The Phoenician Scheme

 

Written and directed by Wes Anderson from a story by Anderson and Roman Coppola, The Phoenician Scheme is the story of a wealthy businessman who names his only daughter as his sole heir as they deal with rival businessmen and other forces wanting to take over. The film is an ensemble comedy-drama that follows a man who built his empire who installs his nun daughter to become his heir. Starring Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson, Hope Davis, Mathieu Almaric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Rupert Friend, and Benedict Cumberbatch. The Phoenician Scheme is a whimsical and heartfelt film by Wes Anderson.

Set in the 1950s, the film follows a wealthy industrialist who has named his only daughter as his sole heir as the two along with a tutor traveling around the fictional European country of Phoenicia to deal with various investors over money, he skimmed over to salvage a project that he hopes would help Phoenicia. It is a film that explores a man who had been through many near-death experiences involving plane crashes and assassination attempts on his life where he decides to bring his eldest child into the fold even though she is about to become a nun as she is reluctant to take part in his criminal activities. Wes Anderson’s screenplay has a narrative that is straightforward with some strange yet surreal sequences that involves its protagonist Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) often visiting the afterlife following every near-death experience. These events forces him to name his estranged daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton) as his sole heir as he has 10 other sons who are all adolescent and unable to help Korda in his schemes. Joining them on this trip through Phoenicia is a Norwegian entomologist in Bjorn (Michael Cera) whom Korda hired as a tutor in his own increasing interest in insects.

The script also has a unique structure into the group of people that Korda has to meet to cover his losses that includes a consortium led by two American brothers in Leland (Tom Hanks) and Reagan (Bryan Cranston), the heir to Phoenicia in Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed), a French nightclub owner in Marseille Bob (Mathieu Almaric), an American investor in Marty (Jeffrey Wright), Korda’s second-cousin Hilda (Scarlett Johansson), and his half-brother Uncle Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch) whom Korda believes killed Liesl’s mother many years ago. Korda would endure a series of challenges and events upon his journey as it would play into a character arc of his own as a man that is constantly dealing with assassins trying to kill him and other things while he gets to know Liesl. Liesl would have an arc of her own while also revealing her own quirks such as the fact that she carries a dagger and smokes with a pipe. Notably as she gains a view of the world though remains committed to her faith and becoming a nun. Bjorn is a character that is full of intrigue as he is fascinated by Liesl while he is also ambiguous in the things he talks about while often surrounds himself with insects as they fascinate him. The film also has a subplot relating to a government agent led by Excaliber (Rupert Friend) who is tailing Korda and his activities in the hope of disrupting everything for Korda.

Anderson’s direction is entrancing as it does play into his stylish usage of symmetrical compositions and diligence to everything he captures on film. Shot on location at the Babelsberg Studio in Germany and in a 1:48:1 aspect ratio format that is an unconventional presentation that is atypical with a lot of films. Anderson does maintain some unique compositions in some of the wide shots he creates to play into the fictional country of Phoenicia as it is a country between Europe and the Middle East. Anderson does maintain some stylish framing in the way he puts his actors in a medium shot or a close-up along with some intricate tracking shots where characters would move from one room to another. Anderson’s presentation of the scenes set in the afterlife are shot in black-and-white as there is an element of surrealism where Korda meet some people including his first wife (Charlotte Gainsbourg), a young Liesl (Beatrice Campbell) and a few others as it plays into his own brush with death.

The film also plays into the ideas of faith as it relates to Liesl who often prays during her journey while the sequence in which Korda meets with Bob at his nightclub that is being robbed by Communist revolutionaries led by Sergio (Richard Ayoade) as Korda, Liesl, and Bjorn would meet them again as they are all Atheists. There is a humorous take in how Anderson presents Atheism as it would help play in both Korda and Liesl’s character arcs as it relates to faith. Notably the former whose encounters with the afterlife through his near-death experiences forces him to contend with his own existence. The film’s climax relates to the final meetings with those he counted upon to help him save the project as well as confront Uncle Nubar who is the last investor who is also ambiguous into answering Liesl’s own questions about her mother. It would be followed by a ridiculous fight scene as well as other outlandish things followed by an epilogue that plays into the fate of Phoenicia, its project, and those close to Korda. Overall, Anderson crafts an evocative and enchanting film about a business tycoon trying to make amends with his estranged empire to save his criminal empire.

Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of lighting for interior scenes in the day and night as well as in the way some of the exterior scenes are lit including scenes at night such as a scene inside a crashed airplane with the usage of lamps and available light. Editor Barney Pilling, with additional work from Andrew Weisblum, does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, slow-motion shots, and other stylish cuts to play into the suspense, action, and humor also knowing when to have shots linger on for around a minute. Production designer Adam Stockhausen, with set decorator Anna Pinnock plus art directors Marc Bitz, Neneh Lucia, Anja Muller, Esther Schreiner, and Mariana Vasconcellos, does brilliant work with the look of the Korda estate, the unfinished train tunnel, and other places including interiors of the planes that Korda flies in as it is a highlight of the film. Costume designer Milena Canonero does amazing work with the costumes in the design of the suits that Korda and Bjorn wears as well as the nun outfit that Liesl wears and the clothes of some of the other characters including the sweatpants and shoes that Leland and Reagan wear.

Hair/makeup designer Heike Merker and prosthetics designer Mark Coulier do terrific work with the look of the characters in the hairstyles that Liesl and Bjorn have as well as the big beard that Uncle Nubar has. Special effects supervisor Gerd Nefzer, along with visual effects supervisors Craig Crawford and Steve Murgatroyd, does fantastic work with the look of some of the models and miniatures used in the film along with a few bits of visual effects as set dressing. Sound editors Wayne Lemmer and Christopher Scarabosio do superb work with the sound in the way planes sound from the inside as well as the sounds of certain objects including weapons. The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is wonderful for its low-key piano-based orchestral score that plays into the suspense and drama with some soft percussive and a low-key string arrangement to play into some dangerous scenes. Music supervisor Randall Poster cultivated a soundtrack that features classical music pieces from Igor Stravinsky, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Modest Mussorgsky as well as music from Gene Krupa and Dizzy Gillespie.

The film’s casting by Douglas Aibel is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Beatrice Campbell as a young Liesl, Donald Sumpter as a chairman that Excaliber works for, Alex Jennings as Korda’s butler, Jason Watkins as Korda’s attorney, Stephen Park as Korda’s pilot, and in the roles of Korda’s 10 adolescent sons in Edward Hyland, Ogden Dawson, Kit Rakusen, Milo James, Hector Bateman-Harden, Benjamin Lake, Gunes Taner, Gabriel Ryan, Mohamad Momo Ramadan, and Jonathan Wirtz. Other notable small roles as figures of people that Korda sees in the afterlife include Charlotte Gainsbourg as Korda’s first wife, Willem Dafoe as an attorney in Knave, F. Murray Abraham as a prophet, and Bill Murray as God. Hope Davis is fantastic as the Mother Superior who arrives in the film’s third function as Liesl’s mentor who learns about Liesl’s journey as well as getting to know Korda where she decides to join him in his own scheme for the good of Phoenicia.

Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston are superb in their respective roles as the brothers Leland and Reagan as two American investors who are upset over their own financial loss as they would settle this dispute through a game of horse where Hanks and Cranston display their skills in the game. Riz Ahmed and Richard Ayoade are excellent in their respective roles as the Phoenician heir Prince Farouk and the guerilla leader Sergio with the former being an investor who believes that Korda will do good while the latter is a Communist revolutionary who decides to join Korda in the film’s third act in dealing with enemies of Korda. Rupert Friend and Mathieu Almaric are brilliant in their respective roles as the bureaucratic Excaliber and the nightclub owner Marseille Bob with the former being a government agent trying to disrupt Korda’s activities and the latter being another investor who has issues with what Korda wants only for his encounter with Sergio changes everything.

