Written and directed by James Gray, Little Odessa is the story of a hitman who returns home to his Russian-immigrant family in New York City as he copes with having to deal with them as he is only in the city to do a job. The film is a study of a man struggling to be there for the family that is estranged from him but also deal with his role in the world of crime. Starring Tim Roth, Edward Furlong, Moira Kelly, Maximilian Schell, and Vanessa Redgrave. Little Odessa is a gripping yet somber film from James Gray.
Set in Brooklyn, the film revolves around a Jewish-Russian hitman who is given a job to go to Brooklyn to kill a man that is an enemy to the mob where he finds himself having to meet up with his family including his younger brother and ailing mother. It is really a study of a man trying to cope with the family he’s estranged from as he also struggles with wanting to reconcile with them despite the fact that there’s a lot of issues. James Gray’s screenplay follows Joshua Shapira (Tim Roth) as a hitman that has created a life that has him killing people for money as well as working for the Mafia. Learning about a man who has been giving away information against the Mafia, Joshua learns he has to go to Brooklyn to find that man and kill him as he gather up a few old friends to help him as he also checks on his family as his father Arkady (Maximilian Schell) wants nothing to do with him.
Especially as he doesn’t want his youngest son Reuben (Edward Furlong) to make contact but Reuben is interesting in seeing Joshua as the two would hang out together as well as rekindling a relationship with a former girlfriend in Alla (Moira Kelly). Even though Joshua is eager to get out of Brooklyn and get the job done, he also has to deal with the fact that his mother Irina (Vanessa Redgrave) is dying as he wants to see her forcing himself to meet with his father and call a truce for the sake of Irina. Still, Joshua has a job to do as he starts to ponder about leaving behind this life of crime or continue on this dark path of chaos.
Gray’s direction does have element of style yet it is rooted in the location as much of the film is shot in Brooklyn and other parts of New York City. Yet, Gray would avoid many of the city’s landmarks in favor of grounding it into locations that play into this community where everyone kind of knows each other as well as be diverse no matter how problematic it can be. Though there is an intimacy in Gray’s approach to close-ups and medium shots that includes a lavish dinner party at a restaurant for Arkady’s mother on her 80th birthday. Gray would use some unique wide shots to capture the scope of a location as well as create some gorgeous compositions such as a conversation between Joshua and Alla shot from afar. There is also a scene in the film in which Reuben would witness what Joshua would do as it’s shown in a wide shot as Gray would shoot Reuben in a close-up.
Gray would also showcase the sense of conflict from within as it relates to Joshua in his lone meeting with his mother as it show Joshua’s desire to want to be there for his family but still has to deal with the world of crime. The film’s third act relates to Arkady’s reasons for wanting to disconnect with Joshua as well as why he wants Reuben to stay away from him as he would have a confrontation with his eldest son that would unfortunately lead to the sins of both father and son. Overall, Gray creates a compelling yet riveting film about a hitman returning home for an assignment and to meet with his estranged family.
Cinematographer Tom Richmond does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of natural lighting for the daytime exterior scenes as well as some stylish lighting and moods for some of the scenes set at night. Editor Dorian Harris does terrific work with the editing as it is stylized for its usage of jump-cuts and fade-outs to play into the drama and suspense. Production designer Kevin Thompson, with set decorator Charles Ford and art director Judy Rhee, does fantastic work with the look of the home that Reuben lives with his parents as well as the restaurant where Arkady is having a party for his mother and the place where Joshua would meet a few of his lowly hoods.
Costume designer Michael Clancy does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual to play into the winter coats and hats that many of the characters wear. Sound editors Lewis Goldstein and John A. Larsen do superb work with the sound to play into the sound of gunfire as well as capture the natural atmosphere of the locations as well as the ambiance of the restaurant scene. The film’s music by Dana Sano is wonderful as it is largely a low-key orchestral score that emphasizes heavily on Russian choral music as it help play into the film’s Jewish-Russian location.
The casting by Douglas Aibel is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Mina Bern as Arkady’s mother, David Vadim as an old friend of Joshua in Sasha, Natalya Andreychenko as Arkady’s mistress Natasha, and Paul Guilfoyle as a local mob boss in Boris Volkoff whom Joshua despises. Maximilian Schell is excellent as Joshua and Reuben’s father Arkady as a man who is trying to protect Reuben from Joshua as well as deal with his mother’s illness as well as juggling an affair with a mistress whom he talks to about what he’s dealing with. Vanessa Redgrave is fantastic as Joshua and Reuben’s mother Irina as a woman who is dying from some brain disease as she deals with the severity of her illness as well as seeing Joshua for the first time as she asks him to be at his grandmother’s birthday party as a way to make amends with the family.
