Set in a futuristic world in the span of nearly 5 years, the film is about a man who joins a space expedition towards a snowy planet that is to be colonized as he signs for a job that would kill him multiple times where his 17th variation makes a discovery about the planet they are colonizing. It is a film that does not play into a certain genre as it blends all sorts of genres from science fiction, satire, suspense, drama, and action as it explores a man who takes a job to escape from loan sharks as the ship is ruled by a politician who plans to rule the colony as he would also bring in a cloning device on his ship although the cloning device is deemed illegal on Earth. Bong Joon-Ho’s screenplay has a lot of layers in its narrative as it is largely told from the perspective of its titular character (Robert Pattinson) as he is a man that has endured a lot of bad luck from the death of his mother as a child as he blames himself for what happened and the trouble his childhood friend Timo (Steven Yeun) has put him in through involving loan sharks.
In taking on the job as an expendable, Mickey would endure a series of odd jobs in which he would be killed or become a lab rat for diseases and such as he would be cloned through a printing machine of sorts though it is a method that is illegal on Earth. The expedition is run by the politician Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo) and his wife Ylfa (Toni Collette) in the hopes that he can bring hope to humanity on a new planet although he is revealed to be an idiotic narcissist while Ylfa is the smarter of the two but is also arrogant and obsessed with bad gourmet cooking. Mickey would find friends during his journey including a girlfriend in the security officer Nasha (Naomi Ackie) but becomes annoyed with people asking him what it is like to die. Even as they land on the planet where Mickey makes a discovery about its inhabitants after getting injured on the job and left for dead by Timo. Upon his return, Mickey, in his 17th variation, learns about something else that is happening that is considered forbidden as it explains why Earth is not fond of the idea of cloning. All of this leads to revelations about what Marshall wants to do and the trouble he is creating on the planet he wants to colonize.
Bong’s direction is grand in not just its unique setting and blend of genres but also in its approach to satire. Shot at the Leavesden Studio in Britain, Bong’s creates a world that is chaotic where much of the action takes place inside a spaceship. The usage of close-ups and medium shots in these cramped and claustrophobic rooms that Mickey, Nasha, and others live in do play into this idea of class as the Marshalls live in a spacious and lavish room with the finest food and decors that represents this disconnect that the Marshalls have with everyone else in the ship. Bong also uses wide shots to get a look into the Marshalls’ room as well as the dining hall and scenes on the snowy planet known as Niflheim as it is a key element in the film’s second half as well as the first scene of the film where Mickey 17 is left on a ravine injured where Timo leaves him for dead. It is also the moment where Mickey would discover the original inhabitants of these creatures that look like bugs but something different in their interiors as they were designed by Bong and creature designer Jang Hee-chul.
Bong’s direction also play into this sense of absurdity in the many ways Mickey would die as well as the atmosphere of the spaceship as it has an offbeat presentation of how bureaucracy works as there are also odd things that happen in the film. Even as there is a guy in a pigeon suit (Tim Key) who would come in to be a reporter as a mascot for Marshall. The film does take a serious tone in its third function as it relates to the inhabitants of Niflheim and what Marshall wants to do although Mickey is in a far more complicated situation as it relates to why Earth banned cloning and re-printing humans. Even as he becomes a bigger liability where it leads to Marshall waging war with the inhabitants of Niflheim although they have no issues with humanity. Still, Bong plays into the many fallacies of politics as well as what happened when people put their faith in someone who is an imbecile forcing a regular person to do what he can to save humanity from themselves. Overall, Bong crafts a witty and riveting film about a man who dies constantly on the job during a four-year expedition to colonize a planet for an imbecilic politician.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of lighting for the interior scenes inside the spaceship with low-key lighting for the rooms that Mickey and others live in to the artificial look of the Marshalls’ suite. Editor Yang Jin-mo does excellent work with the editing with its usage of rhythmic cuts and jump-cuts to play into the action and suspense along with some stylish cuts for some of the humor. Production designer Fiona Crombie, with set decorator Alice Felton plus supervising art director Jason Knox-Johnston and senior art director Darren Tubby, does amazing work with the look of the interiors of the spaceship including the rooms, dining hall, lab, and garage as well as the caves at Niflheim. Costume designer Catherine George does fantastic work with the costumes from the ordinary jumpsuits many of the people at the spaceship wear to the posher clothing that the Marshalls wear.
Hair & makeup artist Anita Burger does terrific work with some of the makeup that Kenneth Marshall has in his TV appearances including a somewhat-heightened tan on his face. Visual effects supervisors Dan Glass, Arudra Jaykar, and Kelvin McIlwain do incredible work in the look of the planet and the exterior of the spaceship as well as the movement of the body parts from the creatures at Niflheim. Sound designer Eilam Hoffman and sound editor Choi Tae-young do superb work with the sound in the way the creatures sound as well as layers of sound effects for scenes inside the ship as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Jung Jae-il is great in its piano orchestra presentation with elements of bouncy percussions and string arrangements that play into the film’s offbeat tone while its music soundtrack features pieces from Nino Rota, Elliot Smith, Georg Friedrich Handel, and a hilarious original from Jung and Sharon Sung Jae Choi that the Marshalls sing that is full-on camp.