Jeffrey Wright and Scarlett Johansson are amazing in their respective roles as the American investor Marty and Cousin Hilda with the former being an investor who is also upset over what Korda wants while the latter is Korda’s second cousin who is unsure about wanting to marry Korda to save his business as she is also trying to handle things for herself. Benedict Cumberbatch is great as Uncle Nubar as Korda’s half-brother who is also an investor yet remains mysterious in his own dealings while is also unwilling to answer questions about the death of Liesl’s mother. Michael Cera is incredible as Bjorn as a Norwegian entomologist who is hired as a tutor for Korda while also being an administrative assistant where he is full of humor and intrigue as he is also someone that is fascinated by Liesl.

Mia Threapleton is tremendous in a break-out performance as Liesl as Korda’s estranged daughter who is becoming a nun as she is reluctant to join her father on a trip through Phoenicia where she gets to see many wonders of the world while also being someone who smokes a pipe and carries a dagger where she has quirks of her own like her father. Finally, there is Benicio del Toro in a phenomenal performance as Zsa-Zsa Korda as a business tycoon who has created schemes to swindle people out of money where he is ruthless in his pursuits until a series of near-death experiences forces him to make some changes in saving a project for the country of Phoenicia where he gains some insights about the ways of the world. It is a witty performance from del Toro who brings a lot of complexities of a man with irredeemable qualities, yet he puts in things that would make him redeemable during his journey as he also has some amazing low-key chemistry with Threapleton.

The Phoenician Scheme is a sensational film by Wes Anderson that features a great leading performance from Benicio del Toro and a major discovery in Mia Threapleton. Along with its ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, a sumptuous music soundtrack, and a story of redemption and meaning amidst bad decisions and near-death experiences. The film is an offbeat yet compelling film that does mark a newfound maturity from Anderson in its exploration of family dysfunction as well as characters trying to find redemption from their bad habits. In the end, The Phoenician Scheme is a phenomenal film by Wes Anderson.

Wes Anderson Films: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Hotel Chevalier - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - Moonrise Kingdom - Castello Cavalcanti - The Grand Budapest Hotel - Isle of Dogs - The French Dispatch - Asteroid City - The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - The Swan - The Rat Catcher - Poison (2023 short) - The Auteurs #8: Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson Film Soundtracks: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Seu Jorge-The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - (Moonrise Kingdom) – (The Grand Budapest Hotel) – (Isle of Dogs) – (The French Dispatch) – (Asteroid City) – (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar) – (The Phoenician Scheme)

© thevoid99 2023

At Eternity's Gate

Directed by Julian Schnabel and written by Schnabel, Jean-Claude Carriere, and Louise Kugelberg, At Eternity’s Gate is the story about the final years of painter Vincent van Gogh. Based on theories by van Gogh biographers Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, the film dramatizes the events of van Gogh’s final years as well as his eventual death as the painter struggles to get attention and recognition for his work as van Gogh is portrayed by Willem Dafoe. Also starring Mads Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Mathieu Almaric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Oscar Isaac, and Niels Arestrup. At Eternity’s Gate is a rapturous and riveting film from Julian Schnabel.

Set during the final two years of the life of Vincent van Gogh, the film follows the painter as he struggles to make a name for himself while wanting to express himself artistically as well as questioning himself about his art and the divine. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it doesn’t play into a straightforward approach expected in films about real figures. Instead, it is a study of a man trying to find himself through his art as he also begins to question his being and worth as an artist and as a man while he would meet various people in his journey. The film’s script by Julian Schnabel, Louise Kugelberg, and Jean-Claude Carriere follows van Gogh in that journey where he often walks around landscapes in France as he would often paint what he sees as those who would see his paintings are convinced that he’s no good. Upon meeting the artist Paul Gauguin (Oscar Isaac) in Paris as they both share their thoughts on art, van Gogh goes to Arles in the South of France to find inspiration in the landscape but is ridiculed by some locals for his aesthetics while a visit from Gauguin only adds to his emotional turmoil.

The film’s second half revolves around the events in which van Gogh had cut off his left ear as the narrative also feature voiceover narration from van Gogh through letters he would write to his brother Theo (Rupert Friend) who would fund his art. It is at this time that van Gogh would be sent to an asylum as he ponders about his art and such but also the beauty of nature and the divine. Even as he would continue to paint to the day he dies as the script also showcases the man’s delusions and episodes of mental illness as well as ideas of what might’ve happened on the day of his death.

Schnabel’s direction is definitely dream-like in some of the imagery he creates as he would also shoot the film on actual locations in Arles as well as additional locations in Bouches-du-Rhone, and Auvers-sur-Oise in France. Schnabel’s usage of the wide and medium shots add to the beauty that van Gogh was seeking but also something that is almost indescribable in trying to find the actual look of it which is why he paints fast. The attention to detail in the painting as well as what van Gogh sees adds to the beauty while some of the framing that Schnabel creates in the medium shots do match up to some of the paintings that van Gogh has created. Even in the close-ups as it help play into the sense of despair and torment that van Gogh endures with Schnabel often shooting scenes with hand-held cameras where the camera often glides or gets a point-of-view shot of van Gogh walking. The usage of the hand-held cameras would also play into the wonders of nature and the surroundings that van Gogh would encounter.

Also serving as editor with co-writer Louise Kugelberg, Schnabel’s usage of jump-cuts and dissolves add to some of the film’s emotional moments as well as play into van Gogh’s troubled mental state. Notably in scenes during the third act where van Gogh is in an asylum as it returns to the film’s opening scene where it is shown in a different context. It adds to this sense of despair and uncertainty in van Gogh where he meets a sympathetic priest (Mads Mikkelsen) who gets a look at one of his paintings and does express his opinion yet doesn’t think that van Gogh is a terrible painter. The third act also has Schnabel play into things that play into events relating to his work including a sketchbook that would be lost until 2016 and what happened to him on the day he died. Yet, Schnabel showcases a man that is driven by the beauty of his surroundings and hoping to capture it the way he and possibly God sees it. Overall, Schnabel crafts an intoxicating and enchanting film about the final years in the life of Vincent van Gogh.

Cinematographer Benoit Delhomme does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of lush colors and dream-like photography add to the films’ beauty as well as its usage of blurry lenses and some black-and-white shots that showcases the depths of van Gogh’s psyche. Production designer Stephane Cressend, with set decorators Sonia Gloaguen and Cecile Vatelot plus art director Loic Chavanon, does brilliant work with the look of the places that van Gogh would go to and stay at as well as a tavern he would frequent at and the asylum where he spent some time during his illness. Costume designer Karen Muller Serreau does fantastic work with the ragged clothes that van Gogh wears as well as some of the clothes the other characters wear.

Special makeup effects artist Jean-Christophe Spadaccini and special effects makeup designer Mark Wotton do terrific work with the look of a few characters including van Gogh after he had cut off his left ear. Visual effects supervisor Arthur Lemaitre does nice work with the visual effects as it is largely minimal in presenting van Gogh without his left ear and a few bits of set dressing. Sound editor Thomas Desjonqueres does excellent work with the film’s sound in the way it repeats lines of dialogues to play into van Gogh’s delusions as well as capturing natural sounds as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Tatiana Lisovskaya is amazing for its lush and somber piano sonatas and low-key orchestral touches that play into the film’s melancholic tone as well as the sense of wonderment that van Gogh endures.