Moira Kelly is brilliant as Alla as a former girlfriend of Joshua who is surprised to see him as she isn’t sure about rekindling a relationship with him but also wonders if they could have a future. Edward Furlong is amazing as Reuben as a teenage boy who is surprised to see his older brother as he wonders why his father despises Joshua as well as deal with some dark realities including the world of crime which he isn’t sure he wants to be a part of. Finally, there’s Tim Roth in an incredible performance as Joshua Shapira as a hitman who takes an assignment that would force him to return home as he deals with not just his estranged family but also begin a relationship with his younger brother as well as the world of crime he’s in where he copes with the impact of his actions.
Little Odessa is a remarkable film from James Gray. Featuring a great cast, a compelling story on family and ambition, and gritty setting that play into the world of the Russian mob. The film is definitely a low-key crime drama that explores a man returning home but also deal with the world he’s in and why he is unable to escape it. In the end, Little Odessa is a marvelous film from James Gray.
James Gray Films: The Yards – We Own the Night – Two Lovers – The Immigrant (2013 film) - The Lost City of Z – Ad Astra - The Auteurs #67: James Gray
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel The Willing Flesh by Willi Heinrich, Cross of Iron is the story of an aristocratic Nazi officer who heads the army as he deals with non-commissioned officers who don’t agree with his methods. Directed by Sam Peckinpah and screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, James Hamilton, and Walter Kelley, the film is a World War II film set during the Battle of the Caucasus in 1943 as it is an exploration of class and duty. Starring James Coburn, Maximillian Schell, James Mason, Senta Berger, and David Warner. Cross of Iron is a gripping yet rapturous film from Sam Peckinpah.
Set during the 1943 Caucasus campaign at the Taman Peninsula, the film revolves a newly-arrived officer who leads a campaign hoping to get the prestigious Iron Cross as he has to contend with a cynical platoon leader whose main concern is to survive in the battlefield with his men. It is a war film that play into not just what is happening in the battlefield but also behind the scenes as those who fight are struggling to survive yet there are officers with aristocratic backgrounds who doesn’t just crave some form of validity into the fact that they fought a war but also return home as some hero while others did the dirty work for that officer. For Sgt. Rolf Steiner (James Coburn) who already earned an Iron Cross, it’s a medal that doesn’t mean anything as he’s survived many battles with a platoon he sees as brothers as they’re trying to fight for another day despite his own disdain towards Adolf Hitler.
The film’s screenplay is quite complex into not just Sgt. Steiner and his views on war and honor but also is someone who see things for what they are as there are officers he does respect like Colonel Brandt (James Mason) and Captain Kiesel (David Warner) who share his views on war. When Captain Stransky (Maximillian Schell) enters the picture with aristocratic background dating back to the days of Prussia. Cpt. Stransky would become Sgt. Steiner’s new leader as he hopes to lead soldiers into battle and push the Soviets back into Moscow without having to be on the battlefield. Instead, a bloody battle that left several dead including an officer that Sgt. Steiner’s platoon admires where the issue about whether Captain Stransky deserves this Iron Cross come into question. When Sgt. Steiner makes his report to Col. Brandt about what happened, things become complicated where Sgt. Steiner and his platoon are forced to fend for themselves during an evacuation as they didn’t receive the order. All of which would play into Sgt. Steiner’s own view on war and survival.
Sam Peckinpah’s direction is definitely intense not just for the graphic depiction of violence that occurs on the battlefield but also for the tension that is looming behind the scenes. With many of the film’s exterior locations shot on location in former parts of Yugoslavia in Slovenia and Croatia with some interiors shot at Pinewood Studios in Britain. Peckinpah does use a lot of wide and medium shots to capture the vast locations as well as that sense of terror that looms in the battlefield. Even as he would use close-ups and medium shots to play into the suspense such as an opening sequence where Sgt. Steiner and his platoon attack Soviet soldiers as they would later find a young Soviet soldier-boy whom they would take as a POW yet would treat him kindly as he would stay in their camp. It is among these little moments of sentimentality in the film that includes a birthday celebration for a respected officer as it shows a group of men trying to find some semblance of humanity during this chaotic period of war. Those moments are presented with an intimacy as it shows some of the good that is in war as opposed to the scenes where Cpt. Stransky is telling his own officer about his own plans as well as show that air of arrogance and entitlement that Sgt. Steiner would despise. The scenes of war and battle are quite extravagant as well as having a sense of style yet it’s the non-battle scenes such as a sequence of Sgt. Steiner at a hospital in the second act is a very surreal one where he isn’t sure what is going on.