The casting by Francine Maisler is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Milo James as a young Mickey, Ian Hanmore as a loan shark Timo and Mickey owes money to, Ellen Robertson as Kai’s girlfriend Jennifer, Tim Key as the man in a pigeon suit, Thomas Turgoose as a security officer who likes to carry a bazooka, Angus Irmie as a security officer known as Shrimp Eyes, Stephen Park as the head security officer Zeke who becomes concerned with what the Marshalls are doing and other activities involving drugs, Holliday Grainger as a Marshall representative whom Mickey meets early in the film about becoming an expendable, Cameron Britton as the science team leader Arkady who is a stooge for Marshall, Patsy Ferran as the scientist Dorothy who cares about Mickey’s well-being, Anna Mouglalis as the voice of the head creeper creature from Niflheim, and Edward Davis as a political figure who was part of the reprinting program who went too far in his studies as he is seen in a flashback.
Daniel Henshall is terrific as Marshall’s personal assistant Preston as this smarmy man who is willing to goad his boss into anything and film it to boost his boss’s ego. Anamaria Vartolomei is fantastic as the security officer Kai Katz as a woman who is one of Mickey’s friends as she would cope with events that shaped her while also making a discovery that makes her uneasy. Steven Yeun is excellent as Timo as a childhood friend of Mickey who would constantly put him in trouble as he would get a job as a pilot for the ship where he constantly finds a way to advance his position as well as taking part in illegal activities involving drugs. Naomi Ackie is brilliant as Nasha as a security agent who becomes Mickey’s girlfriend as she deals with his own issues while also becoming aware of Marshall’s idiocy where there is a great moment where she calls him out in front of his face into how stupid he is.
Toni Collette is incredible as Ylfa Marshall as Kenneth’s wife who is this woman that wants to create gourmet cooking that she can make money of as well as crave power where Collette has an element of camp that adds to her performance as she is monstrously hilarious. Mark Ruffalo is amazing as Kenneth Marshall, as this political figure who wants to colonize a planet in the belief that he will save humanity except for the fact that he is a narcissistic imbecile who craves attention while Ruffalo speaks in a way that is over-the-top as it adds a level of hilarity to his performance. Finally, there’s Robert Pattinson in a tremendous performance as Mickey Barnes and the many variations he would take including Mickey 17 as this ordinary man who takes the job where he makes himself expendable where he would be cloned and re-printed as a lab rat while doing odd jobs that are considered deadly. Pattinson’s performance is also full of joy in how shy he is as he speaks in an odd way while he would speak more menacingly as another variant as it is one of Pattinson’s finest performances of his career.
Mickey 17 is a spectacular film by Bong Joon-ho that features a phenomenal leading performance from Robert Pattinson. Along with its ensemble cast, grimy visuals, its satirical approach to social standings and political idealism, and a fun music score. The film is an engaging and witty genre-bending film that explores a man who dies constantly for someone’s own idea of power only to become a rebel and realize that man’s ignorance and stupidity over everything. In the end, Mickey 17 is a sensational film by Bong Joon-ho.
Bong Joon-ho Films: Barking Dogs Never Bite - Memories of Murder - The Host (2006 film) - Tokyo!-Shaking Tokyo - Mother (2009) - Snowpiercer - Okja - Parasite - The Auteurs #44: Bong Joon-ho
© thevoid99 2025
Directed, co-edited, co-written, and created by Steve McQueen, Small Axe is a five-film anthology series that explores the lives of West African immigrants from the 1960s to the 1980s in five different stories. The five films tell stories that play into the identities of individuals who deal with social and political changes in London throughout the course of two decades.
Mangrove
Set from 1968 to 1971 in Notting Hill in London, the film revolves around a real-life story in which a Trinidadian immigrant in Frank Crichlow (Shaun Parkes) opens a West Indian restaurant for his community where it would be continuously raided by the police leading to protests and eventually a court battle against the police. It is a film that plays into a racially-motivated incident that has the police raiding against a restaurant with claims of criminal activity where Crichlow and several others in the community stage a protest that unfortunately got violent where Crichlow and eight others defend themselves in court with Ian McDonald (Jack Lowden) representing them as their attorney. The screenplay explore these events where the British-born activist Barbara Beese (Rochenda Sandall), the Trinidadian Black Panther leader Altheia Jones-LeCointe (Letitia Wright), the Trinidadian activist Darcus Howe (Malachi Kirby), Crichlow, and five others were put on trial as they accuse Constable Pulley (Sam Spruell) of harassment.
McQueen’s direction is riveting in the way it explores this community as it is shot in areas near Notting Hill with recreations of the restaurant that is known as Mangrove. McQueen maintains an intimacy throughout the film with his close-ups and medium shots including scenes inside the restaurant where people are eating food and listening and dancing to Caribbean music including reggae and soul. McQueen would infuse wide shots for scenes outside of the restaurant and in the areas of Notting Hill as well as the courthouse where the Mangrove Nine trial happened. McQueen would create compositions that add to the drama as well as this exploration of how the Mangrove Nine would defend themselves in court with Jones-LeCointe and Howe both representing themselves. McQueen reveals that the Mangrove Nine had a lot going up against them including Judge Edward Clarke (Alex Jennings) who oversees the trial with a jury that only featured two black people.
