Set partially in a utopian alternate universe, the film revolves around a titular doll who lives in a world that is meant to represent all of the good qualities of young girls and women until she suddenly experiences an existential crisis where she and her boyfriend Ken travel to the real world to discover a world that is way more complicated. It is a film where this doll that is meant to be an inspiration for girls and women all over the world finds herself thinking about death and all sorts of things as her journey to the real world in Los Angeles has her coming to terms with who she is and the complicated feelings she’s developing. The film’s screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach has a simple structure that features bits of narration by Helen Mirren that adds to the drama that Barbie faces as well as her many variations that also include discontinued dolls such as Allan (Michael Cera) and the pregnant doll Midge (Emerald Fennell) as the former also goes through his own existential crisis.
The first act is set in this utopian universe known as Barbieland as it is this matriarchal society where Barbies rule the land while the Kens do recreational activities on the beach while the Barbies are doctors, lawyers, politicians, and such as its protagonist known as Stereotypical Barbie starts to crumble through her own existential crises as she turns to Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) for help where Barbie decides to go to the real world with Ken joining her as he also experiences an existential crisis. The film’s second act is set in Los Angeles where Barbie realizes that she isn’t this inspiration upon meeting a teenage girl in Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) whose mother Gloria (America Ferrera) works as a receptionist for Mattel’s CEO (Will Ferrell). Gloria is a fan of Barbie as she learns about what Barbie is going through as the CEO and his team of executives try to put Barbie back in her box in their idea that it would save their own universe. The film’s third act returns to Barbieland where things definitely go wrong as it relates to Ken’s own discovery of patriarchy in the real world with Barbie becoming more unsure of herself and her purpose in life whether it is real or plastic.
Gerwig’s direction is definitely wondrous for the fact that it pays tribute to cinema and its long history ranging from American musicals to the French cinema of the 1960s yet it begins with a scene that sort of spoofs Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. It opens with young girls playing with plastic baby dolls that doesn’t do much until they see a giant Barbie doll as it is all narrated by Helen Mirren that sets the tone for the film as well as the influence Barbie would have for young girls. Shot largely on location at the Warner Brothers Studio lot at Leavesden, England with the second act shot entirely on location in Los Angeles. Gerwig presents Barbieland as this world where it is artificial including the beach where there are these matte backgrounds and artificial lighting yet there is something beautiful in the way Gerwig presents it. Notably as the usage of the wide and medium shots showcase this world that is off the wall but also gorgeous with these immense set designs as well as some dance numbers choreographed by Jennifer White.
The scenes in Los Angeles is more straightforward with Gerwig using close-ups as it plays into Barbie’s interaction with the real world and the weight of emotion that she is dealing with as it includes this brief interaction with this old lady (Ann Roth). Gerwig also maintains this element of surrealism when Barbie is running from the CEO and his executives where she hides in a room where she meets another old woman in Ruth (Rhea Perlman) as it allows Barbie a glimpse into a world that is ordinary yet full of wonderment. The third act has Gerwig not only play into these gender politics and identities that men and women play into but also the many complications and contradictions both men and women deal with. Even as the Barbies realize the lack of power the Kens have as they also deal with the CEO and his executives who are forced to ponder their own roles in selling Barbie to the world. Then there’s Barbie and Ken as the film’s ending relates to who they are by themselves and their own purpose in the world. Overall, Gerwig crafts a rapturous and witty film about a living doll going on an existential crisis and discover her true purpose for womanhood.
Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its vibrant usage of colors in the usage of artificial lighting for the scenes in Barbieland including the scenes at night while the scenes in Los Angeles has a more naturalistic look in the film. Editor Nick Houy does excellent work with the editing as it has elements of style in the montage of Barbie and Ken traveling through the portal as well as some straightforward cutting that include shots where scenes are allowed to linger including the first party in the film’s first act. Production designer Sarah Greenwood, with set decorators Katie Spencer and Ashley Swanson plus supervising art directors Andrew Max Cahn and Dean Clegg, does phenomenal work with the look of Barbieland with its design of the dream houses that the Barbies live in as well as the places and the beach in Barbieland as well as the interiors of the Mattel building. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran does amazing work with the costumes from the different array of clothing the Barbies wear including some of the iconic dresses as well as the clothes that the Kens wear including some of the stuff in the film’s third act as it is a major highlight of the film.
Hair/makeup supervisors Robb Crafer and Lois McIntosh do fantastic work with the look of the Barbies and their different hairstyles as well as the look of Kens including the ones they would adopt in the film’s third act. Special effects supervisor Mark Holt, along with visual effects supervisors Glen Pratt and Ned Wilson, does brilliant work with the effects with the emphasis on stylized visual effects for some of the scenes in Barbieland including some practical effects such as a dog that Weird Barbie owns along with a few bits in the scenes in Los Angeles. Sound designers Dan Kenyon and Ai-Ling Lee do superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects that appear in Barbieland that add to the artificial element of the film as well as the natural sounds in the scenes set in Los Angeles.
The film’s music by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt is wonderful for its mixture of pop and electronic sounds with elements of orchestral textures to play into the adventure and humor while music supervisor George Drakoulias cultivate a fun music soundtrack that features an array of music that include contributions from Lizzo, Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice with Aqua, Billie Eilish, Karol G with Aldo Ranks, Sam Smith, Tame Impala, Dominic Fike, Haim, the Kid Laroi, Khalid, Gayle, Ava Max, Fifty-Fifty with Kalil, PinkPantheress, the Indigo Girls, Matchbox Twenty, Brandi Carlisle with Catherine Carlisle, and Ryan Gosling singing his own song about Ken and a cover of Matchbox Twenty’s Push.