It play into not just his disdain for officers and their lack of disconnect with the realities of war but also wounded soldiers with scars and amputated body parts being part of this air of decadence. There is also a scene towards the third act where Sgt. Steiner and his platoon try to return to their base through Soviet territory where they encounter Soviet women soldiers as one of them would try to have his way only to get a rude awakening. It’s a moment that shows Sgt. Steiner being aware of the inhumanity that he sees as well as what he doesn’t want to do. The dramatic moments that Peckinpah create are quite fascinating such as a meeting into the decision into whether Cpt. Stransky deserves the Iron Cross as it play more into not just an air of cynicism towards war but also the de-value of what honor means. Overall, Peckinpah creates a harrowing yet confrontational film about a class warfare from within between German officers and soldiers during World War II.
Cinematographer John Coquillon does brilliant work with the film‘s grimy yet intoxicating cinematography from the way many of the daytime exteriors are presented as well as the lighting for the scenes inside the bunkers as well as the sense of artificiality in the hospital sequence. Editors Michael Ellis, Murray Jordan, Tony Lawson, and Herbert Taschner do amazing work with the editing with its usage of slow-motion cuts, stylish transitional dissolves, jump-cuts, and other stylish cuts to play into the action as well as the drama. Production designers Brian Ackland-Snow and Ted Haworth, with art director Veljko Despotovic, do excellent work with the look of the bunkers and trenches as well as the look of the hospital and some of the ruined buildings where the Nazi officers do their politicking behind the scenes.
Makeup supervisor Colin Arthur does terrific work with the look of some of the wounded soldiers in the hospital sequence as it play into some of the surreal elements Sgt. Steiner encounters. Sound editor Rodney Holland and sound mixer David Hildyard do superb work with the layer of sounds in the film as it play into the chaos of the battlefield as well as the sense of fear in how shells and gunfire sound from inside the bunkers. The film’s music by Ernest Gold is fantastic for its bombastic orchestral score with some cadence-like drumming in the background as it play into the horrors of war while the soundtrack also includes some German folk pieces from those times.
The film’s marvelous cast include some notable small roles from Slavko Stimac as a Russian boy Sgt. Steiner and his platoon capture and let him become a loyal servant that they would care for, Veronique Vendell as a Soviet soldier whom Sgt. Steiner and his platoon would deal with as they would make a bargain with her after one of his soldiers would do something wrong, Michael Nowka as the young Private Dietz who is new to the platoon as he would gain their respect through his determination, Arthur Brauss as another newcomer in Private Zoll who is brought into the platoon by Captain Stransky as he raises many of the platoon’s suspicions, and Igor Galo as Lieutenant Meyer as an officer Sgt. Steiner and his platoon admire and respect as they would give him a birthday celebration. Other notable small roles include Burkhard Dreist, Vadim Glowna, and Dieter Schidor as a trio of privates that are part of Sgt. Steiner’s platoon who are all men of great skill.
Fred Stillkrauth is terrific as Corporal Karl “Schnurrbart” Reisenauer as the second-in-command of Sgt. Steiner’s platoon whom Steiner goes to for suggestions while Klaus Lowitsch is superb as Cpl. Kruger as a wildcard solider who wears a Soviet cap as he despises the Soviets while knowing how to bullshit them. Roger Fritz is fantastic as Lt. Triebig as a closeted homosexual officer who is blackmailed by Captain Stransky to do his bidding as he would also make decisions that would impact the entire squad. Senta Berger is wonderful as Eva as a nurse who would watch over Sgt. Steiner during his time at the hospital as well as be a lover of him during that time. David Warner is excellent as Captain Kiesel as a hardened officer who has been in and out of the battlefield as he despises Captain Stransky while becoming quite cynical about war though still be loyal to Colonel Brandt.
