The Young Victoria

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee and written by Julian Fellowes, The Young Victoria is the story about the early life and reign of Queen Victoria in the 19th Century as she copes with her new role as Queen of Great Britain and her marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The film is a dramatized take on Queen Victoria’s early life as well as what she had to do in trying to maintain her duty as queen but also finding some self-being as a person as the role of Victoria is played by Emily Blunt. Also starring Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Mark Strong, Thomas Krestchmann, Julian Glover, Jesper Christensen, Jim Broadbent, and Miranda Richardson. The Young Victoria is an enchanting and engaging film from Jean-Marc Vallee.

The film is about the early life of Princess Victoria of Kent, who would later become Queen of Great Britain on June 20, 1837 at the age of 18, as she deals with the role she is to play where many around try to put their own interests towards her with some wanting her to fail. It’s a film that explores a woman being aware of the role she is to play as she also tries to assert her own ideas while there are many that are plotting against her with some wanting her to give up her claim to the throne. At the heart of the story is her relationship to her first-cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Rupert Friend) who is sent by his uncle as a way to seduce her for political reasons but he falls for her and would end up being her greatest ally. Julian Fellowes’ screenplay does take some dramatic liberties such as an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria in 1840 as well as some of the details of her coronation and the age of Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany) who was 40 years older than the queen.

Yet, it does remain faithful to the events that was happening while creating a story that is engaging about Queen Victoria’s understanding of her role but also being aware of what is going on around her. Early in the film, she is being forced by her mother in the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson) and Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong) to sign away her powers while she is ill as she would refuse to. Especially as she has a strong devotion towards her uncle in King William IV (Jim Broadbent) who isn’t fond of her mother but wants to ensure that Victoria would have her place to rule Britain despite the opposition of so many. The character of Prince Albert is definitely a unique one as he is someone that knows the pressure of what Victoria is to endure where he would have ideas that would help her and Britain. Yet, she would take the advice of Lord Melbourne as her private secretary where things don’t go as she wants them to as she ponders every decision she makes as well as the people she wants around her.

Jean-Marc Vallee’s direction is very straightforward for not just capturing that period in time during King William IV’s final year but also into the glimpse of Queen Victoria’s life before she becomes queen. Though the first sequence that is presented is her coronation which would be shown again, it play into the many doubts that is looming once she becomes queen as Vallee’s direction would feature some wide and medium shots of the coronation in different perspectives. Much of the film is shot on various locations around Britain with some of it on actual palaces as well as some re-creation of the exteriors of Buckingham Palace as Vallee doesn’t go for anything stylistic but rather something simple and to the point. Even in the close-ups as it play into the anguish that Victoria endures where she would often vent her feelings through corresponding letters with Albert as it would strengthen their relationship. Vallee would also create moments that play into their growing relationship once they’re together with Albert knowing his place but also slowly do things to make sure that Victoria would be confident in her own decisions as queen. Overall, Vallee creates a riveting yet intoxicating film about the early life and reign of Queen Victoria.

Cinematographer Hagen Bogdanski does excellent work with the film’s cinematography from the natural look of the daytime interior/exterior scenes to the usage of lights for some of the scenes set at night. Editors Jill Bilcock and Mat Garner do brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and some stylized cuts to play into the rhythm of the film. Production designer Patrice Vermette, with set decorator Maggie Gray and supervising art director Paul Inglis, does amazing work with the look of the interiors of the palaces and dining halls as well as the design of the carriages in those times. Costume designer Sandy Powell does fantastic work with the costumes from the look of the gowns as well as the clothes that the men wore in those times.

Hair/makeup designer Jenny Shircore does terrific work with the design of the hairstyles and extensions they wore during the day as well as the look of the men. Sound designer Martin Pinsonnault does superb work with the sound as it play into the sparse elements of what goes on in the palace as well as the raucous sounds for some of the parties. The film’s music by Ilan Eshkeri is sublime for its low-key orchestral score that play into the drama while music supervisor Maureen Crowe creates a music soundtrack that largely consists of the music of the times including some classical pieces that Victoria and Albert have a fondness for.

The casting by Susie Figgis is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Josef Altin as the man that tried to assassinate Queen Victoria, Genevieve O’Reilly as Lady Flora Hastings, Julian Glover as the Duke of Wellington, Michiel Huisman as Prince Albert’s brother Ernest, Michael Maloney as Sir Robert Peel who briefly replaces Lord Melbourne as prime minister, Rachel Stirling as the Duchess of Sutherland who is the queen’s lady-in-waiting during her early reign, and Jeanette Hain as the queen’s caretaker in Baroness Louise Lezhen. Other noteworthy small roles include Jesper Christensen as Baron Stockmar as an advisor to Prince Albert in how to woo Victoria while Thomas Krestchmann is superb as King Leopold I of Belgium who is hoping that Prince Albert succeeds in the hopes of a political alliance with Britain and Belgium. Harriet Walter is wonderful as Queen Adelaide as Victoria’s aunt who is one of the few people that Victoria can trust and turn to as she also feels that Albert has a very important role in helping Victoria. Jim Broadbent is fantastic as King William I as Victoria’s uncle who is aware of what is going on as he doesn’t like Victoria’s mother very much while worrying about Victoria once she becomes queen. Mark Strong is excellent as Sir John Conroy as a comptroller to Victoria’s mother who wants to maintain control and influence into Victoria as a man that wants power even though Victoria hates him.

Paul Bettany is brilliant as Lord Melbourne as the prime minister who becomes the queen’s advisor as someone with good intentions only to create some trouble in the queen’s early years as he would later find himself dealing with Albert for the queen’s attention in power. Miranda Richardson is amazing as the Duchess of Kent as the queen’s mother who would try to get her daughter to listen to Sir Conroy only to become estranged from her daughter until Albert would be the one to end the estrangement. Rupert Friend is marvelous as Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as the man who would be Queen Victoria’s husband and greatest ally where Friend is quite restrained in his performance as someone who is just loyal and devoted to a woman he feels has a lot to offer to the world. Finally, there’s Emily Blunt in a radiant performance as the young Queen Victoria as a woman trying to deal with the role that is set upon her as well as wanting not to fail and do right for her country as it’s one of Blunt’s finest performances in displaying the anguish and determination of one of the greatest figures in history.

The Young Victoria is a remarkable film from Jean-Marc Vallee that features an incredible leading performance from Emily Blunt. Along with a great supporting cast, beautiful locations, rapturous images, and some fine technical work. It’s a film that chronicles the life of a woman in her early years as she would later become a definitive figure for Great Britain. In the end, The Young Victoria is a phenomenal film from Jean-Marc Vallee.