The casting by Lucy Bevan and Allison Jones is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Annie Mumulo as an anxiety-ridden mother at a middle school, legendary costume designer Ann Roth as the old lady that Barbie meets in Los Angeles, Connor Swindells as a Mattel intern who tells the CEO about a Barbie and Ken on the loose, Jamie Demetriou as the Mattel CFO, Rob Brydon as the cancelled Sugar Daddy Ken, Tom Strouton as the discontinued Earring Ken, the quartet of Olivia Brody, Isla Ashworth, Eire Farrell, and Daisy Duczmal as the four young girls in the 2001 sequence, Ryan Piers Williams as the el esposo de Gloria, Emerald Fennell as the discontinued pregnant Barbie known as Midge, and Rhea Perlman as a mysterious figure known as Ruth whom Barbie would meet at the Mattel building. In the roles of the variations of Ken, there’s Simu Liu as a rival of Ken, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Ncuti Gatwa as a couple of Kens who are friends of Ken, Scott Evans as Ken’s rival’s friend who always backs up his Ken, and John Cena as merman Ken as they all provide some hilarious performances with Liu being the standout as the guy who has issues with Ken.
In the roles of the variations of Barbies, there’s Dua Lipa as a trio of mermaid Barbies, Ana Cruz Kanye as Supreme Court Judge Barbie, Nicola Coughlan as Diplomat Barbie, Ritu Arya as Journalist Barbie, Sharon Rooney as Lawyer Barbie, Emma Mackey as Physicist Barbie, Hari Neff as Dr. Barbie, Alexandra Shipp as Writer Barbie, and Issa Rae as President Barbie as they’re all fantastic with their humor as well as what happens to them in the third act. Kate McKinnon is excellent as Weird Barbie as an outcast of sorts who has been to the real world and guides Barbie to go there while also being this representation of what young girls do with Weird Barbies. Ariana Greenblatt is brilliant as Sasha as a tween girl who believes Barbie represents a negative image to young women as she’s going through growing pains until she realizes how much her mother loves Barbie dolls and the fact that she can help change things.
Will Ferrell is amazing as the Mattel CEO who is troubled by the idea of Barbie and Ken in the real world as he deals with a lot of trouble while also finding a way to go to Barbieland where Ferrell’s reactions to everything around him is hilarious. Michael Cera is great as Allan as a discontinued doll who is often neglected by many in Barbieland until he starts to rebel against the events in the film’s third act where he becomes an ally to the Barbies. America Ferrera is phenomenal as Gloria as a Mattel receptionist for the CEO who is a fan of Barbie as she is dealing with all sorts of issues including her daughter Sasha as she also realizes what Barbie is dealing with as Ferrera has a great moment in a monologue that plays into the many contradictions that women deal with.
Ryan Gosling is magnificent as Ken as this doll who is just trying to get Barbie’s attention as well as be this boyfriend to her though he often feels neglected until he goes to the real world and discovers patriarchy where he finds some meaning but also becomes unsure of himself as Gosling brings in a lot of humor and heartbreak in his singing as it is a performance for the ages. Finally, there’s Margot Robbie in a tremendous performance as Barbie as this doll who experiences an existential crisis where she travels to the real world as she becomes more confused about her role where Robbie brings a lot of wit but also in displaying the sense of despair when Barbie becomes sad as it is an iconic performance from Robbie.
Barbie is a spectacular film from Greta Gerwig that features great leading performances from Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Along with a great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, a fun music soundtrack, immense art direction, and its themes on womanhood. It is a film that isn’t just entertaining in its humor and dazzling set pieces but also a film that showcases the importance of dolls and what they can do for children in proving they can be anything no matter how weird it can be. In the end, Barbie is a magnificent film from Greta Gerwig.
Greta Gerwig Films: (Nights and Weekend) – Lady Bird - Little Women (2019 film)
© thevoid99 2023
(Winner of the Palm Dog Award to Einstein at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival)
The film follows the lives of a family whose patriarch is a famous sculptor in the twilight years of his life while his fame and modest success has managed to overshadow his three children who all cope with their own disappointment towards themselves and not living up to his fame. It’s a film that takes a simple premise of family dysfunction as three adult siblings cope with their own lives as they all have to tend to their father who is starting to go through health issues but also unruly behavior in the way he reacts toward certain things. Noah Baumbach’s screenplay has a structure that does focus on these three siblings but also one of the sibling’s kids who has just entered college as it showcase not just trying to cope with the family patriarch but also themselves. The eldest in Danny (Adam Sandler) had just split up from his wife as he’s in New York City taking his 18-year old daughter Eliza to Bard where she is planning to study film while Danny is moving in with his father in Harold Meyerowitz (Dustin Hoffman) and hippy stepmother Maureen (Emma Thompson).
Also at the home is his younger sister Jean (Elizabeth Marvel) who is spending time to help out her father following an injury he suffered involving the dog while Maureen often goes away for seminars only to come back drunk. Danny and Jean are upset to learn that Maureen is planning to sell the family home as well as some of Harold’s art work with their younger half-brother Matthew (Ben Stiller) handling all of the finances. The unemployed Danny and Jean agree to create a retrospective at the Bard for Harold following an event for Harold’s old friend L.J. Shapiro (Judd Hirsch) where Danny reunited with his childhood friend in Shapiro’s daughter Loretta (Rebecca Miller). Yet, that event would prompt some issues from Harold who is jealous towards Shaprio’s success claiming that Shapiro is mediocre compared to himself. The section on Matthew who visits New York City from Los Angeles where he is starting his own accounting business deals with the fact that his own success doesn’t really impress his father as it also causes resentment from his half-siblings whom he is convinced are damaged because of their father. When Harold becomes ill due to the injuries he had sustained some time earlier, the siblings and Eliza deal with the possibility of his impending death as the script also showcase dialogue where Baumbach often have characters talking over one another as it play into the dysfunction of themselves and relationship with one another.