James Mason is brilliant as Colonel Brandt as an officer who is upper class but understands the role he has to play in war as he is sympathetic to Sgt. Steiner’s views but is more hopeful about the future of life after war. Maximillian Schell is amazing as Captain Stransky as aristocratic Prussian officer who craves glory and prestige as he uses his influence and class status to get what he wants while dealing with the more grounded Sgt. Steiner whom he sees as an opponent as Schell definitely display that utter arrogance into a man that cares more about a fucking medal than the respect of his soldiers. Finally, there’s James Coburn in an incredible performance as Sgt. Rolf Steiner as a soldier who has fought a lot of wars and has gained a lot of respect where he copes with the many reasons to fight and the lack of honor that is emerging as it’s one of Coburn’s finest performances in his career.
Cross of Iron is a tremendous film from Sam Peckinpah that features great performances from James Coburn, Maximillian Schell, and James Mason. Along with a fantastic supporting cast, evocative visuals, a chilling score, and captivating themes on war, honor, and class. It’s a war movie that showcases what is happening behind the scenes as what some are willing to do and what they won’t do in and out of the battlefield. In the end, Cross of Iron is a phenomenal film from Sam Peckinpah.
Sam Peckinpah Films: The Deadly Companions - Ride the High Country - Major Dundee - Noon Wine - The Wild Bunch - The Ballad of Cable Hogue - Straw Dogs - Junior Bonner - The Getaway - Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid - Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - The Killer Elite - Convoy - The Osterman Weekend - The Auteurs #62: Sam Peckinpah
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel Vampire$ by John Steakley, Vampires is the story of a group of vampire hunters who are trying to protect a sacred cross from the very first vampire ever created. Directed and scored by John Carpenter and screenplay by Don Jakoby, the film is a mixture of horror and the western where it revolves around a group of Catholic-sanctioned vampire hunters who are trying to protect the world as they battle a very powerful vampire. Starring James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Maximilian Schell, and Thomas Ian Griffith. Vampires is a funny yet adventurous film from John Carpenter.
Under the order of the Vatican, a group of vampire hunters try to hunt vampires in the American Southwest as they look for a master vampire who is trying to find a sacred cross to finish up a ritual. At the same time, they try to protect a hooker who was bitten by the master as she has a psychic connection with the master just before she is to turn. It’s a film with a simple plot where there’s not a lot that goes on as it has this strange mix of horror, terror, and the western as it’s lead character Jack Crow (James Woods) is a man who hates vampires as he has no problems killing them for the Catholic church or for anyone. The script doesn’t go for anything that is serious while it does have some exposition about the cross and what the vampire Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith) wants. Yet, it does manage to help tell the story and play into the many motivations of Crow and his team where they also have to use Katrina (Sheryl Lee) to see what Valek is up to.
John Carpenter’s direction definitely pays tribute to the world of the western as it is shot on location in New Mexico where it doesn’t just play to a world where there are still rules of what to do. It also showcases that even though Crow and his gang will do things that not everyone will be pleased by, they get the job done and party afterwards as they know that people wouldn’t have to worry about vampires. Carpenter’s approach to the compositions are simple while he does create some unique wide shots and framing to play up the feel of the western. Even as he creates sequences that are gratuitous with lots of violence as he harkens back to something where it is wild and not to be taken seriously. Even in the way he approaches his music score as its mixture of rock and country play into that sense of unruliness that is the West. Even as its climax does play like a showdown between Crow and Valek for the sake of the world. Overall, Carpenter creates an exciting and off-the-wall film about vampire hunters.
Cinematographer Gary B. Kibbe does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it has this element of the West with its naturalistic look of the skylines as well as scenes in the desert while using some stylish lights for scenes set at night. Editor Edward. A. Warschilka does fantastic work with the editing with its approach to rhythmic cutting for some of the action scenes along with some stylish montages for a few moments that play into Crow‘s sense of duty as a vampire slayer. Production designer Thomas A. Walsh, with set decorator David Schlesinger and art director Kim Hix, does terrific work with the look of the hotel/motel rooms Crow and his friends stay at as well as some of the design of the churches that Valek goes to kill.
Costume designer Robin Michel Bush does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual with the exception of the all-black clothes that Valek wears. Special effects makeup designers Howard Berger, Robert Kurtzman, and Greg Nicotero do amazing work with the look of the vampires in their scary state as well as what happens to them when they‘re killed. The special effects work of Gene Grigg, Darrell Pritchett, and Corey Pritchett do superb work with the special effects for scenes where the vampires get burned by the sun. Sound editor John Dunn does wonderful work with the sound as it plays into some of the sound effects and sound textures for many of the film’s action scenes.