Jean-Marc Vallee Films: (Black List) - (Los Locos) - (Loser Love) - (C.R.A.Z.Y.) - (Café de Flore) - Dallas Buyers Club - Wild (2014 film) - Demolition (2015 film) - (Big Little Lies)

© thevoid99 2017

Belle (2013 film)

Directed by Amma Asante and written by Asante and Misan Sagay, Belle is the story of an illegitimate mixed-race girl who is sent by her father to live with her rich relatives as she copes with her identity and what her uncle does while falling for an aspiring lawyer. Inspired by a 1779 painting, the film is a fictionalized story about Dido Elizabeth Belle and the events that she took part in that led to the abolishment of slavery in Britain as she is played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Also starring Tom Wilkinson, Emily Watson, Sarah Gadon, Penelope Wilton, Miranda Richardson, Tom Felton, Matthew Goode, Sam Reid, and James Norton. Belle is an exquisitely rich and ravishing film from Amma Asante.

The film is a fictionalized story about Dido Elizabeth Belle as she is a young woman who is half-black and half-white as her white father asks his relatives to care for her where she would contend with her identity as well as what to do with herself as she falls for an aspiring lawyer. It’s a film that plays into this young woman who has all of the means to advance in upper-class society yet is often confused due to her skin color as well as what her uncle is doing as it relates to a famous trial relating to an incident known as the Zong Massacre. Yet, it’s more about this woman who is trying to understand who she is as she deals with prejudice for who she is as well as cope with what is happening in this trial that is happening.

The film’s screenplay does take a few dramatic liberties as it relates to the trial of Gregson vs. Gilbert yet it is more about Dido’s relationship with her uncle William Murray 1st Earl of Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) who would take the young Dido in as he cares for her as well as her status. A status in which Dido would inherit money from her late father (Matthew Goode) as well as be given a much larger inheritance from her uncle and aunts. It’s a status that would help Dido as she would get the attention of many suitors but it would create some problems in her relationship with her cousin Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) who is in need to marry someone who has money or else she would be destitute despite Dido wanting to share her inheritance with her. While there’s a chance for Elizabeth to be married into a rich family when Dido gets engaged to Oliver Ashford (James Norton), Dido still has to contend with Oliver’s bigoted older brother James (Tom Felton) and their scheming mother Lady Ashford (Miranda Richardson).

It is when Dido meets John Davinier (Sam Reid) where she begins to ask questions about not just herself but also what is happening around her as it becomes a key plot-point for the film. Especially as Davinier is a young man who doesn’t come from a rich family as he aspires to change the world through law as he rouses Dido’s view of the world as she thinks about herself and where would she be if her father hadn’t took her out of the slums and into a life of great wealth and love. Yet, Davinier would prove to be a man who doesn’t just see Dido as more than just a woman with mixed-skin but as a woman where the two fall in love though he’s not the kind of person that her uncle wants her to be with because of her rich status as she also has to think about her own family. Still, Murray’s encounter with Davinier and Dido’s own awareness of who she is would come into play into not just the decision of this court case but in also how he sees Dido as more than just family.

Amma Asante’s direction is truly exquisite as it plays into a drama where a young woman deals with her upbringing as well as the role she is destined to play along with her identity. Most notably in the way she creates a period drama that manages to be so much more as well as play into how things were back in the late 18th Century where it is set during a crucial period in British history when slavery was still prevalent. Asante would maintain something that feels quite contemporary while still giving the film a feel that is set in 18th Century as she would bring in some unique wide and medium shots into the film but also some unique close-ups into the film as it relates to Dido’s relationship with Davinier. There’s also a few hand-held camera shots and some tracking shots to play into some of the drama while Asante’s compositions are very entrancing to the way it plays into a world that is changing as well as being sort of disconnected from what is really happening.

The direction is also very intriguing for the way it explores the Zong Massacre and the Gregson vs. Gilbert which plays into Davinier trying to reveal exactly what is at stake. While Murray is a man that has the power to create change, he’s reluctant as he has a lot on his plate about how it would effect Britain but also his own status and his own family. Asante maintains that sense of tension that is in Murray as he also copes with the future of his own nieces as his wife Lady Elizabeth (Emily Watson) and his sister Lady Mary (Penelope Wilton) are trying to ensure that Dido and Elizabeth will marry to good families. The film does climax with not just the trial itself but also the reveal of the famous painting that features both Dido and Elizabeth as it relates to exactly how Murray sees Dido. Overall, Asante creates a very captivating and evocative film about a young woman dealing with her identity as well as knowing what she wants in her life as well as how she sees the world.

Cinematographer Ben Smithard does brilliant work with the film‘s very lush and colorful cinematography for the look of the gardens and exterior in the daytime scenes to the usage of candlelight and other lights to play into some of its nighttime interior and exterior scenes. Editors Pia Di Ciaula and Victoria Boydell do amazing work with the editing as it‘s quite straightforward while also having bits of style in a few montages and some dazzling rhythmic cuts. Production designer Sarah Bowles, with set decorator Tina Jones and supervising art director Ben Smith, does phenomenal work with the set pieces from the homes the characters live in as well as the courthouse and the look of the slums where Dido‘s father found her in the film‘s opening sequence. Costume designer Anushia Nieradzik does fantastic work with the design of the dresses from the way it plays to the personality of the women as well as the clothes that the men wear.

Hair/makeup designer Marese Langan does excellent work with the design of the wigs some of the men wore as well as the hairstyle of the men and women. Visual effects supervisor Henry Badgett and Angela Barson do terrific work with the minimal visual effects scenes that is really more set dressing in a few key scenes. Sound editor Lee Herrick and sound designer Robert Ireland do superb work with the sound from the way shoes sound on floors to some of the scenes at the parties that occur in the film. The film’s music by Rachel Portman is wonderful as it is largely a lush orchestral score that adds to the sense of drama while music supervisor Maggie Rodford bring in a soundtrack that is largely classical pieces from Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel.

The casting by Toby Whale is incredible as it features some notable small roles from Bethan Mary-Jones as the black maid Mabel, Lauren Julien-Box as the young Dido, Cara Jenkins as the young Elizabeth, Alex Jennings as James and Oliver’s father, and Matthew Goode in a brief but very touching role as Dido’s father Captain John Lindsay who manages to the most of his brief role. James Norton is terrific as Oliver Ashford as the youngest of the two brothers who likes Dido while Tom Felton is superb as Oliver’s more prejudiced older brother James who detests Dido for being black while proving to be very cruel to Elizabeth. Penelope Wilton is wonderful as Dido and Elizabeth’s aunt Lady Mary as someone who tries to keep both women in check while realizing their fate if both women don’t find men to be in love with. Miranda Richardson is brilliant as Lady Ashford as a woman who doesn’t like Dido very much only to agree to Oliver’s engagement to her out of ensuring that her son will have money.