Lovers Rock
Set in 1980, the film revolves around a house party to celebrate a young woman’s birthday as many partygoers attend this party including a couple of women wanting to have a good time. It is a film that is told in the span of a day where a young woman sneaks out of her house to go to this house party where she bumps into a former boyfriend while meeting a man whom she would fall in love with. It also play into this simmering tension among former lovers as well as unexpected visitors who want to cause trouble. The film’s screenplay by Steve McQueen and Courttia Newland doesn’t have much of a plot as it follows the lives of a few people with Martha Trenton (Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn) going to this party with her friend Patty (Shaniqua Okwok) as it is also a birthday party for a young woman in Cynthia (Ellis George) that is hosted by a few people. Much of the film takes place in and out of the house as people drink, eat, and smoke while listening to all sorts of music as things would also be filled with bits of trouble.
McQueen’s direction is intoxicating in the way it captures the atmosphere of a party as the music soundtrack is a key part of the film as it ranges from soul, disco, reggae, and dub. While there are a few wide shots in the film to establish a few bits of the location in and out of the house, much of McQueen’s direction is intimate with its close-ups and medium shots that also include these extreme close-ups of walls where the heat starts to show as well as body parts grinding on one another. Even as McQueen would use different shooting styles ranging from hand-held to static shots as it play into the atmosphere of the parties. Even as Martha gets an unexpected visit from her grieving cousin Clifton (Kedar Williams-Stirling) while also bumping into a former boyfriend in Bammy (Daniel Francis-Swaby) who would eventually cause some trouble. McQueen also maintains this sense of community within the party as the music also help drive the emotional elements of the film as it also leads to a sense of growth for Martha and the man she falls in love with in Franklyn Cooper (Micheal Ward).
Red, White and Blue
Set in the early 1980s, the film is about the real-life story of Leroy Logan (John Boyega) whose father Ken (Steve Toussaint) had been assaulted by a couple of white police officers as Leroy would join the police force in the hopes to bring change from within. It is a film that begins in the 1960s when a young Leroy (Nathan Vidal) is waiting for his dad to pick him up at school where he is questioned by a couple of officers until Ken arrives where things don’t go well for Ken as he would struggle to deal with the police until being assaulted as he sues them in court which makes the adult Leroy’s journey in becoming a police officer difficult. The film’s screenplay by Steve McQueen and Courttia Newland reveal the tension between father and son as the latter is trying to bring reform to an already complicated situation as the only other non-white officer he works with is the Pakistani Asif Kamali (Assad Zaman) who would also endure his own brush with racist attitudes from fellow officers.
McQueen’s direction is sparse in terms of its compositions while there are elements of style as McQueen aims for something that is intimate but also tense in its medium shots and close-ups as it plays into Logan entering into a chaotic system. McQueen also create these eerie compositions that play into the tension within the Logan family home as well as a holiday dinner with a family friend where both father and son are not saying anything to one another with Leroy not wanting to upset his father any further. Leroy’s hope in being an officer to ease tension between the police and non-white communities is a challenge where many blacks refuse to be around him with a young black man who was assaulted by white cops calling Leroy a traitor. McQueen also reveals the difficulty of a man trying to get his day in court as he is forced to face things beyond his control and not even his son could do anything. Its ending is more about these two men and the obstacles they face in a world where no matter how things change. There are things that wouldn’t change.
Alex Wheatle
Set in the late 70s and early 1980s, the film is about the early life of the revered young adult novelist as he struggles with trying to find his identity and roots during a prison sentence. It is a film that showcases a man who had been abandoned when he was a baby and put into foster care as a child only to struggle with authority and the world around him as a young man until he finds a home in Brixton that is predominantly black filled with Jamaicans and Africans. Living with these residents, the titular character (Sheyi Cole) struggles to adapt at first while he aspires to become a deejay with fellow residents until events of January 18, 1981 in which 13 kids were killed at a house party by a firebombing that lead to the Brixton uprising in April of that year. The script by McQueen and Siddons opens with Wheatle entering prison where he shares a cell with Simeon (Robbie Gee) who is dealing with the effects of a hunger strike as he asks Wheatle about his life story as the narrative moves back and forth with Wheatle’s life to his imprisonment. Even as it showcases Wheatle trying to find this identity as he is surrounded by people that is either in the drug trade or in the music trade.
McQueen’s direction is striking in the way he frames Wheatle in the opening shot as he’s shirtless and the next shot is a wide shot as he’s wearing his prison clothes as he walks to his cell with a guard. The direction also showcases this world of late 70s/early 80s Brixton where McQueen shows a world that is changing but also filled with tension with Wheatle being new to an environment that is largely black with much of its music soundtrack is reggae. Even as McQueen uses some unique shots and compositions that play into Wheatle’s plight as well as this sense of claustrophobia in scenes of Wheatle in his cell with Simeon as it play into a man that is trapped in a world of confusion but with someone who is on the path to finding himself. Even as Wheatle would eventually find something in his life to express himself and find out his identity.
