wife Lee though it’s a role that doesn’t get enough coverage despite Farmiga’s performance as she allows herself to maintain some dignity as she watches her life fall apart from afar though it is hampered by how underwritten her character is. Finally, there’s Hugh Jackman in a remarkable performance as Gary Hart as this idealistic senator who is the front runner for the upcoming 1988 U.S. Presidential election until news about his extramarital affair comes into question where Jackman brings a unique presence to a man who is vehemently private and refuses to answer any questions only to alienate those closest to him as Jackman does bring in that intensity of a man who is trying to protect himself only to fall apart because of his own actions.
The Front Runner is a good but underwhelming film from Jason Reitman. Despite its ensemble cast led by Hugh Jackman and some solid technical work, the film is a compelling real-life drama about the rise-and-fall of Gary Hart yet it unfortunately chooses to play it safe leading to a film that is undercooked and not having enough intrigue. Even as the real-life scandal itself is filled with stories that unfortunately does pave the way for tabloid news to become big business as Reitman’s attempt to comment on morality gets bogged down by the drama. In the end, The Front Runner is a stellar but deeply flawed film from Jason Reitman.
Jason Reitman Films: Thank You for Smoking - Juno - Up in the Air - Young Adult - Labor Day -(Men, Women, & Children) – Tully (2018 film) - Ghostbusters: Afterlife - The Auteurs #30: Jason Reitman
© thevoid99 2021
Written and directed by Geremy Jasper, Patti Cake$ is the story of an overweight white woman from New Jersey who wants to become a rapper despite the obstacles she faces. It’s a film that explore a woman’s desire to prove that that she has something to say in the world of hip-hop. Starring Danielle Macdonald, Bridget Everett, Siddharth Dhananjay, Mamoudou Athie, McCaul Lombardi, Nick Sandow, Patrick Brana, and Cathy Moriarty. Patti Cake$ is an exciting and riveting film from Geremy Jasper.
The film is a simple story of a young woman from New Jersey who dreams of being a rapper to get out of her small town as well as her alcoholic mother who used to sing for an 80s rock band that never made it. It’s a film that explores a young woman who has a love for rapping and hip-hop music as she’s got the talent to make it as an emcee yet there are obstacles that she has to face. Among them is the fact that she’s white, she’s a woman, and she’s an overweight white woman where the idea of her being a rap star seems ridiculous. Yet, writer/director Geremy Jasper follows the journey that Patti Dombrowski (Danielle Macdonald) goes through as she works part-time as a bartender at a bar while taking care of her grandmother (Cathy Moriarty) while watching her mother Barb (Bridget Everett) going out. Patti’s friend in Jheri (Siddharth Dhananjay) also wants to rap as they watch a show featuring a reclusive performance artist named Basterd (Mamoudou Athie) who would help them form a group.
Jasper’s direction is largely simple with some stylish elements in the film as it is shot on location in the state of New Jersey. There are a few wide shots in Jasper’s direction yet much of the compositions are simple in its medium shots and close-ups. Still, Jasper would infuse this looseness and energy into the world that Patti wants to be a part of while it is still grounded in this small town in New Jersey where all sorts of music is being played from rock, hip-hop, and other weird shit. The direction also play into the world of fantasy into what Patti aspires to be as it does have some visual cues of modern-day hip-hop videos as she idolizes the rapper O-Z (Sahr Ngaujah) who is considered an iconic local figure. There are dramatic schematics that play into the challenges Patti endures as well as the fact that she has to help her family and find steady work yet Jasper does deviate from the conventions as it relates to loss and rising above from that. Even if Patti has to do something her mother wasn’t able to achieve more than 20 years go. Overall, Jasper crafts a compelling and enthralling film about an overweight white woman from New Jersey trying to make it as a rapper.
Cinematographer Federico Cesca does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward for some of the daytime interior/exterior scenes with some shots using stylish neon lights for a few scenes as well as low-key lights for some of the musical performances and scenes set at night. Editor Brad Turner does nice work with the editing as it has some jump-cuts and montages along with some stylish moments that play into the style of modern-day hip-hop videos. Production designer Meredith Lippincott, with set decorator Sally Levi and art director Heather Yancey, does fantastic work with the look of Patti’s home as well as the secret place that Basterd lived in and the clubs that musicians play at. Costume designer Miyako Bellizzi does terrific work with the costumes as it has some style including some of the clothes that Basterd, Patti, and Jheri would wear onstage.
Visual effects supervisor Alex Noble does superb work with the visual effects at it relates to a sequence in which Patti smokes a joint that is super-potent. Sound editor Ryan Billa does brilliant work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the clubs as well as how the music sounds. The film’s music by Geremy Jasper and Jason Binnick is incredible for its usage of hip-hop and electronics as they would also write the original songs that are performed in the film while music supervisor Joe Rudge provides that mix of hip-hop, rock, glam-metal, and other music to play into the world that is New Jersey.
The casting by Rebecca Dealy and Jessica Kelly is great as it feature some notable small roles from Sahr Ngaujah as the rapper O-Z, John Sharian as a patron at the bar that Patti works at, Wass Stevens as a former classmate of Barb in Officer Nichols, Patrick Bana as a wannabe rapper in Slaz, McCaul Lombardi as a dealer friend of Jheri, Nick Sandow as the catering manager Ray, and MC Lyte as a bar mitzvah deejay who chats with Patti and would listen to her demo. Cathy Moriarty is excellent as Patti’s grandmother as an ailing woman whom Patti adores and cares for as she is also a fan of Patti’s rhymes and help contribute a major part into the demo Patti creates with Jheri and Basterd.
Mamoudou Athie is fantastic as Basterd as a reclusive performance artist with a love for metal and weird music as he reluctantly helps Patti and Jheri with their demo where he sees that potential of Patti’s talents as a rapper. Siddharth Dhananjay is brilliant as Jheri as a pharmacy clerk who loves hip-hop as he also has similar obstacles that Patti faces considering he’s of Indian/Pakistani descent yet manages to make enough connections in the hopes that he, Patti, and Basterd get some form of deal. Bridget Everett is amazing as Barb as Patti’s mother as an alcoholic who used to sing for a glam metal band that is given another chance but struggles to feel young while being dismissive of Patti’s gifts. Finally, there’s Danielle Macdonald in an incredible performance as Patti Dombrowski as an overweight white woman who wants to be a rapper while dealing with the chaos of her family life prompting her to try and make it no matter the obstacles she faces as it’s a charismatic and lively performance from Macdonald.
Patti Cake$ is a phenomenal film from Geremy Jasper featuring a star-making performance from Danielle Macdonald. Along with its ensemble cast, engaging story, and a cool music soundtrack, it’s a film that play into a woman wanting to express her gifts and display it for the world as well as proving she has what it takes to be a star. In the end, Patti Cake$ is a sensational film from Geremy Jasper.
© thevoid99 2018