Sarah Gadon is fantastic as Elizabeth as Dido’s cousin who is like a sister to Dido as she copes with the changes in Dido’s life but also her own future as she tries to find a good husband so she wouldn’t be destitute. Emily Watson is excellent as Lady Elizabeth as Murray’s wife who is considered the conscious of the film as she tries to ensure the futures for both Dido and Elizabeth while trying to make sense of the decision that her husband is going to make in this court case. Sam Reid is amazing as John Davinier as a reverend’s son who aspires to be a lawyer and makes change as he has this presence that is very engaging as someone that displays some humility as he is intrigued by Dido where he would eventually fall for her.

Tom Wilkinson is phenomenal as William Murray as a man who reluctantly takes Dido in only to care for her as if she was his daughter as he copes with everything he’s trying to do for her as well as being involved in a case that involves blacks which affects the decision he would make. Finally, there’s Gugu Mbatha-Raw in an absolutely tremendous performance as Dido Elizabeth Belle as this young woman who is coping with her identity and place in the world while realizing the complications of the real world as it relates to her race as well as what is expected from her as a woman as it’s a very radiant and powerful performance.

Belle is a remarkable film Amma Asante that features an incredible performance from Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Along with a strong supporting cast as well as an engaging story that features some insightful historical elements. It’s a film that manages to be more than a period piece and a character study as it is also a film that features characters coping with changes as well as uncertainty in their idyllic and safe environment. In the end, Belle is a sensational film from Amma Asante.

© thevoid99 2015

Southland Tales

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/20/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Written and directed by Richard Kelly, Southland Tales is a multi-narrative story set in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles on Fourth of July weekend 2008. The film follows the lives of various characters including an amnesiac action film star, an ex-porn star, and twin brothers as they deal with the bleakness of the world around them. With an all-star cast that includes Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott, Mandy Moore, Miranda Richardson, Nora Dunn, Justin Timberlake, Jon Lovitz, John Larroquette, Wallace Shawn, Kevin Smith, Lou Taylor Pucci, Beth Grant, Bai Ling, Will Sasso, Holmes Osborne, Cheri Oteri, Amy Poehler, Zelda Rubenstein, Janeane Garafalo, and Christopher Lambert. Southland Tales, despite its concept, is a messy, incoherent, and purely self-indulgent film from Richard Kelly.

It's Fourth of July weekend in 2008 which would mark the third anniversary of the nuclear bombing of a small Texas town that began World War III. With the Patriot Act in full power, gasoline and alternative fuel resources in decline, and America on the verge of chaos. An action film star named Boxer Santaros (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is in the desert with amnesia as he arrives in California. After being captured, he meets with a former porn star-turned reality TV show host Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar) as the two collaborate on a screenplay. Boxer learns that Krysta is part of a neo-Marxist movement led by her manager Cyndi Pinziki (Nora Dunn) who is trying to combat a Republican Presidential candidate Senator Bobby Frost (Holmes Osbourne) and his wife/head of US-IDent Nana Mae Frost (Miranda Richardson).

Meanwhile, the neo-Marxist movement learns that a scientist Baron Von Westphalen (Wallace Shawn) is trying to create a new source of alternative fuel as he is endorsing Senator Frost. With the war still waging on, Frost hopes to have a Republican victory in California as the neo-Marxists have taken a racist LAPD officer named Roland Tavener (Seann William Scott) hostage while using his twin brother Ronald to impersonate him. Ronald accompanies Boxer, who joins in to research his film role, as the two go into hijinks where a domestic dispute that was supposed to be routine went crazy thanks to a rogue cop named Bart Bookman (Jon Lovitz) who is also a neo-Marxist with his girlfriend Zora Carmichaels (Cheri Oteri). Boxer and Ronald run in fear as Boxer has an encounter with Baron and his cohorts that included his mother (Beth Grant), Dr. Soberin Exx (Curtis Armstrong), Katarina Kuntzler (Zelda Rubenstein), and Serpentine (Bai Ling).

With Pinziki and Frost's advisor Vaughn Smallhouse (John Larroquette) trying to negotiate over terms about the release of a possible sex tape between Boxer and Krysta Now, Boxer's wife Madeline Frost Santaros (Mandy Moore) wants the tape blocked. With Boxer returning to his home, he is now believing that he's Jericho as he's made contact with a woman named Starla Von Luft (Michele Durrett) about his screenplay. Santaros escapes the Frost home to meet with Von Luft as things get crazy when an Iraqi war veteran named Pilot Abilene (Justin Timberlake), high on a new drug, kills her. Ronald Taverner had just escape and learned something powerful is going on with his right hand as did his twin brother as the two try to find each other. Ronald seeks help with a secret arms dealer named Walter Mung (Christopher Lambert) while Roland gets help from a local drug dealer named Martin Kefauver (Lou Taylor Pucci). With Krysta now getting possession of a video tape that could incriminate her, she makes her own deal with Smallhouse as the night approaches for what could be the end of the world. It is there at a party for a new Zeppelin that the Taverner twins and Boxer learned what happened to them a few days ago.

The concept of Southland Tales about the end of the world emerging on a Fourth of July weekend with intertwining storylines, multiple characters, and themes of social and environmental unrest is a very good concept. The problem is that it's a good idea on paper. On film and in script, it's a mess. A bloated mess that has too many characters, too many stories, too many situations, and nothing to gel on. It's clear that there's a conflict between two groups. The problem is that it gets confusing on who is working for the neo-Marxists and who is working for the U.S. government. Some characters start of as neo-Marxists and then become pawns for Frost and company. It becomes confusing.

The script doesn't have a sense of cohesiveness nor any characters with the exception of the Tavener twins and Boxer Santaros, that have any depth or development. Instead, Kelly brings out caricatures of individuals that looks like they've come out of films by David Lynch and Gregg Araki. Kelly's claim that the film is meant to be a satire but there's not much to satirize about except reality TV and pop stardom in the form of Krysta Now. The dialogue is stylized for some characters yet it sounds very ridiculous coming out of the mouths of the actors while what's even worse is the film's voice-over narration from Pilot Abilene. The narration brings nothing but a bunch of strange and inane philosophies while the reading by Justin Timberlake sounds very flat and lifeless. Then there's the story and plot. There's nothing clear in what it's trying to say and though things do clear a bit in the third act that involves time travel as well as motivation for two of its lead characters. There's no payoff even though something happens but what is the aftermath?

If Kelly's demands for the audience to be very attentive to the film in script, then the demand for the film in his direction is too overwhelming. Kelly had intended it to be a much bigger experience that is interactive with the audience that included a graphic novel that preceded the film. The problem is that Kelly is trying to create a film that is strange enough for an art-house film audience while using big stars for a mainstream audience and he succeeds in neither. The problem is that Kelly is too enamored with the film's concept and is convinced that the film should be seen more than once to understand the story. Kelly's demands for an audience is too much for a mainstream audience to handle while an art-house audience are smart enough to know when a film should be seen twice.