The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Anne Consigny as a schoolteacher who is disgusted by what van Gogh is painting, Louis Garrel as the voice of an article by an art critic, Lolita Chammah as a young woman van Gogh meets at the film’s beginning, Vincent Perez as an art gallery director, Amira Casar as Theo’s wife Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, Vladimir Consigny as an asylum doctor, and Niels Arestrup as a madman van Gogh converses with at the asylum about insanity. Mads Mikkelsen is superb in his one-scene performance as a priest who converses with Van Gogh about art and the divine as it is a low-key performance from Mikkelsen who provides a sense of warmth to the character. Mathieu Almaric is fantastic in his small role as Dr. Paul Gachet as a man who is a subject of one of van Gogh’s paintings as well as be someone who would be with him on the last day of van Gogh’s life.

Emmanuelle Seigner is excellent in a dual role as the woman from Arles who becomes a subject of one of Van Gogh’s paintings as she would give him a place to stay while other role as Madam Ginoux is brief as the woman who would unknowingly have van Gogh’s sketchbook and put in a place that she would forget about. Oscar Isaac is brilliant as Paul Gauguin as an artist who shares van Gogh’s ideas about aesthetics yet becomes baffled by what van Gogh is trying to find through art believing that van Gogh would never get any attention. Rupert Friend is amazing as van Gogh’s brother Theo as a man who is also funds van Gogh’s work as he becomes concerned about his brother’s emotional and mental well-being. Finally, there’s Willem Dafoe in a performance for the ages as Vincent van Gogh as this tormented artist who is trying to create art that means something while dealing with rejection, criticism, and himself as Dafoe play into this man’s struggle as well as wanting to create something that he believes is closer to what God would see as it is a towering performance from Dafoe.

At Eternity’s Gate is an outstanding film from Julian Schnabel that features a career-defining performance from Willem Dafoe as Vincent van Gogh. Along with its ensemble cast, Benoit Delhomme’s ravishing cinematography, Tatiana Lisovskaya’s somber score, and its exploration of an artist trying to create art that is divine. The film is an unconventional yet enthralling film that doesn’t play into the traditional schematics of a bio-pic in favor of studying a man trying to capture nature at its most pure. In the end, At Eternity’s Gate is a magnificent film from Julian Schnabel.

Julian Schnabel Films: Basquiat - Before Night Falls - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Lou Reed-Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse - Miral

Related: (Lust for Life) – (Vincent & Theo) – (Dreams (1990 film)) – (Loving Vincent) - The Auteurs #43: Julian Schnabel

© thevoid99 2020

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Based on the memoir of Jean-Dominique Bauby, Le scaphandre et le papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) is the story about the famed editor of Elle magazine who suffered a stroke at the age of 43 where he would become paralyzed as the only part of his body that moves is his left eye as he would tell his own story from that eye. Directed by Julian Schnabel and screenplay by Ronald Harwood, the film is an unconventional bio-pic as Mathieu Almaric plays the role of Bauby from the man who had a charmed life as he later succumbs to paralysis as he copes with the remaining days of his life. Also starring Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josee Croze, Anne Consigny, Isaach de Bankole, and Max von Sydow. Le scaphandre et le papillon is a majestic yet rapturous film from Julian Schnabel.

In 1995 at the age of 43 while driving with his son, Jean-Dominique Bauby suffers a stroke as he wakes up three weeks later realizing he is paralyzed as the only thing he can see and feel is from his left eye. Throughout the course of the film, Bauby would use his eye to communicate with the help of a kind nurse in Henrietta (Marie-Josee Croze) through a series of letters that are used frequently where Bauby would write his memoir with the help of an editor in Claude (Anne Consigny) as he would reflect on his own life as well as his own life with his ex-girlfriend Celine Desmoulins (Emmanuelle Seigner) and their three children. Bauby also talks about the day of his stroke and his meeting with his father (Max von Sydow) as he begins to contemplate about the days he has left in his own life.

Ronald Harwood’s screenplay definitely plays with a back-and-forth narrative structure of sorts since it is told largely from Bauby’s perspective about the life he had as well as the life he is having as a paralyzed man. Much of it would involve aspects of what Bauby did as well as his frustrations of having to live where his left eye is the only thing that is working as he thinks about sex and football. The film’s title serves as a metaphor for the life that Bauby is in as it would appear in a series of surrealistic things that are playing in his head including things that aren’t from his time as Harwood uses a lot of voice-over narration to play into Bauby and his struggles. Even as he reveals flaws into who he is as a person as he is someone that is very selfish and sleeps around with various woman as he even fantasizes about the women who are helping him. Upon knowing that he’s got a limited amount of time, the self-reflective approach to the narrative not only helps Bauby but display someone who is trying to find some kind of redemption as the script allows him to do that.

Julian Schnabel’s direction is truly mesmerizing for the way he shoots nearly half of the film from Bauby’s perspective as if the camera is playing the role of Bauby’s left eye. There’s elements of hand-held cameras with blurry edges to play into that idea that the camera is Bauby where it shows an idea of how he is feeling and how he is coping with being paralyzed. Scenes shot outside of the eye has this sense of style in the way Schnabel he shoots photo shoots as well as scenes on the beach where Bauby is surrounded by his children. The scenes involving Bauby and his father are among the most intimate and powerful to showcase this relationship that is quite unique as they’re both going through some form of illness. Schnabel’s approach to metaphoric images are entrancing as it plays to some of the surreal elements in the film yet they do make sense into what Bauby is dealing with as he is a man coping with death and aspect of his own charmed but troubled life. Even as Schnabel creates compositions and framing devices to play into the man’s final days as it showcases the kind of life that Bauby had and how he refused to die without making some kind of difference. Overall, Schnabel creates a very enthralling yet intoxicating film about a man dealing with death as the only part in his body with any sense of life is his left eye.

Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of colors and lights for the scenes shot from the perspective of the eye with some scratchy blurs and images to some of the interior/exterior scenes including the use of gorgeous colors and lights for a sequence at Lourdes where Bauby is intrigued by elements of spirituality. Editor Juliette Welfing does amazing work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts as well as creating a few montages and other stylistic cuts to play into Bauby‘s dizzying life. Production designers Michel Eric and Laurent Ott do brilliant work with the look of the hospital room and its hallways including some very mesmerizing scenes of shops at the city of Lourdes.

Costume designer Olivier Beriot does nice work with the costumes from the casual clothes of the main characters to some period clothing presented in a few surrealistic scenes in Bauby‘s head. Sound editor Francis Wargnier, with mixer Dominique Gaborieau and recordist Jean-Paul Mugel, does fantastic work with the sound to create textures into Bauby‘s narration as well as what he might be hearing in his head along with some of the atmosphere in the locations. The film’s music by Paul Cantelon is wonderful as it’s mostly low-key with its plaintive piano score to play into the different moods of the film while Schnabel supervises the film’s soundtrack that features music from the Velvet Underground, Tom Waits, U2, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, Charles Trenet, Emmanuelle Seigner with Ultra, and the Dirtbombs.