Baumbach’s direction does have some style yet much of his compositions are straightforward as much of the film is shot on location in New York City as well as areas upstate with Sarah Lawrence College playing the role of Bard. Baumbach does use wide shots that do play into some of the locations but much of his compositions emphasize on close-ups and medium shots to play into the interaction between the characters in the film. Notably as there are these elements that feel loose such as the first scene of Danny trying to find an open parking spot as he and Eliza are about to meet Harold as Baumbach also play into some of the awkwardness that is happening that includes some of the strange cuisine that Maureen has created. Baumbach’s approach to humor doesn’t play into these sexually-provocative student films that Eliza has created for her film class but also in the way the siblings react to a situation involving their father such as a scene of Matthew trying to go after a man who had mistakenly taken Harold’s coat.
Baumbach also plays into these moments of tension as it relates to Matthew’s absentee presence as it showcases a man who is still dealing with the fact that he has issues with his dad while his mother Julia (Candice Bergen) who was Harold’s third wife feels guilty over the way she treated Danny and Jean. The scenes in the second half as it relates to Harold being hospitalized and the idea of him dying does come into play where Jean does reveal a harrowing story of what happened to her as a teenager in relation to a friend of Harold a long time ago. It is followed by a moment of comical bonding for Danny and Matthew yet it would be followed by the two going to their father’s retrospective with Jean and Eliza as it showcases the pain that their father caused towards them. The film’s chapters emphasize on Danny, Matthew, Harold’s health, Jean’s story, and a final chapter on Harold’s fate but also the future that is Eliza. Yet, its ending is about these three siblings as they try to cope with their father’s shadow and how they would break out of it. Overall, Baumbach crafts a funny yet somber film about a family coping with the disappointments of their lives and the emotional chaos laid upon them from their father.
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography to capture the autumn-like season of New York City and areas upstate including Massachusetts for the scenes at the hospital while maintaining some low-key lights for some of the interior scenes at night. Editor Jennifer Lame does excellent work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts help play into some of the film’s emotionally-intense scenes along with some stylish cuts for Eliza’s student films. Production designer Gerald Sullivan, with set decorator Kris Moran and art director Nicolas Locke, does fantastic work with the look of the home that Harold and Maureen have in the city as well as Maureen’s country home upstate as it is filled with all sorts of things including the former’s art work. Costume designer Joseph G. Aulisi does amazing work with the costumes from some of the clothes that Eliza wears to the strange and hippie clothing of Maureen.
Special effects supervisor Jeff Brink and visual effects supervisor Andrew Lim do terrific work on some of the film’s minimal effects that mainly is featured in some of Eliza’s student films. Sound editor Paul Hsu does superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects that are created for Eliza’s student films but also in being straightforward of the way a gathering sounds like or how things sound in a location such as Matthew talking to his son on the phone while at a gas station. The film’s music by Randy Newman is wonderful with its low-key yet piano-based score that plays into some of the film’s melancholia with some string-based pieces in some of the dramatic moments while Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham provide some offbeat music pieces for Eliza’s student films. Music supervisor George Drakoulias creates a fun soundtrack that features music from Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force, Cameo, Prefab Sprouts, and a few classical pieces and some original songs written by Adam Sandler and Noah Baumbach.
The casting by Douglas Aibel and Francine Maisler is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Sigourney Weaver as herself at Shapiro’s retrospective, Josh Hamilton as a friend of Loretta at the Shapiro retrospective, Danny Flaherty as Eliza’s boyfriend Marcus, Sakina Jeffrey as Dr. Malina Soni who watches over Harold, Gayle Rankin as the nurse Pam that also watches over Harold, Jerry Matz as an old friend of Harold in Paul whom Jean dislikes, Mickey Sumner as an attendee of Harold’s retrospective at Bard that Matthew becomes attracted to, Matthew Shear as Matthew’s colleague Gabe who tries to help out in handling Harold’s financial situations, and Adam Driver in a terrific one-scene performance as a client of Matthew’s in Randy who trying to get his dream apartment made despite the lack of finances he has. Candice Bergen is fantastic in her one-scene appearance as Matthew’s mother and Harold’s third wife Julia who hadn’t seen Harold in years while laments over the way she treated Danny and Jean feeling she only made things worse for them.
Judd Hirsch is excellent as L.J. Shapiro who is an old friend of Harold who is the embodiment of what Harold could’ve been if he wasn’t much of a prick yet Hirsch is someone who often praises Harold and his work feeling that Harold should’ve gotten more recognition. Rebecca Miller is brilliant as Shapiro’s daughter Loretta who is also an old childhood friend of Danny as the two reminisce about their childhood and being the children of artists as it prompts Danny into wanting to renew a relationship with her. Emma Thompson is amazing as Harold’s fourth wife Maureen as an alcoholic artist who often wears hippie-like clothing and cooks strange feasts as she is someone who believes she has a lot in handling Harold’s financial and health situations despite the fact that she’s kind of a flake though she does mean well.
Grace Van Patten is incredible as Eliza Meyerowitz as Danny’s daughter who is about to go to Bard to study film as she creates these sexually-provocative student films while lamenting over the idea of she can make it as an artist like her grandfather. Elizabeth Marvel is remarkable as Jean Meyerowitz as a woman who works for Xerox as she never showed any ambition while spending much of her time taking care of her father while eventually sharing a secret when she was a teenager that would shock her brothers and becoming a muse for Eliza. Dustin Hoffman is marvelous as Harold Meyerowitz as moderately-successful artist who laments over his lack of major success but also has this attitude where he thinks he’s better than many yet he is a fucking prick when it comes to his kids where he does make them feel terrible as it is one of Hoffman’s great performances.
Ben Stiller is great as Matthew Meyerowitz as the youngest of Harold’s three kids and half-sibling to Jean and Danny as someone who has found success through business and accounting while dealing with the fact that his success doesn’t mean much to his father and often brings a lot of insecurities towards his siblings whom he felt never had the chance to connect with. Finally, there’s Adam Sandler in a phenomenal performance as Danny Meyerowitz as the eldest of the three siblings as an unemployed man that was once a gifted musician but quit due to his insecurities as he copes with an unresolved limp and trying to take of his father as well as the lack of connection he has with his siblings as it is a somber yet charming performance from Sandler.