The casting by Reuben Cannon and Eddie Dunlop do brilliant work with the casting as it includes some notable small roles from Henry Kingi, David Rowden, Clarke Coleman, Thomas Rosales Jr., Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Mark Boone Junior as members of Crow’s crew as well as Gregory Sierra as Father Giovanni as another member of Crow’s screw who is their spiritual advisor. Tim Guinee is terrific as Father Guiteau as a young priest who joins Crow in finding Valek as he would also provide some information about the relic that Valek wants. Maximilian Schell is excellent as Cardinal Alba as the liaison for the Vatican who is also Crow’s superior as he warns Crow about going too far.
Thomas Ian Griffith is superb as Valek as one of the very first vampires ever created as he is searching for a cross as he also knows who Crow is and how determined as it’s a role filled with some charm despite the lack of dialogue he’s given. Sheryl Lee is fantastic as Katrina as a hooker who is bitten by Valek as she is one person that knows where Valek is through a psychic connection as she also copes with losing her humanity. Daniel Baldwin is brilliant as Anthony Montoya as Crow’s partner-in-crime who is tasked in watching over Katrina as he falls for her despite the fact that she’s becoming a vampire. Finally, there’s James Woods in an incredible performance as Jack Crow as a vampire slayer who doesn’t take shit from anyone though he knows he has a moral code to follow as he copes with trying to find and kill Valek where Woods brings in a lot of charm and wit that makes his performance so fun to watch.
Vampires is a stellar film from John Carpenter that features a great performance from James Woods. While it is flawed in some ways due to its lightweight script and lots of exposition, it does make up for it thanks in part to its cast as well as some cool action sequences. In the end, Vampires is a wonderful from John Carpenter.
John Carpenter Films: Dark Star - Assault on Precinct 13 - Halloween - Someone’s Watching Me! - Elvis - The Fog - Escape from New York - The Thing - Christine - Starman - Big Trouble in Little China - Prince of Darkness - They Live - Memoirs of an Invisible Man - Body Bags - In the Mouth of Madness - Village of the Damned - Escape from L.A. - Ghosts of Mars - The Ward
The Auteurs #60: John Carpenter Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2015
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/20/09 w/ Additional Edits.
Written and directed by Rian Johnson, The Brothers Bloom tells the story of two brothers reuniting for one last con game on a heiress to steal some money. Instead, one of the brothers fall for the heiress who takes part in the con with help from a Japanese explosion artist. A traditional con film of sorts, The Brothers Bloom is more about characters than the actual con as Johnson also chooses to play tricks on everyone including the audience. Starring Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel Weisz, Rinko Kikuchi, Robbie Coltrane, Maximilian Schell, and narration by Ricky Jay. The Brothers Bloom is a witty, character-driven con film from Rian Johnson and company.
Ever since they were orphans going from house to house, the Bloom brothers in 13-year old Stephen (Max Records) and 10-year old Bloom (Zachary Gordon) were just kids who didn't fit in until Stephen found a way to make a scheme out of the wonderment and innocence of other kids. Therefore, a con was executed as it would be the first of many for the Bloom brothers. 20 years later in Berlin, another successful con was executed as Stephen (Mark Ruffalo), Bloom (Adrien Brody), and their Japanese explosion technician Bang-Bang (Rinko Kikuchi). A party was thrown in the honor of the brothers where a young woman named Rose (Nora Zehetner) tried to flirt with Bloom but Bloom believes it's another con as he could no longer distinguish with what's real and what's a con.
Leaving the con business for good, Bloom disappears to Montenegro where three-months later, he's found by Stephen. Stephen asks him for one last con in New Jersey which involves a rich, eccentric heiress named Penelope (Rachel Weisz). Bloom takes a liking to her as he reluctantly joins the con with Stephen and Bang-Bang. Yet, after a plan to be hit by her car on his bike that went well. It also doesn't go well after Penelope crashes her car near a cliff where she survived. Bloom masquerades as an antique dealer where he befriends Penelope who likes to collect hobbies and do weird things. Bloom reveals that his brother are going to Prague to retrieve an old book as he asks if she would want to go. Bloom isn't sure if she would go but she does in style as she befriends the quiet Bang-Bang while she also meets a mysterious antiques curator (Robbie Coltrane).