Education
A young boy living in the London suburbs is sent from a traditional school to a school with claims of special needs when the reality is that the school is one of neglect and sub-standard education. Set in the early 1970s, the film explores a young boy whose inability to read properly as well as having a lively behavior as he gets transferred to a school with other children with behavioral issues as well as those with low IQs with some of whom being black and of those of West Indian descent. The screenplay by Steve McQueen and Alastair Siddons focuses on this boy in Kingsley Smith (Kenyah Sandy) who has trouble adjusting to the new school knowing how unruly it is and the fact that the teachers really don’t teach at all where his mother Agnes (Sharlene Whyte) would learn about this from an activist in Lydia Thomas (Josette Simon) who is concerned over Kingsley as she had her friend in activist Hazel (Naomi Ackie) visit the school secretly to learn what Kingsley is learning. For Agnes, the revelations about why her son is sent to the school is alarming as it plays into an unjust system that would put children who don’t meet certain requirements the ability to fail in their lives.
McQueen’s direction definitely maintains this intimacy as it opens with Kingsley and his classmates watching a documentary on the universe as McQueen aims for a close-up in showing Kingsley’s expression. Yet, it is contrast to the way he would film Kingsley as he struggles to read a paragraph while the teacher calls him a blockhead as he would be humiliated in a medium close-up shot. Much of McQueen’s direction is straightforward in its compositions as there a few wide shots including an early scene of Kingsley being a bit unruly during music class while the scenes at a classroom at this special school does have a claustrophobic feel in terms of the sense of oppression he and his fellow classmates feel. The film is also given this unique feel as it is shot on 16mm to evoke the look of British television during the 1970s as a way to present a look of the past where McQueen would also showcase a world where working class West Indian immigrants are forced to see a reality that they couldn’t deal with. One where no matter how hard their children work in school, the system doesn’t do anything for them though it is through a community of people that would find a way where McQueen does provide a hopeful ending.
The overall presentation of the film series which explores the lives of West Indian immigrants from the late 1960s to the early 1980s showcases different people dealing with not just racism and class struggles but also their need to express who they are and their roots not just for themselves but also the next generation. McQueen would shoot all of the films in these areas in London that is part of a world where these people can express themselves and feel like they’re part of a community that is also inclusive to anyone that wants to be part of it as long as they’re respectful. While a lot of the tone of the films are serious and bleak to explore the black experience, there is this sense of hope in the endings but also a few that are ambiguous as it relates to the historical elements in these films. Overall, McQueen crafts a tremendously rich and intoxicating film series about the life of black West Indian immigrants in London during the late 1960s to the early 1980s.
Cinematographer Shabier Kirchner does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key colors for the exteriors and low-key natural lighting for the scenes at night to play into the atmosphere of the rooms or homes that these characters are in. Editors Chris Dickens and Steve McQueen do incredible work with the editing as it has these stylish cuts to play into drama and some of the intense moments of suspense as well as scenes that showcase this sense of historical drama that looms throughout the film. Production designer Helen Scott, with set decorator Hannah Spice and supervising art director Adam Marshall, does brilliant work with the look of the places these characters live in or hang out as it plays into a world that was vibrant but also unruly considering the chaos these people endure from the police. Costume designers Lisa Duncan, Jacqueline Durran, and Sinead Kidao do excellent work with Duncan creating unique early 70s costumes for Mangrove while Durran does a lot of the costumes for Lovers Rock and Alex Wheatle to play into the vibrancy of the music these characters listen with Kidao doing the costumes for Red, White and Blue and Education to play into the world of suburbia.
Hair/makeup designer JoJo Williams does fantastic work with the look of the hairstyles of the times from the afros to the dreadlocks that both men and women had in those times. Special effects supervisors Scott MacIntyre, Steve Bowman, and Elly Dunsire, along with visual effects supervisors John Paul Docherty and Marc Hutchings, do nice work with some of the film’s visual effects as it is largely set dressing as well as some bits involving explosion in the riots. Sound mixer Ronald Bailey does superb work with the film’s sound as it plays into the atmosphere of the locations as well as how music is sound from afar or in a room as it is a highlight of the film series. The film’s music by Mica Levi is amazing for its low-key ambient music score as it appears in bits of episodes of the series while music supervisors Ed Bailie and Abi Leland create an immense music soundtrack that largely features reggae, soul, pop, and rock as it plays into the music of those times as it is a key factor to the film.
The casting by Gary Davy is marvelous as it features a massive ensemble for the five films that are presented in this film series. From Mangrove, the wonderful supporting performances of Jack Lowden as the barrister Ian MacDonald who defends the Mangrove Nine, Gershwin Eustache Jr. as Altheia’s husband, Richard Cordery as an older defense barrister in Mr. Croft, Llewella Gordon as Aunt Betty who helps run Crichlow’s restaurant, Sam Spruell as Police Constable Frank Pulley who has antagonized Crichlow and many others, Samuel West as the prosecuting barrister, and Alex Jennings as Judge Edward Clarke who handles the Mangrove Nine case.
In the roles of members who are part of the Mangrove Nine, the performances Jumayn Hunter, Duane Facey-Pearson, Richie Campbell, Darren Braithwaite, and Nathaniel Martello-White in their respective roles as Godfrey Millett, Rupert Boyce, Rothwell Kentish, Anthony Carlisle Innis, and Rhodan Gordon who are superb in their roles as five men trying to defend themselves. Finally, there’s the quartet of Rochenda Sandall, Shaun Parkes, Malachi Kirby, and Letitia Wright in incredible performances in their respective roles as the British-born activist Barbara Beese, the restaurant owner Frank Crichlow, the Trinidadian activist Darcus Howe, and the Trinidadian Black Panther leader Altheia Jones-LeCointe as these four people who are trying to live their lives with Crichlow being a man just wanting to run a restaurant as it plays into the racial tension of the early 1970s.