The film’s phenomenal ensemble cast includes some notable appearances from Lenny Kravitz as himself in a photo shoot, photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Michael Wincott, Jean-Pierre Cassel in a dual role as a Lourdes vendor and a friend of Bauby, Elvis Polanski as a young Bauby, Gerard Watkins as a doctor, Marina Hands as Bauby’s Lourdes’ date Josephine, Niels Arestrup and Isaach de Bankole as friends of Bauby who visits him, Agathe de La Fontaine as his mistress Ines, Olata Lopez Garmendia as a therapist, Patrick Chenais as the doctor who would tell Bauby his condition, Emma de Caunes in a fantasy version of Empress Eugenie, and as the trio of Bauby’s children with Desmoulins, there’s Theo Sampaio, Fiorella Campanella, and Talina Boyaci. Max von Sydow is brilliant as Bauby’s father as a man who hopes for his son to go into a better path as he also copes with his own stroke.

Emmanuelle Seigner is excellent as Bauby’s ex-girlfriend Celine Desmoulins who is the mother of his three children as she reconnects with him in the wake of his illness as she provides the reasons for him to be faithful. Anne Consigny is amazing as Claude who would help Bauby write his memoir as he is intrigued by her beauty. Marie-Josee Croze is fantastic as the nurse Henriette Durand who would be the one to communicate with him through an alphabet system that she would perfect as she would help others in communicating with him. Finally, there’s Mathieu Almaric in a magnificent performance as Jean-Dominique Bauby as he brings a sense of cool and charm to the man in his prime as well as a selfishness and confusion. When he’s paralyzed, Almaric maintains a restraint to his role where he uses his own left eye to do the performance as it’s just astonishing to watch.

Le scaphandre et le papillon is an outstanding film from Julian Schnabel as it features a phenomenal performance from Mathieu Almaric as Jean-Dominique Bauby. Along with a great supporting cast, some amazing technical work from Janusz Kaminski and Juliette Welfing, Ronald Harwood’s screenplay, and a mesmerizing soundtrack. The film is definitely very unconventional in terms of its presentation as well as creating something that feels very engaging in a way a man deals with mortality. In the end, Le scaphandre et le papillon is a tremendously powerful film from Julian Schnabel.

Julian Schnabel Films: Basquiat - Before Night Falls - Berlin: Live at St. Ann’s Warehouse - Miral - At Eternity's Gate - The Auteurs #43: Julian Schnabel

© thevoid99 2014

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Written and directed by Wes Anderson from a story by Anderson and Hugo Guinness, The Grand Budapest Hotel is the story of a concierge who asks for the help of a young lobby boy to prove his innocence following the death of an old woman as the woman’s son and his associates try to kill him. Inspired by the writings of Stefan Zweig, the film is set between two world wars in a fictional European country where the story involves theft, love, mischief, and all sorts of things that is expected in a Wes Anderson film. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Matheiu Almaric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law, Harvey Keitel, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Lea Seydoux, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Owen Wilson, and Bob Balaban. The Grand Budapest Hotel is a rapturous yet exquisite film from Wes Anderson.

Read by a young girl who visit’s the fictional European country of Zubrowka, the film is multi-layered story about the recollections of a young lobby boy who worked for a prestigious hotel in the country that is run by a charming concierge who takes the young boy named Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori) as his protégé. After the death of an old lady (Tilda Swinton) whom the concierge Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) had romanced, Gustave is inherited a prized painting much to the dismay of the old lady’s son Dmitri (Adrien Brody) who would have Gustave sent to prison over claims that Gustave killed his mother. With the help of Zero and a young baker named Agatha (Saoirse Ronan), Gustave would do whatever to prove his innocence as the older Zero (F. Murray Abraham) tells this story to a young author (Jude Law) at the hotel his mentor had cherished where the author (Tom Wilkinson) would turn it into a book many years later that the young girl is reading.

Wes Anderson’s screenplay delves into not just themes of nostalgia but also set it into a place in time where things were simpler and had a certain amount of respect where it is largely set in a hotel that was once a place of prestige and elegance where the film is set in three different time periods in 1932, 1968, and 1985 where the ‘68 and ‘85 portions involve the young author reflecting on the story he has created. Much of the narrative is set in 1932 where old Moustafa tells the young author his story where the Grand Budapest Hotel was his home and how he became a part of the world that Gustave has cherished until the death of an old lady would change everything. Especially as her son Dmitri would do whatever to get what he feels he’s supposed to inherit as he would send his henchman J.G. Jopling (Willem Dafoe) to take care of things.

It’s not just the story that makes the film so engaging but also the characters as Gustave is a man who likes to sleep with old ladies and give them the time of their lives while his greatest love is for the Grand Budapest Hotel in which he ensures that it maintains that sense of respect as the hotel of Zubrowska. It would be something that Gustave would have Zero do as it would be the role that Zero would play where this unique friendship between the two starts to form. Especially as Gustave would help Zero woo Agatha into a romantic relationship where the two would help Gustave get out of jail and evade the authorities and Dmitri where the third act would have the trio not only go back to the hotel but also deal with the sense of a world that is changing that would greatly affect the reputation of the hotel.

Anderson’s direction is definitely what is expected from him in terms of his approach to stylish compositions and attention to detail. Yet, he also manages to take some risks with his direction in not just the compositions he creates but also in the framing devices he goes into. Much of the scenes shot in 1932 is presented in a full-frame 1:33:1 aspect ratio to play into that period of time. Anderson’s direction is definitely controlled with that aspect ratio while adding a sense of looseness into the direction in the way he approaches humor. There’s also moments where Anderson utilizes that framing device to create some dazzling medium shots and wide shots where he creates scenes that is a mixture of stop-motion animation, miniature set designs, and some visual effects to play into that world that is Zubrowka.

The scenes between Mr. Moustafa and the young writer are shot in a 1:85:1 widescreen aspect ratio while the scenes involving the old author and the girl reading the book at present time is shot at a 2:35:1 aspect ratio. The 1968 sequence is once again filled with a lot of spectacular wide shots but also present a world that is filled with a sense of loss and sentimentality where the young writer looks into the history of this once great hotel. Anderson’s mixture of humor, drama, action, and adventure adds to many of the aspects of the film’s visual style not matter what aspect ratio is in where he maintains something that is visually-enriching but also captivating in the way he presents the story and the characters in the film. Overall, Anderson creates a very extravagant yet touching film about a concierge and his protégé trying to prove the former’s innocence in a strange murder plot.

Cinematographer Robert Yeomen does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the vibrant interior lights for the scenes at the hotel to some of the exterior settings in day and night to play up the rich look of the country as it‘s shot on location in Germany. Editor Barney Pilling does excellent work with the editing in creating some stylish cuts for some of the film‘s action and humor while also to help structure the story with its different timelines. Production designer Adam Stockhausen, with art directors Stephen O. Gessler, Gerald Sullivan, and Steve Summergill and set decorator Anna Pinnock, does phenomenal work with the set pieces from the look of the hotel itself as well as the design of the bakery boxes that Agatha works for and other decorative pieces as the art direction is a highlight of the film.

Costume designer Milena Canonero does dazzling work with the costumes from the uniforms of the people at the hotel to the lavish clothes of the guests as well as the dark look of Dmitri and his family/associates. Hair and makeup supervisor Heike Merker does brilliant work with the look of the Madame D. character in the way she looks as well as in some of the prosthetic makeup some of the other characters wear including the Mexico birthmark on Agatha‘s face. Visual effects supervisors Andrea Block, Christian Haas, and Gabriel Sanchez do fantastic work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects while getting additional help from miniatures designer Frank Schegel and stop-motion animator Andy Biddle to play into the look of the hotel and some of its features.

Sound editor Wayne Lemmer does superb work with the sound to play into the atmosphere of the hotel as well as the prison and other locations in the film. The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is just awesome for its mixture of Eastern European-based string music that is dominated by the balalaika that is mixed with some orchestral flourishes as it‘s definitely of Desplat‘s best scores while music supervisor Randall Poster brings in a few pieces of the times to add to the tone of the film.