While the curator claims that the Bloom brothers are smugglers, Penelope gets excited as they land in Greece on their way to Prague. With an elaborate plan to steal the book, the presence of their old mentor Diamond Dog (Maximilian Schell) troubles the Bloom brothers because of an incident where Stephen wounded Dog's left eye. After a con where the curator ends up getting a huge sum of money from Penelope, the Bloom brothers seemed to have succeed but Penelope wants to go for the book. The brothers and Bang-Bang don't believe she could do it but through some improvisation and sweet talk, Penelope succeeds. Bloom and Penelope start to fall for each other as they go to Mexico for their final destination of the con as Bloom becomes unsure if he wants to con Penelope as Stephen realizes that his brother is about to ruin the entire plan. Instead, another con in St. Petersburg occurs that Bloom reluctantly joins in but with some unexpected help.
Con films are often about a plan for a big con and such. Yet, it's always approached with a level of cleverness and wit as it's about the big scheme and such. What makes this film a bit different is the fact that it is more about characters and how they're invested into playing a con with one of them becoming less enthused as he falls for his mark. The first seven-minutes of the film is narrated by Ricky Jay that explores the history of the brothers and how they managed to score their first con scheme. Now that first seven minutes along with aspects of the films in its look might have audiences thinking that writer-director Rian Johnson is channeling the work of Wes Anderson. Well, there's a major difference between Anderson and Johnson in their approach to visuals and storytelling.
Anderson is an artist who shoots films in certain angles and has his own quirks and shooting styles with a look that is very colorful. At the same time, Anderson is known for creating characters that are very eccentric though they're relatable. Yet, part of the flaw with Anderson's films is that sometimes, the characters are eccentric for their own good while Anderson also has a tendency to employ gimmicks whether it's some kind of pop music or the slow-motion edits to end the films. Though it's an interesting style that has worked for Anderson. It often works too well.
Johnson is very different where he doesn't go for that kind of cinematic style. Instead, he's more invested in characters and their flaws. In Bloom, he's the reluctant player who will fake his death for the con and be the guy who will dig deep into a con where he has trouble distinguishing between fiction and reality. The Bloom character is a character filled with conflict as he falls for his mark while has a hard time doing the job with his brother. Stephen, is the organizer and brains of the con as he's all about the big payday and not really into the emotional aspects of hurting people. Still, Stephen is just as interesting as Bloom in reveling the idea of the con while being impressed by his mark Penelope for just going along with it.
Penelope is really the heart of the film as she is just a woman looking for some kind of adventure. Living in a house by herself, the arrival of Bloom, Stephen, and Bang-Bang gets her to interact with people she wouldn't have interacted in her dull, lonely life. Money doesn't mean anything to her as her relationship with Bloom becomes more romantic while finding a close friend in Bang-Bang. Though the Bang-Bang character only has a couple of lines, she is truly the film's most quirky and enjoyable character of the film. She is the balance of the three main characters where she is Stephen's close ally while grounding Bloom and being the friend to Penelope.
Johnson's exploration of characters is what makes the film different in its screenplay while he also goes into the organization of the con. While audiences might be baffled by its approach in the deconstruction of the con film. It allows Johnson to be invested in the relationship of the characters and the organization of the con. For the direction of the film itself. Johnson does go for a style that includes hand-drawn drawings of locations and bubbles of the cons to structure the story. Yet, he does it in a subtle way while does give the audience insight into various locations including Prague, Montenegro, and St. Petersburg as it's all shot in Europe.
There's a richness to the location though its not all filled with flashy colors like some of Wes Anderson's films which are very colorful in its set designs and cinematography. Johnson is more engaging into the characters where there's a great shot of Penelope playing cards as her mouth is being reflected through some form of silverware. Johnson's long shots of the locations are very beautiful as it relates to Bloom's state of mind where the compositions and shots are more about what is going on in the con and such. While it's not a perfect film, what Rian Johnson does with his sophomore feature is phenomenal as he is truly becoming a director to keep an eye.
Johnson's regular cinematographer Steve Yedlin does excellent work with the film's camera work with beautiful shots of the locations including sunset shots of the scenes on the sea. Yedlin's best work in the film are scenes in the wood with lights striking towards the woods which is reminiscent of the legendary work that Vittorio Storaro did in Bernardo Bertolucci's 1970 film Il Conformista. Editor Gabriel Wyre does some fantastic work with the film's editing which is a balance between straightforward transitions, jump-cuts, rhythmic timing, and other stylized transitions including wipes and such to give the film a nice pacing that truly works.