Kelly's demands for the audience are marred by his bad choices in the direction. The awkward framing, compositions, and no depth of field for the film's exterior and interior settings really create a film that is messy. Plus, Kelly's knack for bending genres, that worked in his previous film Donnie Darko, fails because he tries to do too much. He tries to make it into a comedy, action, drama, satire, sci-fi, and also, a musical. There's a couple of musical dance numbers where one of them is based on a drug trip where Pilot Abilene is lip-syncing to the Killers' All The Things That I've Done with back-up dancer and it's an extremely baffling scene that really confuses the audience into what they're seeing. While there's a couple of interesting moment in the directing including a tracking shot of the MegaZeppelin scene, the rest of the film falters with inane special effects, chaotic conflicts, and everything else where the result is a bloated mess that doesn't make any sense to its audience.

Cinematographer Steven B. Poster does have some nice coloring but due to Kelly's direction, he is given nothing to do as he's forced to emphasize on lighting style that doesn&#146t have any depth at all. Neither does Sam Bauer's editing that at the film's theatrical 144-minute running time, lags in pacing, tries to go for style, and doesn't add anything to the film other than the fact that more scenes should be cut while its approach in the intertwining stories makes it confusing. Production designer Alec Hammond and set decorator Tracey A. Doyle does an OK job in some of the film's set designs though it's most notable achievement is the pristine look of the MegaZeppelin. Costume designer April Ferry creates interesting costumes for the actresses involved yet the look at times is very cartoonish and lacks any real depth.

Sound designer/editor David Esparza also doesn't do anything brilliant that's expected in a film that bends genre as his work in some of the action sequences are average at best while a scene in a gun battle tends to be very muddled more in part due to the direction. The visual effects by Thomas Tannenberg does have nice touch for its mix of animation and computer graphics in some sequences but the rest of it isn't very good at all, notably the climatic scene along with the MegaZeppelin is poorly made. The film's music by renowned electronic-pop artist Moby is dull at best. Originally supposed to be a collaboration with Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, Moby's score fits in the mood with his ambient setting though the addition of pulsating, techno beats create a sense of distraction and at times, doesn't fit in with the mood of the film.

The soundtrack is a tribute to classic alternative music of the 90s with bands like Radiohead, Jane's Addiction, the Pixies, Blur, Big Head Todd & the Monster, Elbow, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club along with the Killers, Louis Armstrong, Beethoven, Muse, Waylon Jennings, and an original song for Sarah Michelle Gellar's character that's a bad impersonation of Britney Spears music.

The casting by Mary Vernieu and Venus Kanani though is an interesting ensemble. There's very few people to stand out as nearly every actor in this film has little to work on while it's clear that the film features cameos and character actors where sometimes, their appearance or presence tends to be a distraction. Cameos from Kevin Smith as a legless war veteran, singer Rebekah del Rio from Mulholland Dr.as a singer, Janeane Garafalo as a general in the final party scene, Christopher Lambert as an arms dealer in an ice cream truck, Eli Roth as a man killed in a toilet, and Sab Shimono as a Japanese prime minister don't really add anything since they're just cameos. Garafalo's appearance is only brief which suggests her appearance was supposed to be bigger but never made it into the final cut while Smith is barely recognizable in his own role. Comedians Will Sasso as Krysta's bodyguard, Amy Poehler as a poet, and Cheri Oteri as neo-Marxist are very bad with Poehler and Oteri not given anything funny to do with Oteri being way over the top in her role. Jon Lovitz also suffers in his role as rogue cop where he ends up being very silly.

Wood Harris as a famed rapper doesn't make much impression nor does Jill Ritchie as one of Krysta's girlfriends while Mike Nielsen as a government spy isn't memorable at all where he's in the film for one minute and then, he's gone. Michele Durrett also suffers the same fate just as her character was getting a bit interesting despite her own exaggerated performance. Famed character actors Curtis Armstrong, Zelda Rubenstein, and the always enjoyable Beth Grant as the Baron's cohorts are practically wasted since they just show up and say their lines while Bai Ling as Serpentine makes more of an impression that's really more of a distraction than a performance.

Nora Dunn is okay in her role as Cindy Pinziki but her character lacks any real sense of clear motivation while John Larroquette looks bored in his role as Vaughn Smallhouse. Lou Taylor Pucci is also okay in his role as drug dealer talking like a rapper though he does manage to make an impression in the film's climatic scene. Wallace Shawn, a great character actor, sadly doesn't really get to do anything but squirm and act slimy as if that's all he's given to do. Holmes Osbourne also doesn't get anything to do but act awkward and such while Miranda Richardson, sporting a Texan accent, is kind of annoying in the film and doesn't get anything to do than sit, talk in a Texan accent, and watch a lot of TV screens. Mandy Moore gives a flat, uninspiring performance where all she does is nag and be a glorified trophy wife which is sad considering that Moore is more talented than that.

Sarah Michelle Gellar is okay in her role as a former porn star turned entrepreneur though sadly, Gellar doesn't get to do anything but look pretty, act like a dumb blonde, and that's all which is sad considering she's far more talented than that through her work in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The film's most baffling and certainly, the worst performance is Justin Timberlake as a war veteran who likes to get high and shoot people while voicing some of the worst narration ever committed on film.

Seann William Scott, who is known as the obnoxious Stifler in the first three American Pie films, is good in his dual role as twin brothers who hold the key to the conspiracy that the American government is doing. While Scott does get to have a few, funny one-liners, he does manage to show his skills as a dramatic actor in the third act where he gets to do a lot despite what little depth and development his characters had to work with. His performance proves that he can do more than just being Stifler. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is also good as Boxer Santaros and his character alter-ego, Jericho Cane (a nod to both Chris Jericho and Kane) where he has this great presence that's expected from an action film star but also a sense of humor in how jittery he is when he's nervous. While the dialogue he's given doesn't work for him, Johnson at least does his best to his charisma and presence to give a good performance to prove that he's more than some big tough guy.

Southland Tales is a tremendously horrific film from Richard Kelly. Despite some of the visuals and the performances of Dwayen Johnson and Seann William Scott. The film doesn't do enough to create a very compelling story that would make sense in favor of style over substance that is unable to live up to the ambitions that Kelly wanted. It's also a film where it tries to hard to do so much and ask a lot from its audience only to either bore or frustrate them in the mess that it is. In the end, Southland Tales is a very shitty film from Richard Kelly who tries too hard and fail.

Richard Kelly Films: Donnie Darko - (The Box (2009 film))

© thevoid99 2014

Spider (2002 film)

Based on the novel by Patrick McGrath, Spider is the story of a schizophrenic man who tries to piece the memories of his mother’s disappearance as a child as well as memories of his father. Directed by David Cronenberg and screenplay by Patrick McGrath, the film is an exploration on memories and the effects it would have on someone who has become mentally ill. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson, John Neville, Bradley Hall, Lynn Redgrave, and Gabriel Byrne. Spider is a chilling yet mesmerizing suspense-drama from David Cronenberg.