The casting by Douglas Aibel and Jina Jay is just incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Larry Pine as the Grand Budapest Hotel manager, Jella Niemann as the girl reading the book the author write, Giselda Voldi as Serge’s sister, and as members of a secret society of concierges that Gustave is in, Bob Balaban, Wallace Wolodarsky, Fisher Stevens, and Waris Ahluwalia. Other notable small roles include Lea Seydoux as a housemaid of Madame D., Mathieu Almaric as a servant of Madame D. who would provide crucial information for Gustave, Tom Wilkinson as the older author in the 1980s scene, Owen Wilson as a concierge who fills in for Gustave, Jason Schwartzman as the hotel concierge in the 1968 sequence, and Bill Murray in a very funny performance as a fellow concierge in M. Ivan who is also a member of the secret society of concierges.

Tilda Swinton is wonderful as the aging Madame D. who has cherished Gustave’s kindness as she would leave him a prestigious painting. Harvey Keitel is terrific as the prisoner Ludwig that Gustave would meet as they help each other break out of prison. Jeff Goldblum is superb as the hotel overseer Deputy Kovacs who is also Madame D.’s executor while Edward Norton is excellent as the army inspector Henckels who tries to do what is right while being a friend of Gustave. F. Murray Abraham is amazing as the older Zero Moustafa as a man who displays such grace in his role as a man reflecting on his past while Jude Law is great as the young author who listens to Zero’s story and reflects on a lost place in time.

Adrien Brody is fantastic as the very devilish son of Madame D. in Dmitri who is angry over what Gustave is getting while Willem Dafoe is brilliant as the very chilling J.G. Jopling who seems to have no problem in killing people as it’s definitely a role fitting for Dafoe. Saoirse Ronan is remarkable as the very brave Agatha whose talent for designing elaborate sweets is matched by her ability to do dangerous things in order to help Gustave and Zero. Tony Revolori is marvelous as the young Zero Moustafa as a young man trying to find his place in this hotel while helping Gustave to prove his innocence as it’s a major breakthrough for the young actor who manages to have some great moments with Fiennes. Finally, there’s Ralph Fiennes in a performance for the ages as Gustave as it’s one that is so full of charm where Fiennes really showcases his sense of wit where he is always funny from start to finish while proving to be a man who will fight for the people he cares for.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a magnificent film from Wes Anderson. Armed with a glorious ensemble cast led by Ralph Fiennes as well as dazzling technical work and a fun score by Alexandre Desplat. The film is definitely one of Anderson’s finest in terms of its technical brilliance as well as an engaging story about friendship and finding a home in a troubled world. In the end, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a spectacular film from Wes Anderson.

Wes Anderson Films: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Hotel Chevalier - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - Moonrise Kingdom - Castello Cavalcanti - Isle of Dogs - The French Dispatch - Asteroid City - The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - The Swan - The Rat Catcher - Poison - The Phoenician Scheme - The Auteurs #8: Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson Soundtracks: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Seu Jorge-The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - (Moonrise Kingdom) - (The Grand Budapest Hotel) - (Isle of Dogs)

© thevoid99 2014

Cosmopolis

Based on the novel by Don DeLillo, Cosmopolis is the story of a young multi-billionaire whose desire to get a haircut has him going onto a very strange journey where he encounters various people and embark on things that are very unsettling. Written for the screen and directed by David Cronenberg, the film plays into the life of a young man in the span of 24 hours as he starts to lose touch with reality as the world around him becomes chaotic. Starring Robert Pattinson, Sarah Gadon, Paul Giamatti, Samantha Morton, Jay Baruchel, Kevin Durand, Mathieu Almaric, and Juliette Binoche. Cosmopolis is drab and overwrought film from David Cronenberg.

The film is a simple story about a young billionaire who is in his limo driving through the traffic-laden streets of New York City just wanting a haircut. Yet, a visit from the U.S. president, a rapper’s funeral procession, and protests concerning about the state of capitalism puts this young man in one hellish day as he self-destructs slowly as his fortune falls and his own personal life starts to fall apart. It’s a premise that could’ve been engaging and also compelling to explore a man’s self-destruction as it would be in the hands of someone as revered as David Cronenberg. Instead, it’s an overblown and soulless film that doesn’t really have anything to say. For most of the story’s two-acts, the film’s protagonist in Eric Parker (Robert Pattinson) spends his time in his lavish, state-of-the-art limo talking to various advisors, analysts, workers, and such about his dwindling fortune while stepping out to do a few activities and eat a few meals with his wife Elsie (Sarah Gadon).

The screenplay is often filled with this very stylized dialogue where everyone talks in a certain rhythm that goes on too fast and features themes about finances and capitalist theories that doesn’t make any sense. Even as some of the dialogue is so poor that it’s often spoke in a very robotic fashion that just sucks out the life of the story. In the course of the story, Parker sleeps with a few women who aren’t married to him while dealing with the fact that he’s got an asymmetrical prostate as he has a hard time figuring out a currency where protesters are targeting him. The third act does break away from the monotony of the story but only to the point that it gets messier where Parker finally gets his haircut while trying to find out who is trying to kill him as the result almost ends up being the same thing about capitalism, life, and all that where it gets repetitive and loses ground into whatever arguments that Parker is going after.

Cronenberg’s direction should’ve been interesting as he spends much of the film inside a limo where it’s very intimate but also claustrophobic to showcase the cold world that Parker lives in. Instead, the story that Cronenberg is telling doesn’t hold much ground where this mixture of chaos outside of the limo and Parker trying to cage himself in his limo doesn’t do anything as the constant talking just drags the film. The moments where the film leaves the limo and into a few places doesn’t really have Cronenberg do much other than create a few interesting compositions but the way he directs his actors really bogs the film down even more. Even as its climax where Parker leaves the limo to get his haircut and confront whoever is trying to kill him only makes things worse as the film ends on a very abrupt and hollow note. Overall, Cronenberg creates an excruciatingly dull and lifeless film that had something to say but ends up saying nothing at all.

Cinematographer Peter Suschitzsky does nice work with the cinematography to play into its look of the city as it‘s in chaos while editor Ronald Sanders does some good work in the editing though it does have a hard time to keep up with the very talkative dialogue while not doing enough to build up some suspense. Production designer Arvinder Grewal and art director Joshu de Cartier do excellent work with the look of the limos and places Parker goes to while costume designer Denise Cronenberg creates some wonderful dresses that Elsie wears.

Visual effects supervisor Wojciech Zielinski does some bad work in some of the film‘s visual effects that includes a backdrop for the shots outside of the limo. Sound editor Wayne Griffin and Michael O’Farrell do some fine work with the sound to play into the chaotic nature in the locations. The film’s music by Howard Shore is terrific as it is low-key with its emphasis on brooding electronic music that includes some contributions from the Canadian band Metric to provide some dark textures into the soundtrack.

The casting by Deirdre Bowen definitely has a great collection of actors where there’s a few noteworthy performances from George Touliatos as the barber Anthony and Abdul Ayoola as Packer’s driver where the two have a nice conversation about their old lives as cab drivers. Other notable performances from Patricia McKenzie as a bodyguard of Packer, Emily Hampshire as finance chief, Jay Baruchel as his friend Shiner, Kevin Durand as Packer’s main bodyguard Torval, and Philip Nozuka as his analyst don’t really get much to do as they’re bogged down by the film’s atrocious dialogue that just has them over-explaining things.