Production designer Jim Clay plus set decorator Sophie Newman and art director Paul Kirby do some very good work in the look of Penelope's home and other objects plus the boat and the party that the Bloom brothers celebrate at Berlin. Costume designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor brings a lot of amazing costumes to the set, notably the clothes that Rinko Kikuchi wear from her fur coat, airplane goggles, and hat while Rachel Weisz manages to look great with a green coat, some shoes, and most of all, the bowler hat that complements the suits the men wear in the film. Sound editor Jonathan Miller does some fantastic work with the film's sound in its location settings, explosions, gun shots, and other things that add to the film's exciting, quirky humor, notably Bang-Bang's love for explosions.
The film's soundtrack supervised by Brian Reitzell features a collection of music including cuts by Cat Stevens and from Nashville Skyline, the song Tell Me That It Isn't True by Bob Dylan that is in a great scene with Adrien Brody and Rachel Weisz talking. Yet, it's the score by Rian's cousin Nathan Johnson that is really one of the film's technical highlights. Filled with wonderful arrangements from orchestral, folk, and blues. It plays up to the film's quirky sense of humor as well as its drama with acoustic pieces that are truly memorable and with lots of hook. Whereas Nathan Johnson's score in Brick had a unique feel to the film, his score for this film is just as potent which marks the arrival of fantastic music composer in film.
The casting by Shannon Makhanian is excellent with Esme Tyler as a young girl the young Bloom falls for, Andy Nyman as a man conned in Berlin, and as the young Bloom brothers, Zachary Gordon as the young Bloom and Max Records as the young Stephen, both of whom deliver fantastic performances. Making cameos from the film Brick are Noah Segan as a Duke, Nora Zehetner as a girl trying to flirt with Bloom named Rose, and a one-second cameo from its star Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Maximilian Schell is excellent as Diamond Dog, a former mentor wanting to seek some kind of vengeance against the brothers for destroying his left eye while wanting to make deals with them. Robbie Coltrane is great as the curator, a man who knows what the brothers are while trying to be charming towards Penelope as Coltrane does some solid work in his brief appearances.
Stealing the film from practically all of her co-stars is young Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi of Babel fame as the explosive technician Bang-Bang. Though she only has a couple of lines and the performance is mostly silent, Kikuchi steals the show with her quirky sense of humor in making faces, hand gestures, and her ability to do explosives. There's something that is quite adorable about Kikuchi where in every scene she's in, there's something that brings a smile to the face of the viewer as it's truly a role that is extremely memorable. This performance really tops her Oscar-nominated performance in Babel. Mark Ruffalo is brilliant as Stephen, the organizer of the con who tries to get his brother into it while maintaining its integrity and hopes for the pay-day. Ruffalo is a bit understated but also witty as he is also engaging and complex in his emotions in his scenes with Adrien Brody as the two have great banter together.
Rachel Weisz is phenomenal in what is truly the best role of her career. Playing the eccentric heiress Penelope, there's something exciting about her performance as she is someone that does many things. Weisz actually does the skateboarding, rapping, juggling, and all sorts of things while showing depth of a woman who is lonely and in need of some kind of connection. For the famed British actress, this is easily the most accessible and entertaining performance of her career. Adrien Brody is truly in top form as Bloom, the melancholic protagonist in need of change after being in one too many cons. Brody hits all of the right notes while not delving into melodrama while showing that he can also bring humor as it's definitely the most fulfilling performance he gave since his 2002 Oscar-winning performance in Roman Polanski's The Pianist. Brody's chemistry with Weisz is truly engaging as it's based on two people who feel out of place only to realize how they enjoy each other.
While it may not have the atmospheric, dark tone of Brick, The Brothers Bloom is truly a smart, funny, and thrilling film from Rian Johnson. Fans of Brick will rejoice that Johnson can deliver another hit as he is clearly a director that will be one to watch. Fans of con films might be put off by its unconventional approach though will be invested in its emphasis on character study instead of clever plot devices. With top-notch performances from Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz, Mark Ruffalo, and Rinko Kikuchi. The Brothers Bloom is definitely a fun, witty con-comedy film from Rian Johnson.
Rian Johnson Films: Brick - Looper - The Last Jedi - Knives Out - Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - (Knives Out 3)
© thevoid99 2012