Dennis “Spider” Cleg (Ralph Fiennes) has just left the mental hospital to live in a nearby safe-house in London as he’s in the care of a woman named Mrs. Wilkinson (Lynn Redgrave). With a room of his own and doing a few duties while befriending an old man named Terrence (John Neville). Dennis tries to piece the memories of what happened to his mother (Miranda Richardson) many years ago when she disappeared back in the 1950s. Tracing back to his memories as a child (Bradley Hall) where he lived a quaint life with his mother and father Bill (Gabriel Byrne) at a home near the London canals.

Dennis believes that his father had been having an affair with a woman named Yvonne (Miranda Richardson) as he thinks they had something to do with the disappearance of his mother. Trying to piece all of the puzzles over what happened, he goes back to the places that he lived as a child to find out what he remembered. Yet, his idea of memory and reality starts to blur when he sees Mrs. Wilkinson looking a lot like Yvonne which only furthers his confusion over what might’ve happened.

The film is about a mentally-ill man’s attempt to reflect on the horrifying memory about the disappearance of his mother and what might’ve happened to her. While he lives at a home where he’s under the care of an old woman who runs a home for those who are either old or mentally-ill as it’s nearby the area that he lived as a child. In this world, he tries to piece out what happened while thinking it all had to do with his father’s affair with a woman he had seen at a bar.

Patrick McGrath’s script is all about a mentally-ill man’s attempt to try and piece his recollections while his perception of memory becomes blurry due to the traumatic events of what happened. McGrath’s script has this great build up in the first two acts where it moves back and forth into past and present with the adult Dennis watching everything he remembers. Though things do become a bit confusing in its third act though it is intentional, the reveal is somewhat of a disappointment. Still, it would allow the audience to go back into recall what happened early in the film that might’ve led to the eventual reveal as McGrath’s script is truly an enigmatic one that brings more questions rather than answers.

David Cronenberg’s direction is quite straightforward in its approach yet there is still an element of style in the way he frames the scenes involving Dennis as he watches his life as a child with his parents to more intense scenes where Dennis mother makes a drastic discovery that possibly could’ve led to her disappearance. The element of suspense is there as Cronenberg is definitely a master of the genre in the way he builds up terrifying moments as well as trying to piece the clues of a mystery. Since the film is shot on location in London and its suburbs near the gas towers, he manages to make use of it without doing too much to the location for its past and present sequences.

Cronenberg would drop hints into the reveal while he was able to blur the line between past and present in the scenes in the third act. Yet, he is able to create something that is entrancing to look at as well as being able to keep the viewer guessing after the film has finished. Overall, the film is another remarkable achievement from David Cronenberg.

Cinematographer Peter Suschitzky does a superb job with the look of the London suburbs for its day and nighttime exteriors. Notably with the latter to help set a mood for the suspense as well as creating some wonderful lighting schemes for some of the interior settings to help maintain the dark tone of the film. Editor Ronald Sanders does an excellent job with the editing by utilizing a straightforward approach to the editing while taking on a methodical pace to build up the suspenseful moments of the film. Production designer Andrew Sanders does a nice job with the set pieces created from the drab room that Dennis lives in to the old look of the 1950s childhood home that he lived including his father’s shack near a garden.

Costume designer Denise Cronenberg does a wonderful job with the costumes from the more stylish 50s clothes the women wear to the more drab look of Dennis as an adult. Makeup artist Andrea Smith does a brilliant job with the different hair and makeup look for Dennis‘ mother, Yvonne, and the fantasy version of Mrs. Wilkinson. Sound editors David Evans and Wayne Griffith do terrific work with the sound from the intimate sounds of the interior locations to the more raucous atmosphere of the bar scenes. The film’s score by Howard Shore is truly divine for its very melancholic, piano-driven score with orchestral textures to play up some of the suspense and drama that occurs in the film.

The casting by Suzanne Smith is extraordinary for the small ensemble that is created which includes Lynn Redgrave as the stern Mrs. Wilkinson, John Neville as the fun and playful Terrence, and Bradley Hall in a very chilling performance as the young Dennis. Gabriel Byrne is excellent as Dennis’ father Bill who is a man that is charming but also brooding where he tries to deal with his son’s behavior. Miranda Richardson is spectacular in three different roles as Dennis’ very loving mother, the very brash mistress Yvonne, and in a very stylized approach to Mrs. Wilkinson character. Finally, there’s Ralph Fiennes in a harrowing yet mesmerizing performance as Dennis Cleg. While it’s mostly a sort of silent performance where Fiennes often mumbles throughout the film. There is a very haunting quality to his role as a man still traumatized over what happened as he is trying to figure out what happened as it’s one of Fiennes’ best performances.

Spider is an entrancing suspense film from David Cronenberg that features outstanding performances from Ralph Fiennes and Miranda Richardson. While it is definitely a film that is very different from a lot of Cronenberg’s other films in terms of style and presentation. It is still one of the most interesting in how Cronenberg is able to explore a man’s mental illness and his attempt to piece lost memories of tragedy. In the end, Spider is an extraordinary film from David Cronenberg.

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 - A History of Violence - Eastern Promises - A Dangerous Method - Cosmopolis - Maps to the Stars - Crimes of the Future (2022 film)

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

© thevoid99 2012

Made in Dagenham

Based on the 1968 Ford sewing machinists strike, Made in Dagenham is the story of how one woman lead a strike for women to get equal pay leading to an act in 1970. Directed by Nigel Cole and written by William Ivory, the film is a dramatization of the strike that affected the work force in Britain and led to the Equal Pay Act of 1970. Starring Sally Hawkins, Daniel Mays, Rosamund Pike, Jaime Winstone, Andrea Riseborough, Geraldine James, Bob Hoskins, and Miranda Richardson. Made in Dagenham is a terrific yet light-hearted film from Nigel Cole.

It’s the spring of 1968 in Dagenham, England as Rita O’Grady (Sally Hawkins) is among a group of 187 women working at the Dagenham assembly plant for Ford Motors to sew car leather. Unhappy with the working conditions of the work place as well as the fact that they’re only paid half the salary that men have including Rita’s husband Eddie (Daniel Mays). While their foreman Albert (Bob Hoskins) agree with what the women want, he tries to help them deal with the bosses for a fair pay wage but doesn’t go that way leading to a strike. Joined by fellow workers Brenda (Andrea Riseborough), Sandra (Jaime Winstone), and Connie (Geraldine James).