For a cast that includes such revered talents as Mathieu Almaric, Juliette Binoche, Paul Giamatti, and Samantha Morton, they are unfortunately wasted in this film. Giamatti plays a disgruntled, troubled ex-employee of Packer who just talks and talks while Almaric is just a guy who slams a pie into Packer. Morton doesn’t do anything but talk about numbers and such as if she was a robot while Binoche plays an art consultant who sleeps with Packer as she talks about money and art. Sarah Gadon is terrible as Packer’s young wife Elsie as she only appears in a few scenes as the scenes she have with Pattinson are included with some bad dialogue that’s made worse by the fact that they’re talking like robots. Finally, there’s Robert Pattinson in a performance that is unsurprisingly typical of what he’s known for as he’s just a bore to watch as well as the fact that he talks like a robot in some respects while often does a lot of blank stare to showcase that he is indeed a very bland and soulless young man who can’t act worth a shit.

Cosmopolis is a fucking travesty of a film from someone as brilliant as David Cronenberg. Thanks in part to Robert Pattinson’s horrendous performance as well as its un-engaging story and overwritten dialogue. It’s a film that should’ve said something about a man’s self-destruction in the wake of a capitalist protest but instead says nothing profound. Even as it ends up being a cinematic downward spiral of nothingness that goes further into a spiral of ever-more nothingness. In the end, Cosmpolis is a film that just absolutely fucking sucks.

David Cronenberg Films: Stereo - Crimes of the Future - Shivers - Rabid - Fast Company - The Brood - Scanners - Videodrome - The Dead Zone - The Fly (1986 film) - Dead Ringers - Naked Lunch - M. Butterfly - Crash - eXistenZ - Spider - A History of Violence - Eastern Promises - A Dangerous Method - Maps to the Stars - Crimes of the Future (2022 film)

The Auteurs #26: David Cronenberg: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2013

Chicken with Plums

Based on the graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, Poulet aux prunes (Chicken with Plums) is the story about the final days of a violinist as he recalls his life and the love that he lost. Written for the screen and directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parronaud, the film is a look into the life of a musician whose passion for music has him being conflicted with the realities of his own life as he continually thinks about the woman he loved and lost. Starring Mathieu Almaric, Edouard Baer, Maria de Medeiros, Golshifteh Farahani, Eric Caravaca, Chiara Mastroianni, Jamel Debbouze, and Isabella Rossellini. Poulet aux prunes is a ravishing yet heartfelt film from Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parronaud.

The film is this visually-imaginative tale about the life of Nasser Ali Khan (Mathieu Almaric) in the eight final days of his life as he is a man eager to find the right violin to replace the one his wife Faranguisse (Maria de Medeiros) had destroyed out of anger. After some trials and tribulations where he traveled all the way to find the right one, it becomes clear that his journey had been unfulfilling as he spends these last eight days wanting to die and thinking about his life. Notably as he thinks about the love of his life in Iran (Golshifteh Farahani) whom he had fallen in love with when he was a young man but circumstances kept them apart forcing him to channel his pain through his playing where they wouldn’t see each other for more than 20 years.

The screenplay by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parronaud takes Satrapi’s story about this man who is really her uncle as he had led a life that was quite adventurous but also troubled due to the heartbreak he endures as well as how his life turned out. Yet, the narrative isn’t told in a conventional manner as it sort of moves back-and-forth to those eight final days to the life that Nasser Ali had as a child to an adult. The material about Nasser Ali’s life is also told in an unconventional manner by showing parts of his life in a non-linear manner as it relates to his relationship with his mother (Isabella Rossellini) and his younger brother Abdi (Eric Caravaca). There’s also moments in the story where Nasser Ali thinks about his children when they become adults where his daughter Lili (Chiara Mastroianni) would endure her own troubles while his son Cyrus (Christian Friedel) conforms to the mediocre life in America. Though Nasser Ali wasn’t the perfect father, he was at least there for his kids as it would involve their more uptight mother.

The film’s direction is definitely full of imagination in the way they recreate 1958 Tehran and the years before that as it has a wonderful sense of style where a lot of its dramatic moments are straightforward but are filled with very mesmerizing shots. Some of the more stranger moments involves lots of bizarre visual effects and makeup work to play up the sense of fantasy that Nasser Ali had lived in as it includes moments of death and other strange sequences. Some of which involved animated sequences where it plays to the story about Azrael, the Angel of Death (Edouard Baer) during a meeting with Nasser Ali. There are also moments where reality clashes with surrealism in a scene where Nasser Ali meets a strange man about the ideas of death. It all plays into this journey of loss as the overall result is a fascinating yet enchanting tale in the life of a man by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parronaud.

Cinematographer Christopher Beaucarne does amazing work with the film‘s colorful photography from the look of 1958 Tehran with some of its lighting schemes to the more entrancing shading for some of the film’s interior scenes. Editor Stephane Roche does brilliant work with the editing in creating some montages to play up Nasser Ali‘s love life with Iran to some of the more comical moments involving the life of the adult Cyrus. Production designer Udo Kramer and set decorator Bernhard Henrich do fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of 1958 Tehran and some of the strange set pieces involving Nasser Ali’s life and his family.

Costume designer Madeline Fontaine does wonderful work with the period costumes from the suits that Nasser Ali wears to the colorful dresses of the women in Nasser Ali‘s life. Makeup supervisor Nathalie Tissier does terrific work with some of the makeup from the look of Azrael to the look of Iran in the years of her life. Visual effects supervisor Damien Stumpf does excellent work with some of the backdrops of Tehran of the times to some of the stranger moments to play up the idea of soul and faith. Sound designer Yves Renard and sound editor David Vranken do superb work with the sound to create some sound effects to the intimate moments involving his family. The film’s music by Olivier Bernet is exquisite for its mixture of classical music to more traditional Iranian music to play up the sense of melancholia in the film while music supervisor Elisse Luguren provides some of the classical pieces that Nasser Ali plays.

The casting by Anja Dihrberg does phenomenal work with the ensemble as it features appearances from Mathis Bour and Enna Balland in their respective roles as the young Cyrus and Lili, Julia Goldstern as the adult Cyrus’ wife, Chiara Mastroianni as the mysterious adult Lili, Christian Friedel as the dim-witted adult version of Cyrus, Serge Avedikian as Iran’s father, and Isabella Rossellini in a wonderful performance as Nasser Ali’s mother. Jamel Debbouze is excellent in a dual performance as an antiques dealer and a mysterious homeless man while Edouard Baer is terrific as the very chilling Azrael. Eric Caravaca is superb as Nasser Ali’s younger brother Abdi who always care for him while dealing with the decision he’s making in his life.

Maria de Medeiros is brilliant as Nasser Ali’s very proper but uptight wife Faranguisse as a woman who doesn’t understand what it’s like to be with an artist while being unaware of how much pain he has endured in his life. Golshifteh Farahani is fantastic as Iran as a woman who falls for Nasser Ali only to be forced to leave him as she would also endure the kind of pain of what she loses. Finally, there’s Mathieu Almaric in a remarkable performance as Nasser Ali Khan as a man who is a gifted violinist that is adored by everyone but hides the pain of his loss as he becomes more lost in his final days as he looks back as it’s one of Almaric’s finest performances.

Poulet aux prunes is a dazzling and imaginative film from Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parronaud that features a brilliant performance from Mathieu Almaric. It’s a film that is filled with amazing images and a heartfelt story about the life of a musician that is told with an element of fantasy and drama. Especially as it carries something very personal as it is about Satrapi’s uncle. In the end, Poulet aux prunes is a sensational film from Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parronaud.