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) is a sensational film from Noah Baumbach. Featuring a great ensemble cast with standout performances from Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Elizabeth Marvel, Grace Van Patten, and Emma Thompson, insightful and witty observation on family dysfunction and art, gorgeous visuals, and a terrific music score from Randy Newman. It is a rich and compelling film that explores family dysfunction as well as the idea of a family who are dealing with man’s legacy who is filled with complications and their own shortcomings but also themselves as they try to find ways to be together. In the end, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) is a spectacular film from Noah Baumbach.
Noah Baumbach Films: Kicking and Screaming (1995 film) - Highball - Mr. Jealousy - The Squid & the Whale - Margot at the Wedding - Greenberg - Frances Ha - While We're Young - Mistress America - De Palma - Marriage Story - (White Noise (2022 film)) - The Auteurs #41: Noah Baumbach
© thevoid99 2021
Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story is the story about a theater director and an actress trying to have amicable divorce as it lead to a troubled custody battle for their son. The film is a study of a marriage disintegrating with two people who care about each other as they both go into different directions and cities but also want to be civil only to get into an ugly custody battle. Starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Azhy Robertson, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty, and Merritt Wever. Marriage Story is a witty yet touching film from Noah Baumbach.
The marriage between a theater director and his leading lady is ending as the two try to maintain an amicable divorce as the latter moves to Los Angeles to star in a pilot only for the show to be picked up leading to a chaotic custody battle for their young son. That is the film’s overall plot as it’s more about two people falling out of love and trying to understand what is best for their son but also for themselves just as they start to see the flaws in themselves in their marriage. Noah Baumbach’s screenplay is set into two different cities in New York and Los Angeles as the former is where Charlie Barber (Adam Driver) does much of his theater work as he’s about to get a prestigious grant that would help his theater company financially as well as be on Broadway. The latter is where Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) is about to star in a TV pilot as she once known as an actress of raunchy teen movies as her work in Charlie’s avant-garde plays have given her acclaim yet she wanted to branch out into doing different things.
The first act is about Charlie and Nicole trying to raise their eight-year old son Henry (Azhy Robertson) with the latter going to L.A. and live temporarily with her mother Sandra (Julie Hagerty) with Henry living with her. The two try to work out a long-distance relationship with Charlie staying in New York City to get his play on Broadway but Nicole’s series gets picked up and Charlie’s plans for his play with Nicole’s involvement falls by the wayside leaving to problems and Nicole hiring Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern) as her divorce attorney. Charlie is taken aback by the news of Nora prompting him to find a lawyer as he hires retired family lawyer Bert Spitz (Alan Alda) who is more about civility as he would be replaced another attorney Charlie met earlier in the brash Jay Marotta (Ray Liotta). Through many legal things and other things that forces Charlie to buy an apartment in Los Angeles, Charlie and Nicole’s desire for civility and making things work start to fall apart as their own faults come into play.
Baumbach’s direction does have elements of style in some of the compositions he creates yet much of his direction is straightforward. Shot on location in New York City and in Los Angeles as they’re both characters in the film. Baumbach does use close-ups and medium shots to play into the characters conversing with one another yet there are also a lot of wide shots for some of the rooms and places they’re in whether it’s Charlie’s L.A. apartment or Nora’s office. Baumbach does use the wide shots to play into this growing dissolution between Charlie and Nicole as well as their own sense of loneliness as they cope with the divorce. The direction has Baumbach emphasize on locations as it play into Charlie being lost in Los Angeles as he doesn’t know much about the city while he has a hard time trying to do things both in New York and in L.A. It’s one of the film’s comical moments as it play into Charlie’s own awkwardness towards L.A. as well as the fact that he always turns to Nicole’s mother for help as she likes Charlie as she doesn’t want to end their relationship.
The direction does intensify as it reaches the third act in the first court case as Baumbach has some unique compositions where it’s Jay and Nora in the foreground while Charlie and Nicole are in the background as Baumbach would use close-ups of Charlie and Nicole to understand what they’re dealing with. Even to the point that they are forced to realize why they broke up and are in this situation during an intensely dramatic scene as it is clear that both of them do love each other but also hate each other. Baumbach maintains that air of realism as well as not being afraid of painting both Charlie and Nicole as flawed people with good intentions as they want what is best for their son and for each other. Overall, Baumbach crafts a compelling and rapturous film about a couple divorcing each other and dealing with an ugly custody battle.
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of low-key colors and lights for some of the scenes in New York City to the more vibrant look of Los Angeles in the daytime with some low-key looks for the scenes at night. Editor Jennifer Lame does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some jump-cuts to play into some of the humor while there’s an inventive montage sequence in the beginning to play into Charlie and Nicole’s notes for each other. Production designer Jade Healy, with set decorators Lizzie Boyle, Nickie Ritchie, and Adam Willis plus art directors Andrew Hull and Josh Petersen, does fantastic work with the look of Charlie and Nicole’s home in New York City as well as the home of Nicole’s mother’s house as well as the apartment that Charlie would live in in Los Angeles. Costume designer Mark Bridges does nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual with the exception of the Halloween costumes Charlie, Nicole, and Henry would wear
Special effects supervisor Joe Pancake and visual effects supervisor Vico Sharabani do terrific work with the look of the design in Charlie’s play as well as in Nicole’s TV pilot as much of the visual effects are minimal as they serve as set-dressing. Sound editor Christopher Scarabosio does superb work with the sound in the way airplanes sound as well as the sound of certain locations that add to the tense atmosphere of the film. The film’s music by Randy Newman is incredible for its somber piano-based score and lush orchestral pieces that play into some of the humor and drama as well as the melancholic tone of the film while music supervisor George Drakoulias provides a fun soundtrack that features mainly bits of instrumental pieces from Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips and Bill Evans along with show tunes that include songs by Stephen Sondheim.