With the strike affecting profits for Ford motors, Fords executive Robert Tooley (Richard Schiff) flies from the U.S. to make some move. The move would have the Dagenham factory down prompting the men not to work bringing problems for Eddie and Rita. With Rita still fighting for the cause, it gets the attention of Secretary of State Barbara Castle (Miranda Richardson) who is interested over the strike despite the pressure of the government led by Prime Minister Harold Wilson (John Sessions). After some pressing issues financially and personally for the women, a woman named Lisa (Rosamund Pike), who is the wife of a Ford executive (Rupert Graves), asks Rita to keep on fighting. Notably as she got Rita to co-sign a complaint about an abusive teacher at their kids’ school who is officially kicked out. This prompts Rita to continue in her fight as she finally gets a meeting with Barbara Castle that would change things for Britain.

While it is a fictional account of the 1968 Ford machinists strike, the film is an inspiring tale about how one woman led a strike for equal pay and respect. While there’s bits of melodrama that makes the film more in tune with what the women struggling in their lives while bringing characters who would do more to help this woman to keep on fighting. William Ivory’s script is good for the way characters such as Rita is portrayed as a wife and mother just wanting to do what is right for her family while a character like Albert is an unlikely ally because he’s a man. Yet, he is someone that was raised by his mother whom he felt should’ve gotten the same amount of pay the men did. While the script is quite formulaic and flawed, it is still a good story that does show a nice piece of history as well as a story that is empowering.

Nigel Cole’s direction is very good for the way he creates late 1960s Dagenham and London along with various other places while creating some wonderful shots of the locations. Still, he keeps the drama and bits of humor in a straightforward manner while utilizing some interesting compositions to play up the drama and humor of the film. Even in heavier moments where he knows not to go too far and what not to show. Cole does keep things exciting in his presentation though his approach is uneven where he often tries to make things very light-hearted to be entertaining and fun. Yet, he also wants to play up the drama of what these women are struggling with elements of melodrama. Despite the messiness, Cole does manage to make a worthwhile and solid film.

Cinematographer John de Borman does a nice job with the film‘s colorful cinematography from the vibrant yet somewhat de-colored look of the exteriors to the more stylish schemes for some of the interiors in the film. Editor Michael Parker does a pretty good job with the editing as it’s mostly straightforward while utilizing some multiple split-screens for some big protest moments as well as injecting some real-life newsreel footage of the real-life events. Production designer Andrew McAlpine, along with set decorator Anna Lynch-Robinson and art director Ben Smith, does great work in the set pieces created from the look of the factory to the posh home of Lisa.

Costume designer Louise Stjernsward does a superb job in the costumes from the dresses the women wear to complement the 1960s style to an early version of the hot pants that the character of Sandra wears. Hair and makeup design by Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou is wonderful to play up the different hair styles of the women. Visual effects supervisor Sheila Wickens does some fine work with the minimal visual effects used such as a nighttime shot scene of Dagenham at night. Sound editor Ian Wilson does an excellent job with the sound work from the atmosphere of what goes on in a factory to the more intimate moments in the film.

The film’s music by David Arnold is quite delightful though nothing very spectacular as it’s mostly a typical orchestral score that either plays up the humor or the drama. The film’s soundtrack is a real highlight for the music that appears from acts like Desmond Dekker, the Easybeats, the Troggs, Lemon Pipers, Traffic, Dusty Springfield, the Temptations, the Mindbenders, and Sandie Shaw plus a new Shaw song written by Arnold and Billy Bragg that is a wonderful cut from the famed 60s British pop icon.

The casting by Lucy Bevan is brilliant as it features a voice cameo from Danny Huston as the top American Ford boss, Roger Lloyd-Pack as Connie’s war-stricken husband, Kenneth Cranham as the sexist Monty Taylor, Andrew Lincoln as the abusive teacher Rita and Lisa file a complaint towards, Rupert Graves as Lisa’s executive husband, John Sessions as then-Prime Minister Harold Wilson, Sian Scott and Robbie Kay as Rita and Eddie’s children, and Richard Schiff as American Ford executive Robert Tooley. Notable supporting roles such as Andrea Riseborough and Jaime Winstone in their respective roles as the young and flirtatious Brenda and Sandra are fun to watch while Geraldine James is very good as the older but tough Connie. Rosamund Pike is excellent as Lisa, an executive’s wife who feels mistreated by her husband as she helps out Rita while the two battle an abusive teacher in their kids’ school. Daniel Mays is wonderful as Rita’s husband Eddie who finds himself lost in Rita’s new role as strike leader while dealing with the loss of his job as he has a hard time trying to deal with what his wife is doing.

Bob Hoskins is superb as Albert, the foreman who helps out Rita and the other women in their strike as he believes they deserve a fair share. Miranda Richardson is amazing as Barbara Castle as Richardson brings a no-nonsense approach to the famed politician as well as a charm as it’s definitely one of Richardson’s best performances. Finally, there’s Sally Hawkins in a remarkable role as Rita O’Grady where she brings a real-life determination as a wife and mother who wants to have the same respect her husband has while fighting for her friends who work beside her. While Hawkins gets to have a few funny moments, it is mostly a dramatic one as it showcases the range she has proving that she’s one of the best actresses working today.

Made in Dagenham is a solid and good-hearted film from Nigel Cole that features a radiant performance from Sally Hawkins. Despite being uneven in its tone, it is a film that is quite inspirational as well as being a good historical piece about the 1968 Ford machinists strike that led the way to the Equal Pay Act of 1970. In the end, Made in Dagenham is a delightful film from Nigel Cole.

© thevoid99 2012

Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire (film)

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/23/05 w/ Additional Edits.

When Chris Columbus left the franchise for the Harry Potter film adaptations after directing the first two of the film series. Many fans wondered who would replace Columbus as Warner Brothers chose Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron to helm the third film, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban. When it was released in 2004, many critics praised the film for its visual style and opening doors for the young actors. Fans of the book though felt that Steve Kloves' script cut a lot of background information and sequences that didn't make it to the final film. When plans for the fourth film, Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire was in the works, rumors circulated that the film was going to be a two-part film but in the end, Kloves along with the involvement of Potter creator J.K. Rowling insisted that book should be adapted into one film. With acclaim British director Mike Newell going for a longer, ambitious approach, he was chosen to direct the fourth Harry Potter film.

Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire is a more multi-layered story where Harry has found himself put into a tournament for wizards where he suspects that it's an attempt to kill him. With rumors that Lord Voldemort returning, Harry leans towards his friends and the guidance of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore only to compete in the tournament. With Mike Newell as the director and Steve Kloves returning as the screenwriter adapting J.K. Rowling's dark, transitional story.

Returning to the film franchise is Daniel Radcliffe in the title role along with fellow young actors Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Bonnie Wright, Matthew Lewis, James & Oliver Phelps, Jamie Waylett, Joshua Herdman, along with new young actors in the series, Katie Leung, Clemence Posey, Robert Pattinson, and Stanislav Ianveski. In the adult actors returning to the fold are Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Mark Williams, Gary Oldman, Warwick Davis, Jason Issacs, Shirley Henderson, Robbie Coltrane, David Bradley, Timothy Spall, Robert Hardy, and Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. Joining the series in adult roles are Brendan Gleeson, Miranda Richardson, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Jeff Rawle, Frances de la Tour, Predrag Bjelac, and Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort.