From Lovers Rock, the film features some notable small roles from the legendary Barbados-born musician Dennis Bovell as a party goer, Frankie Fox as Franklyn’s boss at a garage, Shaniqua Okwok as Martha’s friend Patty, Ellis George as the birthday woman in Cynthia who would have a bad encounter with Bammy, and Dennis Francis-Swaby as Martha’s former boyfriend Bammy who would try to have his way with women only to cause a lot of trouble. Kedar Williams-Smith is fantastic as Martha’s grieving cousin Clifton who would also cause trouble but also a moment where he has everyone at the party to yell as it relates to the music. The duo of Micheal Ward and Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn in great performances in their respective roles as Franklyn Cooper and Martha Trenton as two people who would meet and fall in love at this house party as they deal with the turmoil around them but also find something that would give them a future on this night of mayhem.
From Red, White and Blue, small performances from Nathan Vidal as the young Leroy, Jaden Oshenye as the young Leee John, Nadine Marshall as Leroy’s aunt Jesse, Tyrone Huntley as Leroy’s cousin in Leee John who at the time was the lead singer for the popular 80s British soul group Imagination, Antonia Thomas as Leroy’s wife Gretl, and Joy Richardson as Leroy’s mother Mrs. Logan as they’re all wonderful in their small supporting roles. Other noteworthy supporting roles include Assad Zaman as a British-Pakistani officer in Asif Kamali who struggles with his work due to the racism he endures, Neil Maskell as Inspector Willis who is Leroy’s supervisor who is sympathetic to the struggles Leroy faces, and Stephen Boxer as a chief inspector who sees Leroy’s entry as good publicity despite the racial tension between the police and community.
Steve Toussaint’s performance as Leroy’s father Ken Logan is phenomenal as a man who has an immense distrust towards the police due to his own encounters while also troubled by the fact that his son has joined the police force. Finally, there’s John Boyega in a spectacular performance as Leroy Logan who joins the police force despite his intelligence in forensics and athletic skills has him conflicted in being this poster boy while also dealing with the fact that making change from within is way more difficult than he realizes.
In Alex Wheatle, the small performances from Fumilayo Brown-Olateju as a neighbor in Dawn, Khali Best as a dealer in Badger, Jonathan Jules as a neighbor/activist in Dennis Issacs who would teach Wheatle the way adapt in Brixton, Johann Meyers as the drug dealer Cutlass Rankin who is suspicious of Wheatle at first only to accept him, and Asad-Shareef Muhammad as the young Wheatle. Robbie Gee is brilliant as Wheatle’s cellmate Simeon as a man dealing with food poisoning but also listens to Wheatle’s story as he gives him advice about finding roots as well as giving Wheatle the chance to find his identity for himself. Finally, there’s Sheyi Cole in a tremendous performance as the titular character as a young man struggling to find his identity and roots while also dealing with the world around him as it is this chilling and fierce performance from Cole. In Education, the small performances from Kate Dickie as a teacher in Mrs. Gill, Jade Anouka as a teacher at the special school in Mrs. Morrison, Stewart Wright as a teacher at the special school in Mr. Baines who does the most boring rendition of The House of the Rising Sun, Ryan Masher and Jairaj Varsani as a couple of Kingsley’s classmates at school, the quartet of Tabitha Byron, Roshawn Hewitt, Aiyana Goodfellow, and Nathan Moses as Kingsley’s classmates at this special school, and Adrian Rawlins as the school headmaster who suggest that Kingsley goes to this special school.
The trio of Jo Martin, Naomi Ackie, and Josette Simon are amazing in their respective roles as the teacher Mrs. Tabitha Bartholomew, the activist Hazel, and the organizer Lydia Thomas with Martin playing a teacher at a Saturday school who would prove to be helpful for Kingsley while Ackie’s performance as this activist who pretends to be a school psychologist is someone who got a closer look into the school that Kingsley is in. Simon’s performance as Thomas is one of grace and restraint as a woman who went to Kingsley’s mother while also organizing a meeting with other parents and people in the community who reveal a lot of revelations about the school system.
Daniel Francis and Sharlene Whyte are remarkable in their respective roles as Kingsley’s parents Esmond and Agnes with the former being convinced that his son needs to learn a trade only to realize the unjust system Kingsley is a part of while the latter is a woman that is trying to work for her family as she learns about Kingsley’s learning disabilities and what goes on at the school he’s been transferred to. Tamara Lawrence is fantastic as Kingsley’s teenage sister Stephanie who learns what happens to her younger brother but also a system that doesn’t help him. Finally, there’s Kenyah Sandy in a sensational performance as Kingsley Smith as young boy who has learning disabilities and an exuberant behavior who has trouble being transferred to a new school that not only does nothing for him but also keeps him back due to a terrible educational system that is definitely racist.
Small Axe is an outstanding film anthology series from Steve McQueen. Featuring a tremendous ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, stories about black life in Britain from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, and a rapturous music soundtrack. The film series is something that audiences need to see to get a glimpse into a world that isn’t talked about much as it relates to current events around to prove that not much has changed since. In the end, Small Axe is a magnificent film series from Steve McQueen.