The casting by Douglas Aibel and Francine Maisler is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Jasmine Cepha Jones, Mickey Sumner, and Wallace Shawn as actors in Charlie’s theater company, Mark O’Brien as a man Nicole meets late in the film in Carter, Brooke Bloom as Charlie’s theater manager whom he supposedly had a brief tryst with, Rich Fulcher as a judge, and Martha Kelly in a terrific one-scene performance as a court-appointed evaluator who watches Charlie’s time with Henry in an awkwardly-funny scene. Merritt Wever is superb as Nicole’s sister Cassie who is trying to help Nicole out while having a funny moment involving trying to hide the divorce papers for Charlie. Julie Hagerty is fantastic as Nicole’s mother Sandra as a former actress who is trying to maintain peace as she also helps Charlie find a lawyer in the hope to continue her own relationship with Charlie. Azhy Robertson is excellent as Charlie and Nicole’s son Henry as a young boy trying to find his role in the world where he finds joy in Los Angeles while having a hard time trying to understand what his parents are going through.
Alan Alda is brilliant as Bert Spitz as a retired family lawyer Charlie hires as he is a sensible lawyer who had seen a lot as he gives Charlie some advice on what to do and wanting to make it civil as it would play into Charlie’s frustrations. Ray Liotta is amazing as Jay Marotta as an attorney Charlie meets during the first act and eventually hire him as he’s a more ruthless attorney who also provides Charlie some harsh insights about what he is about go through as Liotta provides a lot of energy into his performance. Laura Dern is incredible as Nicole’s attorney Nora Fanshaw as a woman who understand what Nicole is going through but also has to find angles and such while is full of charisma as is it is Dern in one of her best performances of her career.
Finally, there’s the duo of Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Charlie and Nicole Barber. Driver provides this element of quirkiness as a man who tends to live in his own head a lot yet is a good father and a good cook as he copes with having to move to Los Angeles to be near his son though he’s a New York person who loves what he does in theater. Johansson’s performance is filled with unique facial mannerisms but also a woman who is becoming melancholic over her marriage but also in what she wants for herself as she tries to find ways to be civil and a good mother to her son. Driver and Johansson together have this amazing chemistry in the way they deal with each other including in an intense argument scene that showcases two people who have a lot to vent but also realize how much they do care each other as it is a major moment for both of them who definitely give career-defining performances.
Marriage Story is an outstanding film from Noah Baumbach that feature sensational performances from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson. Along with its ensemble cast, study of divorce and dissolution, gorgeous photography, Randy Newman’s amazing score, and Baumbach’s willingness to showcase the many highs and lows of divorce. It’s a film that is willing to explore a family coming apart but also wanting what is best for a child who is caught in the middle despite the parents’ attempt to be civil and fair. In the end, Marriage Story is a magnificent film from Noah Baumbach.
Noah Baumbach Films: Kicking and Screaming (1995 film) - Highball - Mr. Jealousy - The Squid & the Whale - Margot at the Wedding - Greenberg - Frances Ha - While We're Young - Mistress America - De Palma - The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) - (White Noise (2022 film)) - The Auteurs #41: Noah Baumbach
© thevoid99 2020
Directed by Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow, De Palma is a documentary film about life and career of one of American cinema’s more revered and controversial filmmakers in Brian de Palma. The film explores the many films de Palma is revered for as well as the infamy he’s gained throughout his career as the man himself tells about the films and his views on what it means to be a filmmaker. The result is an engrossing and mesmerizing film about one of American cinema‘s great filmmakers.
One of the figures of the New Hollywood movement in the 1970s who would have a series of successful films from that decade as well as the 80s and 90s. Brian de Palma is a filmmaker that made interesting films that often reveled into the world of suspense as well as be noted for his unique approach to visuals. While he is revered as someone who was a master of suspense, erotic thrillers, and films that were quite controversial, he was also vilified for his approach to violence and sex in his work. In 2010, de Palma tells his own story from his childhood to the many films he made where he would also provide little anecdotes about his own life and what he put into his own films. The filmmaker also talks about the immense influence Alfred Hitchcock had as he often refers to his films as guidelines of what to do and put his own spin into these films.
While much of the footage that directors Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow, with the latter being its cinematographer, shoot is essentially de Palma talking about his own films from his early shorts and the independently-funded films he made such as Murder a la Mod and The Wedding Party as the latter was made in 1963 as it was the first film Robert de Niro was in to the films he was making in the 1970s. While there are several of his films he is fond of, he also talks about the ones he didn’t enjoy making like Get to Know Your Rabbit, The Bonfire of the Vanities, and Mission to Mars as he explained for many different reasons why they didn’t work. Though the interview often has de Palma presented in a medium shot with a rare shot of him walking in the street of New York City. Much of the film is told through rare photos of himself when he was young as well as footage from his own films and the works of other films courtesy of editors Lauren Minnerath and Matt Mayer.
The way de Palma references Hitchcock into his own work is really more of an evolution of the Hitchcock style rather than just a homage while de Palma also talks about his approach to long-takes, compositions, as well as creating the element of suspense. There is also a moment where de Palma talks about something that isn’t around much these days in the film industry as it relates to filmmakers supporting each other as he often helps friends such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Paul Schrader and they would do the same for him as the film features a rare clip of Spielberg in the 1970s leaving a message to de Palma via telephone in his car with his then-wife Amy Irving and de Palma’s then-girlfriend Nancy Allen in the background.
With the aid of sound mixer Paul Hsu with Baumbach doing the sound recording, some of the things de Palma says including additional audio he does in 2013 following the release of 2012’s Passion has him talking about the need to continue making films as he knows when it is time to stop. Much of the music in the film is essentially music from not just de Palma’s own films but also some of Hitchcock’s own films as the only original piece created as it’s really a homage to some of the music that some of de Palma’s collaborators had created.
