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
Directed and sound designed by David Lynch and screenplay by Lynch and Robert Engels that is based on the TV series by Lynch and Mark Frost, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me revolves around the final days of Laura Palmer before her murder as well as the events before and after the events of the TV series. The film is a prequel/sequel of sorts to the series as it relates to the mysterious murders of a young woman and another young woman who would be connected to the murder as aspects of her life are unveiled. Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Moira Kelly, Chris Isaak, Harry Dean Stanton, Ray Wise, and Keifer Sutherland. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is a gripping yet mesmerizing film from David Lynch.
The film explores not just the final days of the life of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) who was a major subject in the TV series but also in the events that preceded her murder as it relates to the death of a young woman named Teresa Banks (Pamela Gidley). It’s a film that isn’t just about a young woman falling apart in her final days but also dealing with the revelations about the mysterious figure that had been stalking her as he would eventually become her killer. The film’s screenplay by David Lynch and Robert Engels does have an odd structure in terms of its narrative. Notably in its first act as it relates to Banks’ murder where Special Agent Chester Desmond (Chris Isaak) investigates with Sam Stanley (Kiefer Sutherland) as they find some things that relate to the murder and then something happens that stops the case that includes the sudden re-appearance and disappearance of the FBI agent Phillip Jeffries (David Bowie).
The film’s second and third act plays into Laura Palmer’s final days as she copes with being in a multitude of relationships with other men, a drug problem, and the mysterious appearance of a man named Bob (Frank Silva) who had been stalking her. Then there’s her father Leland (Ray Wise) whom she believes might actually be Bob as well where there are some revelations about his own past and such. Still, it raises questions about not just his relationship with Laura but also other things about him that definitely becomes puzzling. Even as there’s moments in Laura’s own world where she sees things as it relates to characters whom she had never met nor were part of the series in the beginning start to appear for some strange reasons. Those are among some of the flaws in the script as well as these surreal moments about this mysterious world that is the Black Lodge where Bob supposedly lives in.
Lynch’s direction is quite simple at times for the way he shoots the many locations in the Pacific Northwest while he would add things that are surreal such as Desmond and Stanley given a message from a mute woman in a red dress. It plays into this strange mix of Americana and European surrealism where Lynch does create some simple compositions and such in his close-ups, medium shots, and wide shots yet will find a way to play with these elements. The film’s first act which revolves around the Banks case where Special Agent Desmond is leading the investigation play into a world that is corrupt as Desmond and Stanley were forced to do things by themselves.
By the time the story moves to the second act at the small town of Twin Peaks, it plays into the town and what it was like during Laura Palmer’s final days. Still, there are odd moments as it relates to not just some of the characters from the TV show but also the ones who either were on the show but don’t appear in the film or those who come into the show very late into the series. The direction would feature these point-of-view shots as well as moments that add to the surrealism that includes key moments in the third act that plays into Laura’s final day including her death. Even as it relates to those involved and what could’ve been done to save her. Overall, Lynch creates an eerie yet intoxicating film about a young woman’s final days in a small town.
Cinematographer Ron Garcia does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography with its usage of lights including blue lights as well as some naturalistic images for some of the scenes set in the day. Editor Mary Sweeney does excellent work with the editing as it play into the drama and suspense while creating some cutting styles and montages that are bizarre which delve into the moments that are unexplained. Production/costume designer Patricia Norris and set decorator Leslie Morales do fantastic work with the set design including the Palmer home, the Roadhouse bar, and the mysterious red room where the Man from Another World is from while the costumes are quite stylish to play to what Laura wore in her bawdy moments as well as the suits of the FBI agents.
Sound editor Douglas Murray and sound designer David Lynch do amazing work with the sound to play into some of the sound effects that occur in the film as well as in the atmosphere in some of the events that go on including the scenes where Bob would be around lurking towards Laura. The film’s music by Angelo Badalamenti is incredible as it’s the highlight of the film with its mixture of orchestral, blues, dream-pop, and ambient music that features variations of themes from the TV show as well as some somber themes that play into the drama and tragedy of the film as the music includes contributions by Julee Cruise who appears as the singer at the Roadhouse bar.