Steve McQueen Films: Hunger (2008 film) - Shame (2011 film) - 12 Years a Slave - Widows (2018 film) - (Uprising (2022 film)) – (Occupied City) - (Blitz)
© thevoid99 2023
Based on the works and characters of George Lucas, The Rise of Skywalker (Star Wars Episode IX) is the final film series of the Skywalker saga as it follows the conclusion of the conflict between the Resistance and the First Order with ties to their respective allegiances in the Jedi and the Sith. Directed by J.J. Abrams with a screenplay by Abrams and Chris Terrio from a story by Abrams, Terrio, Derek Connolly, and Colin Trevorrow, the film follows the Resistance rebuilding itself to go into a final stand with the First Order while Rey deals with Kylo Ren for the final time. Starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Anthony Daniels, Kelly Marie Tran, Billy Dee Williams, Ian McDiarmid, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher in her final film appearance as Leia Organa. The Rise of Skywalker is an exhilarating yet clunky film from J.J. Abrams.
The film follows events after the previous encounter as the remaining forces of the Resistance learn about the dark secret that Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is alive as Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) finds Palpatine learning what he’s created prompting Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega), and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) to find out where Palpatine is and why he’s alive. That the film’s main plot as it focuses on Rey making a discovery about her own identity but also what Ren discovered as it relates to Palpatine. The film’s screenplay by J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio is largely straightforward in its narrative but considering the risks that the previous story had done with its narrative. It feels more of a step backwards by going back to something that calls back to other narratives of previous films as well as rely on exposition at times that does hinder the narrative.
The revelation about Palpatine and how he survived the events that led to his supposed death reveal a secret cult that relates to the Sith and the Empire along with other revelations about the First Order’s leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). Ren at first wants to destroy Palpatine but realizes that Palpatine is too powerful and influential to destroy as one of the film’s main plot points involves finding an object that reveals the location of where Palpatine is and his big secret as it’s part of the narrative that involves Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewbacca, and the droids in BB-8 and C-3P0 (Anthony Daniels) as they also go in the search for another mysterious object that Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) had been trying to find many years ago. It is in that narrative where Rey makes some discovers about herself while still finds herself connected with Ren who had discovered her true identity. Though the narrative does manage to flesh out some of the characters but at the disservice of others in favor of playing into a formula of emphasizing on action scene to another action scene with little time for characterization.
J.J. Abrams’ direction is sprawling in terms of its set pieces, action scenes, and in the many different locations the film is set with much of the film shot at Pinewood Studios in London and some of the desert locations in Jordan. Abrams’ direction does use a lot of wide and medium shots to get a scope of these locations that include a celebration on a planet that happens every 42 years while establishing the rule of the First Order as they venture into many planets of the galaxy to find Rey, Finn, and Poe who have become major targets for the First Order prompting Ren to send the Knights of Ren to find them. Abrams does at least establish what is going on while many of the action sequences and lightsaber battles are thrilling. Those scenes are fun to watch including the film’s climax between the Resistance and the First Order in a massive final battle scene that does have a lot of callbacks to the films of the past including a few notable characters from those past films.
There are some intimate moments that have elements of humor and drama in some of the scenes that Abrams creates with the usage of close-ups and medium shots yet it is hampered by the film’s script and narrative where it never does enough to get the characters to figure out what to do next. Though there are scenes that do play into revelations about Poe’s own background as well as Finn meeting a woman in Jannah (Naomi Ackie) who shares a similar background that Finn had endured. Abrams unfortunately underwhelms when it comes to the scenes involving Palpatine in its third act as there are also a few moments in the third act that are cheesy. Still, Abrams does succeed in creating a fitting conclusion to the series as it is about a young woman understanding who she is but show she chooses to be in the end. Overall, Abrams crafts a thrilling although derivative film about a conflict that reaches its breaking point.
Cinematographer Dan Mindel does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of dark-bluish light for some of the scenes on the planet of Exegol along with scenes on a planet where Poe meets an old friend along with some colorful lighting for some of the daytime exterior scenes including some gorgeous work in the film’s ending. Editors Maryann Brandon and Stefan Grube do nice work with the editing as it is does play into the thrill of the action and the rhythm of the lightsaber battles along with some straightforward cuts for some of the non-action scenes. Production designers Rick Carter and Kevin Jenkins, along with set decorator Rosemary Brandenburg and supervising art director Paul Inglis, do amazing work with the look of the planet that Palpatine lives in as well as the design of a few ships and the home base of the Resistance. Costume designer Michael Kaplan does fantastic work with costume designs in the look of Poe’s old ally Zorri Bliss (Keri Russell) as well as the ragged look of the Resistance.
Creature designer Neal Scanlan does excellent work with the look of some of the creatures Rey, Poe, and Finn encounter including a tiny hacker named Babu Frik (voice of Shirley Henderson) who would decode something relating to ancient Sith translation. Special effects supervisor Dominic Tuohy and visual effects supervisor Roger Guyett do incredible work with the special effects in the usage of practical effects along with computer-based effects for some scenes including a flashback scene of Luke training Leia as it play into a major plot-point for Rey in the film’s third act. Sound editors David Acord and Matthew Wood do superb work with the sound in creating many sound effects and textures into the sound including a collage of voices during Rey’s confrontation with Palpatine. The film’s music by John Williams is phenomenal for its orchestral-based score that feature some familiar themes relating to his work from the past but also some thrilling pieces in the string arrangements and bombastic moments that play into the sense of adventure and drama.