De Palma is a phenomenal film from Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow. Not only is a great tribute to Brian de Palma as the man himself gets to speak about his entire body of work but it’s also a film that shows one of the great American filmmakers ever. It’s a film that fans of de Palma wouldn’t just enjoy but also allow those who aren’t entirely familiar with the man’s work see why he’s such a big deal to film buffs, film critics, and filmmakers. In the end, De Palma is a sensational film from Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow.
Brian De Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) - (Greetings) - (The Wedding Party) - (Dionysus in ‘69) - (Hi, Mom!) - (Get to Know Your Rabbit) - Sisters - (Phantom of the Paradise) - Obsession - Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) - Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface - Body Double - (Wise Guys) - The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - (Femme Fatale) - The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) - (Passion (2012 film)) - (Domino (2018 film))
Noah Baumbach Films: Kicking and Screaming - Highball - Mr. Jealousy - The Squid & the Whale - Margot at the Wedding - Greenberg - Frances Ha - While We're Young - Mistress America - The Meyerwitz Stories (New and Selected) - Marriage Story - (White Noise (2022 film)) - The Auteurs #41: Noah Baumbach
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Noah Baumbach and written by Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, Mistress America is the story of a young college student who moves to New York City where she would meet her future step-sister who takes her on an adventure around the city. The film is an exploration into a young woman coping with trying to fit in as she would find herself living through her future stepsister whom she would get close to. Starring Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke, Heather Lind, Cindy Cheung, and Kathryn Erbe. Mistress America is a charming and witty film from Noah Baumbach.
The film plays into a college student who goes to Columbia to become a writer as she has trouble fitting in until she decides to meet a woman in her late-20s who is about to become her step-sister where the two hang as the student finds inspiration for her own writing. It’s a film where this young woman would live through the whirlwind life of an older woman who dreams of opening her own restaurant and do other things as she would also try to help her. Especially as the two are in need to do something in their lives as they cope with love affairs and ambition. It’s a film that plays into the world of growing up as it is largely told from the perspective of Tracy Fishko (Lola Kirke) who is a freshman trying to make it as a writer but awkward attempts to socialize and such would get him some disdain from fellow students and such. It’s until she meets Brooke (Greta Gerwig) where Tracy’s life changes.
The film’s screenplay by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach explores these two women who are both in a state of transition as Tracy is trying to find herself as a person and as a writer while Brooke is trying to raise money to open a restaurant as she does all sorts of things. Even as Tracy is desperate to join the college’s school magazine as her first attempts were poor but she would find a muse in Brooke and later help Brooke with all of these situations as it would include confronting an old nemesis who Brooke claims had taken some of her ideas. The film would feature some witty dialogue that plays into Brooke’s persona as she is this person that likes to think and talk fast while being very excited yet is also flawed as she can’t cope with aspects of reality or negativity. Most notably in the film’s third act where she and Tracy go to Connecticut to meet with an old friend where a lot of drama happens.
Baumbach’s direction is quite simple as a lot of it is shot in New York City where it is set during the autumn where Tracy is experiencing her first semester. Much of it showcases a sense of awkwardness in its approach to humor as it relates to Tracy’s attempt to socialize where she has a roommate who doesn’t like her and is seen as a weirdo by some. With his simple approach to close-ups and medium shots, Baumbach maintains something that is intimate as well as something that feels loose which plays into Brooke’s lively personality. The city itself is a character as much of it is presented in very low colors to play into the season as opposed to the scenes set in Connecticut where it’s kind of surreal and more colorful. It plays into the kind of world that Brooke and Tracy aren’t exactly familiar with as they’re both facing a much harsher reality where it does become comical but with a sense of cynicism into how these two young women conduct themselves with their lives and desires in life. Overall, Baumbach creates a compelling yet funny film about two young women coping with reality and growing up in New York City.
Cinematographer Sam Levy does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key colors and lighting for scenes at night to play into the feeling of New York City in the autumn without being too vibrant or colorful with the exception of the scene set in Connecticut. Editor Jennifer Lame does fantastic work with the editing with its inspired usage of jump-cuts and other montage-cutting style that plays into the frenetic energy of New York City and college life. Production designer Sam Lisenco, with set decorator Katie Hickman and Ashley Fenton, does amazing work with the look of the apartment loft that Brooke lives in as well the empty place for her restaurant and the home of her old friends in Connecticut.
Costume designer Sarah Mae Burton does nice work with the costumes from the beret that Tracy wears to the more stylish clothes that Brooke wears. Sound editor Paul Hsu does terrific work with the sound as it‘s low-key where it captures moments that happen on location as well as a few moments that are very comical. The film’s music by Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips is brilliant for its dream-like score that is a mixture of lush electronic pieces with jangly guitars to play into something that is more akin to college music of the 1980s while music supervisor George Drakoulias would provide a soundtrack that is more diverse that features music from Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, Paul McCartney, Ace of Base, Toto, Hot Chocolate, Suicide, and Frederic Chopin.
The casting by Douglas Aibel is great as it features appearances from Dean Wareham as a neighbor of Brooke’s old friends in Connecticut, Mickey Sumner as a woman who looks like Brooke, Cindy Cheung as pregnant guest of Brooke’s old friend Mamie-Claire who Tracy’s friends befriend, Michael Chernus as Brooke’s former boyfriend Dylan who would give her some advice about her career, Heather Lind as Dylan’s wife and Brooke’s old friend Mamie-Claire who is a representation of who Brooke doesn’t want to be, and Kathryn Erbe as Tracy’s mother who would suggest for Tracy to meet Brooke. Jasmine Cephas Jones is terrific as a classmate of Tracy who is very suspicious that her boyfriend Tony is falling for Tracy. Matthew Shear is superb as Tony as a writing classmate of Tracy that is impressed with her writing but is consumed with his own life while dealing with the reality that he might not be as good.