The casting by Johanna Ray is wonderful as it features small appearances from TV cast recurring/regular characters like Catherine Coulson as the Log Lady, Al Strobel as the one-armed man Philip Gerard, Lenny von Dohlen as the agoraphobic Harold Smith who would hide Laura’s diary, Peggy Lipton as the diner owner Norma Jennings, Madchen Amick as the diner waitress Shelly Johnson, Heather Graham as Annie Blackburn, Grace Zabriskie as Laura’s mother Sarah, Miguel Ferrer as Agent Rosenfeld, David Lynch as FBI regional superior Gordon Cole, Gary Hershberger as Mike Nelson, Frances Bay as the mysterious Mrs. Tremond, Walter Olkewicz as the Roadhouse bartender Jacques Renault, Michael J. Anderson as the Man from Another Place, Jonathan J. Leppell as Mrs. Tremond’s grandson, Eric Da Rae as Leo Johnson, and Phoebe Augustine as Ronette Pulaski as the young woman who would walk out of the event traumatized and lost.
Other notable small roles include Kimberly Ann Cole as the mute woman in red, Rick Aiello as deputy Howard who tries to antagonize Special Agent Desmond, Gary Bullock as Sheriff Cable, Jurgen Prochnow as a mysterious woodsman at the Black Lodge, Pamela Gidley as Teresa Banks, and Harry Dean Stanton in a terrific performance as a trailer park landlord who is trying to make sense about what happened. David Bowie is superb in a small role as the FBI agent Phillip Jeffries who had disappeared two years earlier as he suddenly appears talking about the Black Lodge. Kiefer Sutherland is excellent as Agent Sam Stanley as a man who has quirks that allow him to see things where would make a chilling discovery as it relates to Teresa Banks’ body. Frank Silva is fantastic as Bob as the evil killer who may or may not be real as he stalks Laura as he might also be involved in Banks’ death. James Marshall and Dana Ashbrook are brilliant in their respective roles as James Hurley and Bobby Briggs as Laura’s two lovers with Marshall as the sensitive Hurley and Ashbrook as the more troublesome Briggs who both cope with Laura’s offbeat behavior.
Kyle MacLachlan is amazing as Special Agent Dale Cooper who deals with the chaos over the Banks case as he waits for what will happen next as he would later become a key figure in the Palmer case. Moira Kelly is pretty good as Donna Hayward as Laura’s best friend who tries to deal with Laura’s behavior as Kelly brings a more low-key approach to the character that is played by Lara Flynn Boyle in the TV show. Ray Wise is remarkable as Leland Palmer as Laura’s father who hides a dark secret as it relates to a lot in what is happening as it’s an ambiguous but underwritten role that loses some of its intrigue. Finally, there’s Sheryl Lee in an incredible performance as Laura Palmer as this troubled young woman who deals with a severe drug problem as well as juggling relationships and a stalker as Lee brings a lot of weight and anguish to the performance of a young woman who is living on the edge.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is an excellent though flawed film from David Lynch. While it does sort of deviate from elements of the TV series while focusing more on the events that related to Laura Palmer’s final days. As a standalone film, it is quite exhilarating and strange that manages to be out there but also riveting. For those who are fan of the TV series, the film serves as a fitting companion piece despite some of its flaws. In the end, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is a brilliant film from David Lynch.
David Lynch Films: Eraserhead - The Elephant Man - Dune - Blue Velvet - Wild at Heart - Lost Highway - The Straight Story - Mulholland Dr. - INLAND EMPIRE - The Short Films of David Lynch Pt. 1 - The Short Films of David Lynch Pt. 2 - The Music Videos of David Lynch
Twin Peaks: Season 1: Pilot - Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5 - Episode 6 - Episode 7
Season 2: Episode 8 - Episode 9 - Episode 10 - Episode 11 - Episode 12 - Episode 13 - Episode 14 - Episode 15 - (Episode 16) - (Episode 17) - (Episode 18) - (Episode 19) - (Episode 20) - (Episode 21) - (Episode 22) - (Episode 23) - (Episode 24) - (Episode 25) - (Episode 26) - (Episode 27) - (Episode 28) - (Episode 29)
Season 3: (Coming Soon)
(The Missing Pieces)
The Auteurs #50: David Lynch: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2015