Marjane Satrapi Films: Persepolis - The Voices (2014 film) - (Gang of the Jota) - (Radioactive (2019 film)

© thevoid99 2013

007 James Bond Marathon: Quantum of Solace

Based on Ian Fleming’s stories, Quantum of Solace is the story of James Bond seeking vengeance as he goes after the Quantum organization by targeting an environmentalist trying to control Bolivia’s water supply. Bond is then joined by a woman who is also seeking vengeance for her parents’ murder as the two team up. Directed by Marc Forster and screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis, and Joshua Zetumer, the film picks up where Casino Royale left of as Daniel Craig returns as the role of Bond for the second time. Also starring Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Almaric, Gemma Arterton, Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Giannini, Rory Kinnear, and Judi Dench as M. Quantum of Solace is a decent but very messy film from Marc Forster.

After capturing Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) to find out who he’s working for, James Bond and M interrogate him only for something to go wrong when M’s bodyguard Mitchell (Glenn Foster) tries to kill M as Bond goes on the chase to go after him as they both realize that Mitchell is a double agent. Mr. White has suddenly disappeared as Bond and M found some banknotes at Mitchell’s apartment that is connected to a contact in Haiti. After finding the contact, Bond meets a woman named Camille Montes (Olga Kurylenko) whom the contact was supposed to kill as he learns that she’s the lover of an environmentalist named Dominic Greene (Mathieu Almaric). Bond watches the meeting as he learns that Montes is really going after a Bolivian general named Medrano (Joaquin Cosio), for killing her family many years ago, while Greene is making a deal with Medrano about getting land in Bolivia.

Bond travels to Austria to follow Greene as he infiltrates a meeting as he captures the pictures of many who are believed to be part of a secret organization known as Quantum. Yet, Bond manages to kill the bodyguard of a man connected to the British prime minister on his way out as M revokes his passports and credit cards forcing Bond to seek help from his old ally Rene Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini) who joins him to Bolivia to find out what Greene is up to as they’re met by a MI6 officer named Strawberry Fields (Gemma Arterton) who wants to take Bond back to London. Instead, Bond takes her to Greene’s party with Mathis to find out what Greene is up to as Montes is also there to find out what is going on. Bond and Montes decide to fly to the land that Greene wants to buy as they are nearly attacked by Bolivian planes where they learn what Greene is up to. With the help of Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), Bond and Montes decides to confront Greene and Medrano to learn about Quantum.

The film is essentially a continuation of its predecessor in Casino Royale where James Bond goes after the people who are running a secret organization that he believes is responsible for the death of someone close to him. Throughout this journey, he learns more about this organization yet his thirst of vengeance eventually starts to become a liability for the MI6 as they try to make sure he doesn’t stray from the mission. It’s a very compelling story that has Bond trying to uncover this organization and seek vengeance as he also helps a woman get her revenge as well. It’s just that the story isn’t given the presentation that could’ve made it more captivating.

The screenplay definitely maintains its sense of mystery and intrigue but it’s very unbalanced with lots of action sequences that loses the luster on its suspense. Still, the script does succeed in making Bond more flawed as he still has a bit of inexperience in him in the way he deals with situations and such as he starts to understand more and more about what it takes to be a 00 agent. Helping him in this mission is Camilla Montes who is this woman seeking revenge for her parents’ death as she starts to piece the puzzle of what Dominic Greene is up to. The Dominic Greene character isn’t a traditional villain as he is really more of an organizer that is working for this mysterious organization yet he’s surrounded by people who will help him do things to make sure they’re taken care of.

Marc Forster’s direction has some moments that are quite engaging in some of the film’s action sequences and dramatic moments but he often delves way too much into action film conventions in terms of their presentation. Fast, choppy editing and shaky camera work give way to moments that almost become nonsensical and very hyperactive that it becomes a bit hard at times to follow through. Another problem with Forster’s direction is that the film has too many action sequences and not enough moments for the film to really invest in its mystery and intrigue despite the way he creates some gorgeous images of the locations and setting. Overall, Forster creates a film that tries to play up to the conventions of action films where it lacks the splendor and intrigue of the James Bond films.

Cinematographer Robert Schaefer does some excellent work with the photography by capturing the beauty of some of the film‘s locations in South America and Europe along with some lovely interior lighting schemes for hotel scenes in Bolivia. Editors Matt Cheese and Rick Pearson do terrible work with the editing as it plays too much into the frenetic fast-cutting style of action films where not much makes a lot of sense while not taking enough time to slow things down for the film‘s dramatic moments. Production designer Dennis Gassner, with set decorator Anna Pinnock and supervising art director Chris Lowe, does superb work with the set pieces such as the suite in the Bolivian hotel as well as General Medrano‘s base for the film‘s climatic face-off.

Costume designer Louise Frogley does nice work with the costumes from the tuxedos and clothes that Bond wears to the dresses that Montes and Fields wear in the party scene. Sound designers James Boyle and Martin Cantwell, along with sound editor Eddy Joseph, do some terrific work with the sound to convey the sense of atmosphere that occurs including the film‘s interrogation scene that is inter-cut with an event in an Italian town. The film’s music by David Arnold is pretty good for its mixture of orchestral bombast as well as plaintive folk music for some scenes set in South America to convey the sense of loss that Bond and Montes are going through. The theme song Another Way to Die by Jack White and Alicia Keys is an okay song with lots of orchestral flairs and guitar bombast but it’s all over the place as it’s just a duet that doesn’t really work.

The casting by Debbie McWilliams is wonderful for the ensemble that is created as it features some noteworthy performances from Simon Kassianides as the Quantum member Yusef, Stana Katic as a Canadian agent Yusef tries to target, Neil Jackson as the contact Bond fights in Haiti, Fernando Guillen Cuervo as Mathis’ Bolivian contact, David Harbour as Felix Leiter’s CIA contact, Glenn Foster as the double-agent Craig Mitchell, and Jesper Christensen as the mysterious Quantum official Mr. White. Other small roles such as Rory Kinner as M’s aide Bill Tanner and Joaquin Cosio as the slimy General Medrano are pretty good though Anatole Taubman as Greene’s henchman Elvis is a weak henchman who sports a very stupid-looking haircut. Gemma Arterton is quite fine as the MI6 official Strawberry Fields who aids Bond at Greene’s party while Giancarlo Giannini is excellent as Mathis who helps Bond go to Bolivia while providing insight about Bond’s thirst for vengeance.

Jeffrey Wright is terrific as Bond’s CIA friend Felix Leiter who goes undercover to find out what Greene is up to as he later helps Bond in going after Greene. Judi Dench is superb as M as she tries to deal with Bond’s tactics as well as whether to trust him with this mission. Mathieu Almaric is all right as the villainous Dominic Greene in trying to organize things for Quantum though he’s not a great villain as Almaric doesn’t really get a lot to do as he’s just a lackey for Quantum. Olga Kurylenko is brilliant as Camilla Montes as this woman who is seeking her own vengeance as she displays a sense of charm to her role in the way she interacts with Bond. Finally, there’s Daniel Craig as James Bond where Craig maintains that same sense of grit and weariness to his role as he also makes Bond more flawed in his pursuits as someone who remains haunted by previous events as it’s another captivating performance from Craig despite the film’s flaws.