Lola Kirke is brilliant as Tracy as this young college freshman who is trying to find herself in her new surroundings as she copes with her social awkwardness and what she wants to do as a writer as it’s just a real breakthrough for Kirke. Finally, there’s Greta Gerwig in an amazing performance as Brooke as a woman in her late 20s that beats to her own drum as she is a vivacious in the way she talks and lives while is someone who is unable to deal with reality when it comes at her face as it’s a very complex and funny performance from Gerwig.
Mistress America is a phenomenal film from Noah Baumbach that features incredible performances from Greta Gerwig and Lola Kirke. It is a film that plays into the world of young women trying to find themselves trying to find out what to do as well as face the harsh realities of the world. Especially as it’s a film that is very smart as well as being very funny in the way life is. In the end, Mistress America is a sensational film from Noah Baumbach.
Noah Baumbach Films: Kicking and Screaming - Highball - Mr. Jealousy - The Squid & the Whale - Margot at the Wedding - Greenberg - Frances Ha - While We're Young - De Palma - The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) - Marriage Story - (White Noise (2022 film)) - The Auteurs #41: Noah Baumbach
© thevoid99 2015
Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, While We’re Young is the story of a middle-aged couple who cope with their life as they would start to socialize with a young couple in their 20s. The film is an exploration into the world of adulthood and growing up as two different couples hang out together in an attempt to have fun and figure out how to live their lives. Starring Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Horowitz, Brady Corbet, and Charles Grodin. While We’re Young is a witty yet compelling film from Noah Baumbach.
The film is the story of a couple in their 40s as they cope with aging and uncertainty until their lives are sparked after meeting a young couple in their 20s where they become reinvigorated creatively and in themselves. At the same time, they help this young couple with a documentary film where things become more complicated where the old couple starts to get close the younger one while alienating their older friends. It’s a film that plays into the idea of aging and growing up but also ambition and such as the character Josh (Ben Stiller) is a documentary filmmaker struggling to finish a film as he and his wife Cornelia (Naomi Watts) are also dealing with the fact that their friends are spending more time being parents as they become unsure about having children.
Noah Baumbach’s screenplay does have a unique structure as well as some depth into the key characters in the film as both Josh and Cornelia are reluctant into having children as their previous attempts ended up not being good. Upon meeting the aspiring filmmaker Jamie (Adam Driver) and his wife Darby (Amanda Seyfried), the two would socialize with the two where both couples get something out of each other. Jamie isn’t just a fan of Josh’s work but also the work of Cornelia’s father Leslie Breitbart (Charles Grodin) whom Josh was mentored by. Jamie’s influence on Josh would seep into his work and ideas to get more money for the film he wanted to make where Josh would also help Jamie out with his own film project as it related to an old friend he knew as a kid.
Eventually, it plays into the ideas of ambition as Josh copes with his own failings as a filmmaker but also deals with Jamie’s ambition which would affect everyone’s lives. Even as Cornelia returns to the producer’s hat which becomes complicated while Darby becomes left out as her character is the one that would grow up as she craves for something simpler. All of which play into this world of ambition as Cornelia and her father gets sucked into Jamie’s world as Josh’s own professional life begins to fall apart where he is forced to act like the adult. Even if he comes to term with who he and Cornelia are as well as who Jamie and Darby are.
Baumbach’s direction is quite simple in terms of the compositions he creates as it is emphasized more on capturing moments that are happening as opposed to something that is more visual. Shot on location in New York City and various nearby locations, the film is definitely a look into this world of the city where 20-somethings created an environment of their own. Baumbach’s usage of close-ups and medium shots are very potent as it includes a scene of the two couples in a car where Josh and Jamie are in the front both wearing Fedora hats while Cornelia, Darby, and a friend are in the back singing an obscure song from a commercial that Josh did years ago. There are elements in the film that does feel loose and realistic as well as comical such as a scene where Cornelia goes to this thing with mothers and their babies as it’s very silly that plays into Cornelia’s sense of discomfort.
Baumbach also plays into the world of high art culture and the world of film as it relates to Josh and Jamie where they would collaborate on a film together. In some ways, Baumbach sort of makes fun of the world of documentaries as it relates to some of the current gimmicks some use to tell their stories. Even as it plays into the idea of old vs. new generation ethics and such where Baumbach definitely approaches it with some humor and some light drama as it delves into Cornelia’s own sense of confusion about where to go and Darby’s own frustrations with the idea of ambition. All of which leads a climax as it relates to the idea of what it means to be an adult. Overall, Baumbach creates an engaging and funny film about a middle-aged couple seeking to find their youth through a young couple.
Cinematographer Sam Levy does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it is very colorful and vibrant that captures many of the moments of New York City with some intimate lighting schemes for some of its nighttime interior scenes. Editor Jennifer Lame does superb work with the editing as it‘s straightforward in some parts while has some stylish usage of montages and jump-cuts to play into the humor. Production designer Adam Stockhausen and set decorator Kris Moran do amazing work with the look of the home that Josh and Cornelia live in as well as the place that Jamie and Darby live in.
Costume designer Ann Roth does nice work with the costumes as it‘s very low-key and casual with a sense of style that plays into the world that Jamie and Darby live in. Sound editor Paul Hsu does terrific work with the sound as it‘s very low-key in some places with some raucous moments in some of social events the characters go into. The film’s music by James Murphy is fantastic as it‘s a very low-key electronic music score that plays into the humor and drama in the film while music supervisor George Drakoulias brings in a fun soundtrack that features classical pieces by Antonio Vivaldi to a diverse array of contemporary music from David Bowie, Lionel Richie, Survivor, Paul McCartney & Wings, Haim, 2Pac, A Tribe Called Quest, Danny Kaye, and the Psychedelic Furs.