It's a dark night in a little house that was once the home of a family called Riddle as a former caretaker named Frank Bryce (Eric Sykes) discovers that a light is in the house where he hears two voices inside. Frank goes in to discover that a man named Wormtail (Timothy Spall) and another man (David Tennant) is talking to an unknown figure. Accompanied by a snake, the unknown figure senses the presence of Bryce as he reveals himself to be the remaining soul of the darkest wizard known to the world as Lord Voldemort. Later that morning at the home of the Weasley family, Harry Potter has woken up to that image but thinking it could be a dream. Joining longtime friends Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) along with his twin siblings Fred and George (James & Oliver Phelps), youngest sibling Ginny (Bonnie Wright) and their father Arthur Weasley (Mark Williams).

The gang make their way to the Quidditch World Cup match through a portkey with Amos Diggory (Jeff Rawle) and his son Cedric (Roger Pattinson) that takes them from their home area to the Cup's site as they watch Ireland in a match against Bulgaria that included their young star seeker named Viktor Krum (Stanislav Ivaneski). After the match, all hell breaks loose when a group known as Death Eaters terrorize the Cup's campsite as Harry's fear of Voldemort's return might be true as he sees a mysterious man from his dream shooting the Dark Mark on the sky. The gang is sent to Hogwarts where they learn that an old wizard tournament against other schools, Beauxbatons from France and Durmstrang from Bulgaria are arriving to compete in the TriWizard tournament. With Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore announcing the arrival of the schools, he introduces his students to the women of Beauxbatons led by their half-giant headmistress Madame Maxime (Frances de la Tour) and the men of Durmstrang that also features Krum and his headmaster, Igor Karkaroff (Predrac Bjelac).

With an age restriction performed for the cup, everyone wants to get in while Harry just wants to sit back and watch the tournament as spectator. Leading the tournament cup is Internationals relations minister of the Ministry of Magic, Barty Crouch (Roger Lloyd-Pack) while Dumbledore has chosen his old friend Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody (Brendan Gleeson) as his new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher where he teaches the children about the Unforgivable Curses including the dreaded Killing Curse where only Harry was the survivor of that curse.  On the night, the Goblet of Fire was to select its champions, Krum, Cedric Diggory, and Beauxbatons' Fleur Delacour (Clemence Poesey) are selected as the respective champions of the school. Then the Goblet spits out a fourth name where Harry's name is revealed.

Dumbledore is upset that Harry's name was spat out of the Goblet as he had no choice but to compete as a fourth champion. Harry's house leader Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) is concerned but Crouch says that Potter has no choice while Dumbledore feels that Harry has to compete. For Harry, it gives him a sense of unwanted fame while leading to a rift with Ron. With only Hermione to talk to, the only other correspondence he has left is his fugitive godfather Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) who he talks to on the fire as Sirius warns him that Karkaroff is a former Death Eater not to be trusted. Making matters worse is reporter Rita Skeeter (Miranda Richardson) wanting to have Harry become a press figure with her own special quill notes. Even Harry's rival Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) along with cronies Crabbe (Jamie Waylett) and Goyle (Joshua Herdman) are taunting him as Draco makes a bet with his father Lucius (Jason Issacs) on how long he'll survive.

Moody begins to help Harry with the idea of what to do for the first task as Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) reveals that it's dragons. Harry succeeds while reconciling his issues with Ron though the second of three tasks proves to be difficult. Even more troubling is the upcoming Yule Ball where Harry's classmate Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) seems to be anticipating while Harry and Ron are having trouble dealing with girls. Harry tries to ask fifth-year Cho Chang (Katie Leung) to the ball but she already has a date as does Hermione. Harry finally gets the nerve to as he asks Parvati Patil (Shefali Chowdhury) to accompany him to the Yule ball with Ron to be with her twin sister Padma (Afshan Azad). Ron's emotional troubles worsen when he sees that Hermione is being accompanied by none other than Viktor Krum while Neville's partner is Ginny.

After Cedric gives him a clue about the golden egg from the first task, as a thanks for mentioning the dragons. Harry finds his clue with help from ghost Moaning Myrtle (Shirley Henderson) and more help from Neville as he succeeds in the second task. Things unfortunately, begin to trouble Harry as he later finds a body as he goes to Dumbledore who seems to be having problems with Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy) about the body. Harry learns about Karkaroff and the names of Death Eaters including Barty Crouch's son whom Harry had recognized from his dream. After talking with Dumbledore, he runs into Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) who has been suspicious on who has been stealing from his closet. With the third task going underway, Harry who knows he's been put in the tournament as an attempt to kill him realizes what is really going on as he sees first-hand death, and the resurrection of Lord Voldemort.

While the film has a lot of the basic plot points that was from the book, for any of the Harry Potter purists, it's pretty clear on not what got cut but what was cut in transition to the next part of the series. This was something that the producers, Mike Newell, and screenwriter Steve Kloves understood since the film's running time is around two-and-a-half hours. Fans of the book will indeed be disappointed in what doesn't make it to the film like Harry leaving the Dursley home which is the funniest moment of the book since it reveals the Weasley twins' mastery of magic jokes which becomes a subplot into their future roles as joke makers. That doesn't make it as does the character Ludo Bagman, a former Quidditch player turned magic sports minister who the Weasley twins try to blackmail and the story surrounding the house elves which involves Barty Crouch doesn't make the final cut including some of Skeeter's writing that serves as a basis for the fifth book.

While Steve Kloves deserves credit for putting a bit more back story and focus on what the main story of The Goblet of Fire is about. What is really upsetting in terms of what leads up to the next book involves the politics that becomes the basis of Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix which comes in the end of The Goblet of Fire. While Kloves only adds a touch of Dumbledore's political and personal disagreements with Fudge, it only puzzles the audience in what happens next on how the political tone of the fifth book is to be told from the aftermath of The Goblet of Fire. Another problem with the script was that even though the film is 150 minutes, it's done a bit too fast to the point that it doesn't leave enough time for audiences to get a breather or to be absorbed into one scene. This is something that needs to be improved on the fifth book, while audiences doesn't seem to care if that film will have a running time of nearly 3 hours.

While the script is only good at best, director Mike Newell does deserve some credit into bringing a lot of the feeling of growing up and the atmosphere of schools into the film. Newell makes up for the film's script with his excellent approach to directing, especially with the young actors who are given more room to breathe and time to grow. Even in some of the film's dramatic sequences and comedic moments, especially the battle scene between Harry and Lord Voldemort that brings chills to the audience. With some great camera movement and attention to the strict nature of British schools, Newell retains a bit of Alfonso Cuaron's richness from the Prisoner of Azkaban while giving the film a lot of excitement from many of the film's TriWizard task scenes. While Newell falters from the script and its pacing, he does manage to create a very satisfying feature for the Goblet of Fire which definitely makes up for his lackluster work in 2003's Mona Lisa Smile.