The casting by Nina Gold, April Webster, and Alyssa Weisberg is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Jamie Comer and Billy Howle as a couple protecting a young Rey, Mike Quinn and Kipsang Rotich in their respective work as performer and voice of Nien Nunb, music composer John Williams as a bartender, Dominic Monaghan as a Resistance trooper, Greg Grunberg as Resistance pilot Snap Wexley, Shirley Henderson as the voice of hacker Babu Frik, and Billie Lourd as Lt. Connix. The performances of Hassan Taj and Lee Towersey as R2-D2 and the duo of Dave Chapman and Brian Herring as BB-8 are terrific in providing the puppeteer work of the droids with J.J. Abrams as the voice of a droid BB-8 befriends in D-O. Kelly Marie Tran is good as Resistance mechanic/fighter Rose Tico though she doesn’t really much to do while Naomi Ackie is superb as Jannah as a Resistance ally who is part of a group of people that shared similar experiences that Finn went through as a Stormtrooper.
Joonas Suotomo, Anthony Daniels. and Billy Dee Williams are fantastic in their respective roles as Chewbacca, the droid C-3P0 and Lando Calrissian as two war veterans with Chewbacca helping Rey, Poe, and Finn in their mission with C-3P0 joining along as he also provides key information that would help them find their destination while Calrissian appears to give them advice as well as some inspirational words before he rejoins the fight. Richard E. Grant is brilliant as General Pryde as a First Order leader who was also part of the Empire while Domnhall Gleeson is alright as General Hux as a First Order leader who tries to find ways not to get into Ren’s bad side. Keri Russell and Lupita Nyong’o are amazing in their respective roles as an old friend of Poe in Zorri Bliss and the space pirate Maz Kanata with former having some issues with Poe over things from the past while the latter is aware of what is going on as she tries to reach out to other allies. Ian McDiarmid is remarkable as Palpatine as he doesn’t appear much in the film except in the opening sequence and in the third act as the former Sith lord and leader of the Empire who is trying to manipulate and mastermind everything around him while carrying a major secret of his own.
Oscar Isaac and John Boyega are marvelous in their respective roles as Poe Dameron and Finn with the former as a Resistance pilot who becomes concerned with what to do and how to be a leader while the latter becomes more confident in his role yet expresses his own concern for Rey who admits to feeling troubled by her own visions. Mark Hamill is incredible in his brief appearance as Luke Skywalker as the former Jedi master who appears in one key scene to give Rey guidance as well as admit to his own failures. Through a series of archival appearances from previous films, Carrie Fisher is phenomenal as Leia Organa as the Resistance leader who helps Rey in her Jedi training but also is aware of what is happening where she makes a major decision to reach out to Kylo. Daisy Ridley is sensational as Rey as a young scavenger turned Jedi who becomes troubled by her visions and her past leading questions about her true identity as she becomes conflicted and lost. Finally, there’s Adam Driver in a tremendous performance as Kylo Ren as the First Order’s leader who finds Palpatine hoping to end him only to align with him as he struggles with his own issues concerning Rey and her true identity along with the need to prove to himself to the dark side of the Force.
The Rise of Skywalker is a superb though flawed film from J.J. Abrams. Despite its shortcomings in its script and emphasis to play it safe rather than take risks, the film still manages to be exciting and adventurous. Notably as it features great performances from its ensemble cast as well as dazzling visuals. In the end, The Rise of Skywalker is a stellar film from J.J. Abrams.
Star Wars Films: Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back - Return of the Jedi - The Phantom Menace - Attack of the Clones - Revenge of the Sith - The Force Awakens - The Last Jedi
Anthology Series: Rogue One - Solo
Related: The Star Wars Holiday Special - Caravan of Courage - The Battle for Endor - The Clone Wars - Fanboys - The People vs. George Lucas
George Lucas Films: THX 1138 – (American Graffiti)
© thevoid99 2019
Based on the short story Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District by Nikolai Leskov, Lady Macbeth is the story of a woman in a loveless marriage as she begins an affair with a servant that eventually becomes toxic and dangerous. Directed by William Oldroyd and screenplay by Alice Birch, the film is an exploration of a woman coping with the role she played in mid-19th Century society as well as being in an affair where she would create a lot of trouble for the people around her. Starring Florence Pugh, Cosmo Jarvis, Paul Hilton, Naomi Ackie, and Christopher Fairbank. Lady Macbeth is a rapturous and eerie film from William Oldroyd.
Set in 1865 in the English countryside, the film revolves around a young woman who had been sold into a loveless marriage to a man much older than her as she would later embark on an affair with a new servant that would eventually cause turmoil at the estate. It’s a film with a simple premise as it play into the idea of oppression and desire and how far a young woman will go to maintain a sense of freedom in her rich yet rigid environment. Alice Birch’s screenplay does take the three-act structure as it play into world that Katherine Lester (Florence Pugh) would encounter through her marriage to Alexander (Paul Hilton) as it was arranged so that his father Boris (Christopher Fairbank) could acquire her family’s land. The first act is about Katherine’s own isolation and boredom in her marriage when Alexander later leaves to deal with business as she has to deal with her father-in-law as the only other person at her home is a maid in Anna (Naomi Ackie).