Quantum of Solace is a very uneven film from Marc Forster that tries to be more of an action film than a suspense-thriller despite the stellar performances of Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko. The film is definitely one of the weakest films of the James Bond franchise due to the fact that it plays too much into conventional action film territory as it doesn’t invest in much time on the mystery and suspense as well as the fact that it’s also one of Forster’s weaker works as a filmmaker. In the end, Quantum of Solace is an okay but very underwhelming film from Marc Forster.

James Bond Files: The EON Films: Dr. No - From Russia with Love - Goldfinger - Thunderball - You Only Live Twice - On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Diamonds are Forever - Live and Let Die - The Man with the Golden Gun - The Spy Who Loved Me - Moonraker - For Your Eyes Only - Octopussy - A View to a Kill - The Living Daylights - Licence to Kill - GoldenEye - Tomorrow Never Dies - The World is Not Enough - Die Another Day - Casino Royale (2006 film) - Skyfall - SPECTRE - No Time to Die

Non-EON Films: Casino Royale (Climax! TV Episode) - Casino Royale (1967 film) - Never Say Never Again

Bond Documentaries: Bond Girls are Forever - True Bond - Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007

Marc Forster Films: (Everything Put Together) - (Monster’s Ball) - Finding Neverland - (Stay (2005 film)) - Stranger than Fiction - (The Kite Runner) - (Machine Gun Preacher) - (World War Z)

© thevoid99 2012

Wild Grass

Based on the works of Christian Gailly, Les Herbes Folles (Wild Grass) is the story of a dentist who loses her wallet that is later found by a married man who becomes fascinated by her picture as he tries to be in her life. Directed by Alain Resnais with an adapted script by Alex Reval and Laurent Herbiet, the film is a look about the way people get into other people’s lives through accidental means and its impact. Starring Sabine Azema, Andre Dussollier, Anne Consigny, Emmanuelle Devos, Mathieu Amalric, and narration by Edouard Baer. Les Herbes Folles is a quirky yet entrancing film from Alain Resnais.

After having her purse stolen by a thief, Marguerite Muir (Sabine Azema) is comprehend what happens as her wallet is later found in a mall parking lot by a man named Georges Palet (Andre Dussollier). Palet ponders what to do after looking into the contents of the wallet as he eventually decides to turn the wallet into the police as Bernard de Bordeaux (Mathieu Amalric) takes the wallet to return to Marguerite. Georges however, is wondering about what to do as he attempts to make contact with Marguerite as he’s trying to do usual activities for his wife Suzanne (Anne Consigny). Still, he ponders about Marguerite as his attempts to contact her leaves him disturbed where he finally reaches her through letters as things get weird.

Due to Georges’ behavior and the way he reacts though they haven’t met, Marguerite contacts Bernard for help as he and his partner Lucien (Michel Vuillermoz) talk to Georges to stop contact Marguerite. Georges does so though Marguerite remains intrigued by Georges as she wants to know more about him much to the chagrin of her dental partner Josepha (Emmanuelle Devos). Yet, Marguerite manages to contact Suzanne as she wants to meet Georges though things remain weird. Finally, Marguerite and Georges eventually meet though the meeting proves to be awkward. Yet, Marguerite wants to know more by making Georges an offer he couldn’t refuse.

The film is about the way fates play into the world as this eccentric yet lively woman, who is a dentist and likes to fly planes, has her purse stolen only for her wallet to be found by another man. Yet, this troubled yet quiet man would become interested in this woman as it would eventually cause trouble as his wife is confused by this interest while the woman’s friend is also baffled by it later on in the film. Yet, these two people have a shared interest in aviation though the letters they correspond through early in the film. Still, Georges’ own behavior and later, Marguerite’s own interest would lead to some consequences as the script works in terms of studying these two characters. Notably the way the try to contact each other and the impact it would have on the people around them.

Alain Resnais’ direction is entrancing for the way he presents the film with such style that makes it very engaging. With many scenes shot from a crane to emphasize everything that is from above, Resnais uses the style to ponder what Marguerite and Georges are thinking. There’s scenes where the two are driving in different scenes while their respective faces pop up in the frame to see what they’re going to do if they contact one another. The narrative jumps a bit to see how Marguerite learns about Georges when she meets Bernard as that scene is presented in a flashback. The film is filled with a lot of voice-over narration for the main characters to think about their own situations while the narration of Edouard Baer talks about the characters and their own back story. The film ends in a strange note while Resnais adds a bit of style to the film. There’s parts where the film lags a bit though it’s an overall wonderful film by Alain Resnais.

Cinematographer Eric Gautier does a brilliant job with the film‘s colorful yet lush cinematography to complement the naturalistic look of the scenes involving grass and nature to a more stylized yet soft look for some nighttime scenes and the opening purse theft sequence. Editor Herve de Luze does a very good job with the film’s stylized editing as a lot of it is straightforward while the transitional fade-outs help the film move well despite a few pacing issues.

Production designer Jacques Saulnier does an excellent job with the set pieces created such as Georges‘ home as well as the home of Marguerite while her dentist office features paintings of the Beatles. Costume designer Jackie Budin does a superb job with the costumes from the darker clothes that Georges wear to the more colorful look of Marguerite to display their personalities. Sound editor Gerard Hardy and mixer Jean-Marie Blondel do an incredible job with the sound work to emphasize the locations and places the characters go into. The film’s score by Mark Snow is wonderful for its plaintive piano pieces that ranges from light-hearted to somber as well as some dark, brooding electronic pieces.

The casting for the film is amazing for the ensemble that is created as it includes appearances from Sara Forestier and Vladimir Consigny as the young-adult children of Georges and Suzanne, Nicolas Duvauchelle as the son-in-law, Annie Cordy as a neighbor of Marguerite, Michel Vuillermoz as Bernard’s police partner, and Roger Pierre as an elderly patient of Marguerite. Mathieu Amalric is very good as Bernard, a police officer who tries to smooth things out and make sure no one gets into trouble. Emmanuelle Devos is excellent as Josepha, Marguerite’s friend/business partner who tries to deal with Marguerite’s sudden interest in Georges. Anne Consigny is wonderful as Georges’ wife Suzanne who tries to figure out Georges’ interest while she would also make contact with Marguerite.

Finally there’s Sabine Azema and Andre Dussollier in fantastic performances in their respective roles of Marguerite and Georges. Azema brings a wonderfully lively yet laid-back performance to a woman who likes to fly and do her duties only to become more intrigued by the man who found her wallet. Dussollier adds a complexity to a man who is very troubled as well as kind as someone wanting to know this woman only to back off due to his own troubled behavior. Azema and Dussollier, two regulars of Resnais, have an amazing chemistry to the way the react each other that involves some light humor to their performances.

Les Herbes Folles is an excellent film from Alain Resnais that features a stellar ensemble cast led by Sabine Azema and Andre Dussollier. While it’s a more low-key film from Resnais, it’s a film that is fascinating for the way he plays with the idea of fate. It’s a film also proves that Resnais, a key figure of the French New Wave, still has some things to say though it’s a film that isn’t perfect due to a few pacing issues. Still, Les Herbes Folles is a terrific yet majestic film from Alain Resnais.

Alain Resnais Films: Night and Fog - Hiroshima Mon Amour - Last Year at Marienbad - (Muriel) - (The War is Over) - (Je T’aime, je t’aime) - (Stavisky) - (Providence) - Mon oncle D'Amerique - (Life is a Bed of Roses) - (Love Unto Death) - (Melo) - (I Want to Go Home) - (Gershwin) - (Smoking/No Smoking) - (Same Old Song) - (Not on the Lips) - (Private Fears in Public Places) - (You Haven’t Seen Anything Yet) - (Life of Riley)

© thevoid99 2011