Cinematographer Roger Pratt returns from the Chamber of Secrets to retain the grayish look that POA cinematographer Michael Seresin gave the film while bringing some great lighting sequences, especially the dark, grimy look of Harry's battle with Lord Voldemort. Visual effects supervisor also does great work on the special effects, especially with the dragons and the merpeople in the second task. Production designer Stuart Craig brings more of the film's British feel of the schools to the film while his work in designing the Quidditch World Cup stadium and Yule Ball scenes are spectacular. The costumes by Jany Termine help with the looseness that Cuaron got in POA while it's in the Yule Ball where the clothes reveal the personality of the characters, especially with the beautiful dresses for many of the young female actresses. While the film's pacing doesn't work on some areas, editor Mick Audsley does succeed in some great cutting sequences in the film's scenes with the tasks and a lot of the action work including Moody's wandering eye.

While John Williams' main theme for the Harry Potter is still there, new composer Patrick Doyle brings a wonderful score to many of the film's dramatic moments, especially in the action sequences and most of all, the Yule Ball scene. Another added touch to the music in that Yule Ball scene comes from the fictional band the Weird Sisters who are played by Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker and Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway. The songs that are played for the film by the Weird Sisters totally rocks.

Finally, we have the film's large ensemble cast that features some great, memorable small performances from Eric Sykes, David Tennant, Warwick Davis as Professor Flitwick (whose memorable scene was crowd surfing for the Weird Sisters performance), Mark Williams, Robert Hardy, Jeff Rawle, David Bradley, Joshua Herdman, Jamie Waylett, and Tom Felton as the always cool Draco Malfoy. Jason Issacs also has a couple of memorable moments including a scene at the Quidditch World Cup and at Lord Voldemort's resurrection. While Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith don't have a lot to do, they make their appearances memorable with Smith having a funny scene teaching Ron to dance and Rickman whose presence only confirms his suspicions. Shirley Henderson also has a great scene as Moaning Myrtle that is funny but also creepy some ways since it constitute everything from things that people can get arrested for. Timothy Spall is also great as the creepy and traitorous Wormtail in a key scene for Voldemort's resurrection.

Roger-Lloyd Pack is excellent as the paranoid but grounded Barty Crouch who has a great scene with Harry about his ability to put effort into his tasks while disappointingly, Gary Oldman only appears in one scene through CGI while he does a good job in that one scene including one voice-over in the film. If there was anyone to play Rita Skeeter, only Miranda Richardson can do and she plays the role perfectly with her slithery yet funny performance as the corruptive reporter as she steals a scene or two. Brendan Gleeson is also great in his role as Mad-Eye Moody in a performance that is funny while being a very supportive man for Harry in helping with his tasks. Predrag Bjelac is excellent as the suspicious Karkaroff as his Frances de la Tour as Madame Maxime whose best scenes involve her growing romance with Hagrid where Robbie Coltrane brings a lot of great humor in those scenes.

Two performances that will be expanded in the next book from Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley and Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom are wonderfully handled since Wright has more to do while Lewis gets to have a lot more screen time as they savor every moment, especially Lewis. Katie Leung brings a great presence to her role as Cho Chang while Clemence Poesy is beautiful in her role as Fleur Delacour. Stanislav Ivaneski is excellent as the tough-looking Krum who proves that he has a soft side to himself while more impressive is Roger Pattinson as Cedric Diggory. Pattinson (in pre-Twilight mode) brings a lot of great moments as Cedric who reveals to be a popular student with a heart of gold and plays fair while having some great scenes with Daniel Radcliffe. Oliver and James Phelps as the Weasley twins bring out the film's most funniest moments whenever it's them placing bets or making fun of everyone else as they often steal every moment they have in the film.

Rupert Grint gives his best performance to date as Ron Weasley by channeling his frustrated angst into his role as just being a best friend while overcoming his unknown feelings for Hermione. Often being the comic relief, Grint brings a lot more drama to his role and he manages to bring out a fine, superb supporting performance. Emma Watson remains one of the best young actors in the series as the always intelligent but now worrisome Hermione as she is more maternal in her role while proving to be a very beautiful young woman in that Yule Ball scene. The film's most questionable performance that will really trouble fans is Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. To sum it up in one word, it would be uneven since Gambon reveals the trouble of Dumbledore who no longer feels powerful while trying to remain eccentric. It's not the writing that's problematic but it's really Gambon's approach that doesn't work since he's supposed to be a bit more restrained, especially in the scene where he confronts Harry about the Goblet. Hopefully, Gambon could try and restrain himself next time since his character is more in the background from his weariness.

Daniel Radcliffe continues to improving in his role as Harry Potter by bringing the anguish and trouble in dealing with his celebrity. Radcliffe also brings a lot of the same insecurities that people do feel in not just growing up, especially about girls, but also in his role as the young wizard who defeated Lord Voldemort. Radcliffe not only makes the role his own but one that keeps on getting better though let's hope he can restrain himself for the next film since his character will be unlikable by then. Finally, we come to the film's best performance. Move over Darth Vader, you're arrival is only weak in comparison to the this man. That great performance goes to probably the only man to play Lord Voldemort, Ralph Fiennes.

Fiennes arrival as the Dark Lord fulfills every anticipated moment once he appears on the screen and no one is as scary or as vile as that character. For those who remember Vincent D'Onofrio's character in D.J. Caruso's film The Salton Sea will definitely get an idea on what Lord Voldemort looks like but it's not just the look that is extremely scary but Fiennes brings a presence that is just chilling. There's a coldness and rage in his role while being very psychotic in the way he deals with Harry and the Death Eaters. This is truly a great performances from the wonderful Ralph Fiennes who is definitely on a winning streak since his recent, great performance in Fernando Meirelles' The Constant Gardener just a few months ago. Let's just hope Fiennes continues to play Lord Voldemort for the rest of the series since he captures that role perfectly.

While Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire isn't perfect and will be upsetting to Harry Potter fans, as a film it works thanks to Mike Newell, his collaborators and his cast. While it's very unclear on how The Order of the Phoenix director David Yates will do for the film with a new writer and a summer 2007 release date. Newell does provide the groundwork for the series' transition from a children's fantasy story to a more teenage drama of angst and conformity. Still, the best thing to do is read the books while for fans of the movies, The Goblet of Fire doesn't disappoint only that it leads to more questions in the end. Yet, if it wasn't for Ralph Fiennes' presence, the movie would only be sub-par but thanks to him, he gives the series a lot of excitement.

Harry Potter Reviews: The Novels: Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone - Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets - Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban - Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire - Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix - Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince - Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows

The Films: Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone - Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets - Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban - Harry Potter & Order of the Phoenix - Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince - Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 - Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2

Related: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

© thevoid99 2010