Upon meeting the farmhand Sebastian (Cosmo Jarvis) during a moment where he is humiliating Anna with other farmhands, she is entranced by him once Alexander is away where an affair ensues. The film’s second act revolves around the continuation of the affair but also the sense of unease from Anna’s perspective over events that occurred as she becomes mute. Yet, much of the film is about Katherine’s willingness to be in this affair and take direction of her own life but her actions would create chaos in her estate as well as the impact it would have in her relationship with Sebastian. Things would intensify upon the arrival of a woman named Agnes (Golda Rosheuvel) and a boy named Teddy (Anton Palmer) that would complicate everything for Katherine in maintaining her role as the woman of the estate as well as her affair with Sebastian.
William Oldroyd’s direction is ravishing for the way he creates this look of mid-19th Century Victorian Britain on various locations in the north of England to play into the life of this young woman in an oppressive estate. Much of the direction is shot with hand-held cameras where many of the scenes inside the home has a sense of precise composition in the way Katherine is framed as she’s sitting on a chair in a medium-wide shot to play into her loneliness. There is little camera movement in those scenes as there are these intricate compositions in the way Katherine is eating dinner with Alexander or Boris as well as where Anna is positioned to fetch a wine or something for Boris. The usage of the wide and medium shots play into the scope of the rooms as there’s also close-ups that capture the drama of how Boris reacts to Katherine during breakfast or dinner. The scenes outside of the estate is much looser where the hand-held cameras become more evident in shots where Katherine is walking on the fields or in the rainy grounds.
Oldroyd’s direction also play into the suspense where he does emphasize on natural sound as there are rare moments of the music score being played as it only appear in intense and dark moments that occur. These scenes aren’t just eerie but also contain an element of violence that is unexpected in a period drama as the drama intensifies in the third act with the arrival of Agnes and Teddy. Even as it all play into the decisions Katherine would make about holding on to her love for Sebastian as well as the social status she’s gained through her marriage to Alexander. It would come to these moments where Katherine would be the one to choose her fate and at great cost. Overall, Oldroyd crafts an intoxicating yet unsettling film about a woman’s deadly affair with a servant.
Cinematographer Ari Wegner does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it has this air of naturalism for much of the film’s exteriors including some daytime interior scenes at the estate as well as some low-key lighting for the scenes at night. Editor Nick Emerson does excellent work with the editing as it has elements of style in its usage of jump-cuts as well as rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Jacqueline Abrahams and art director Thalia Ecclestone do amazing work with the look of the house in many of its interiors including the furniture, the beds, and the stables as it’s a highlight of the film. Costume designer Holly Waddington does fantastic work with the costumes from the dresses that Katherine wears to play into her personality as well as the look of the clothes the servants, her husband, and father-in-law wear.
Hair/makeup designer Sian Wilson does nice work with the look of Katherine’s hairstyle as it play into the period of the times as well as expressing her emotions where there’s something dark whenever her hair is tied in a bun. Visual effects supervisor Daniel Nielsen does terrific work with the film’s minimal visual effects as it is mainly set dressing for some of the film’s exteriors. Sound designers Ben Baird and Dan Jones do incredible work with the sound as it is a highlight of the film with its approach to sparse sound textures and how objects would sound in its natural state while Jones would do the film’s score as it’s a wonderfully understated usage of music in its ambient setting as it only appear in three key moments in the film.
The casting by Shaheen Baig is superb as it feature some notable small roles from Cliff Burnett as Father Peter, Rebecca Manley as the maid Mary, Bill Fellows as Dr. Burdon, Ian Conningham as a detective, Golda Rosheuvel as Agnes as a woman who knows Alexander and Boris, and Anton Palmer in a terrific performance as the boy Teddy who appears in the third act as he would be a source of disruption for Katherine and Sebastian. Naomi Ackie is fantastic as the maid Anna as a young British-African woman who finds herself being aware of Katherine’s affair with Sebastian as she would become mute following a drastic event in the film’s first act. Christopher Fairbank is excellent as Boris Lester as Katherine’s father-in-law who wants to maintain a strict idea of the household as he becomes suspicious of Katherine’s activities outside the home.
Paul Hilton is brilliant as Katherine’s husband Alexander as a man who is trying to maintain his role as a husband and businessman while his interest in Katherine is having her be naked while he jacks off to her to please himself. Cosmo Jarvis is amazing as Sebastian as a farmhand who is new to the estate as he has a carnal interest in Katherine which leads to this tumultuous affair that becomes toxic as he later copes with some of the chaos that would ensue during the film’s third act. Finally, there’s Florence Pugh in a phenomenal performance as Katherine Lester as a young woman forced into a loveless marriage as it’s a performance with some restraint in the way she has to present herself as well as some liveliness in her affair with Sebastian as there’s also some great facial expressions that says a lot into what she’s feeling or what she’s planning to do as there’s an element of darkness in the performance which is a total breakthrough for Pugh.
Lady Macbeth is a sensational film from William Oldroyd that features an incredible performance from Florence Pugh. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, intoxicating sound design, and an eerie story of lust and deceit, it’s a film that explores a woman’s desperation to maintain an affair while being in a loveless marriage that would eventually lead to total chaos. In the end, Lady Macbeth is a spectacular film from William Oldroyd.
© thevoid99 2018