The casting by Douglas Aibel and Francine Maisler is brilliant as it features notable small appearances from Peter Bogdanovich as a tribute speaker, Ryan Serhant as a dim-witted hedge fund investor, Dean Wareham as a shaman, Liz Stauber as the sister of Jamie’s old friend Kent, Matthew Maher as Josh’s editor Tim, Bonnie Kaufman as the wife of Josh’s documentary subject, Dree Hemingway as Jamie and Darby’s flat mate Tipper who aids Jamie in his film work, and the legendary folk singer Peter Yarrow as Josh’s documentary subject who often says strange things that are often quite amusing. Charles Grodin is excellent as Cornelia’s father Leslie Breitbart who tries to help Josh with his documentary while being impressed with what Jamie has come up with. Adam Horowitz and Maria Dizzia are fantastic in their respective roles as Fletcher and Marina as Josh and Cornelia’s friends who had just become parents as they have a hard time dealing with Josh and Cornelia’s new activities. Brady Corbet is amazing as Jamie’s old friend Kent who becomes Jamie’s documentary subject as it’s an odd but engaging performance from Corbet.
Amanda Seyfried is remarkable as Darby as a young woman who is skilled at making things including her own ice cream as she bonds with Cornelia in dancing while being alienated by Jamie’s ambitions. Adam Driver is marvelous as Jamie as an aspiring filmmaker who befriends Josh when he attends one of Josh’s lectures as he is someone that does mean well as he is generous and cool but also is very driven to succeed which alienates Darby and scares Josh. Naomi Watts is riveting as Cornelia as a woman who used to produce films for her dad as she copes with not wanting to be a mother as she tries to find herself while being infatuated with Jamie and Darby. Finally, there’s Ben Stiller in a phenomenal performance as Josh as a documentary filmmaker struggling with aging as he tries to feel young while becoming usurped by Jamie as it would affect his professional and personal life.
While We’re Young is a sensational film from Noah Baumbach. Armed with a great cast, a fun soundtrack, and engaging views on aging and adulthood. It’s a film that isn’t just one of Baumbach’s more accessible films but also one of his funniest in terms of exploring the downsides of growing up as well as some of the fallacies of youth. In the end, While We’re Young is an exhilarating and heartfelt film from Noah Baumbach.
Noah Baumbach Films: Kicking and Screaming - Highball - Mr. Jealousy - The Squid & the Whale - Margot at the Wedding - Greenberg - Frances Ha - Mistress America - DePalma - The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) - Marriage Story - (White Noise (2022 film)) - The Auteurs #41: Noah Baumbach
© thevoid99 2015
One of the new voices to emerge in the mid-1990s as an alternative to the era of Quentin Tarantino, Noah Baumbach is a filmmaker that plays by his own rules as he makes film about people dealing with changes in their lives. While he had gained promise from his first feature film in 1995’s Kicking and Screaming, his career would come to a halt following a couple of back-to-back disappointing features where many thought he had disappeared. Instead, Baumbach came back with a vengeance as he would continuously create films that played into young adults adjusting to changes as well as maintain an independent voice against the backdrop of mainstream cinema.
Born on September 3, 1969, Noah Baumbach was the third of four children to novelist/film critic Jonathan Baumbach and the revered Village Voice critic Georgia Brown in Brooklyn, New York. Throughout his early life, he and his siblings was surrounded by the world of high culture in films, books, and art while the young Noah would make his own explorations into the mainstream films that were around him as a child. It was around this time that the young Baumbach would also experience an event that would shape his work when his parents divorced. In 1987, Baumbach graduated at the Midwood High School in Brooklyn which led him to attend Vassar where he would get a BA in English four years later as would spend some time working for The New Yorker magazine as a messenger. It was during those years as a post-graduate where Baumbach would create material for what would be his first feature film.
More can be read here at Cinema Axis.
© thevoid99 2015
Directed by Noah Baumbach and written by Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha is the story of a 27-year old dancer who is trying to figure out the next stage of her life as her best friend decides to move out. The film is about young people trying to find out the next phase of their life as well as pondering whether to continue following their dreams or become adults. Starring Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Josh Hamilton, Grace Gummer, and Juliet Rylance. Frances Ha is a delightful yet charming comedy-drama from Noah Baumbach.
The film revolves the life of a 27-year old dancer named Frances (Greta Gerwig) whose world is starting to crash down after breaking up with her boyfriend while her best friend Sophie (Mickey Sumner) is moving in with her boyfriend Patch (Patrick Heusinger). Frances would spend her time living with other people for a few moments until she faces setbacks in her life where she’s unable to be part of the Christmas show for the dance company. With Sophie’s life changing, Frances becomes lost in her world as she would make some terrible decisions while facing the fact that she might have to grow up and give up her dreams as a dancer. It’s all part of the world that plays into a young woman dealing with the expectations of being an adult yet wanting to keep her dreams alive.
The screenplay that Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig create explores the difficulties of growing up into adulthood where a woman has a passion for dancing yet she has a hard time with the changes around her. Notably as she has a very close friendship with her longtime roommate Sophie as the two have the same kind of quirky personality. Yet, Sophie’s life is changing as she is in a steady relationship with a man named Patch where his job forces them to make decisions that leaves Frances out of the loop. Even as she has to hear it from other people as it makes her more insecure where she would make decisions in her life that she later realizes how dumb it is. Frances would also make bad decisions that could’ve gone well as she also showcases the sense of fear in adulthood where one might have to give up their dreams and be like everyone else.
Frances is a very unique yet flawed character that lives under the beat of her own drum. She loves to dance and have fun yet she has to deal with things like paying the rent and making sure she can become a lead dancer or be part of the company. Yet, she faces challenges that would be overwhelming for anyone in their late 20s as they deal with uncertainty about themselves in life. At the same time, she tries to stray away from the world of love though there’s men in her life that mean well but don’t offer the stability that she needs. Eventually, Frances has to realize what she has to do to be an adult where there are compromises that have to be made but also find a way to be the vivacious woman that she loves being.
Baumbach’s direction is very low-key as it plays to a visual style that recalls some of the works of Woody Allen from the late 70s and early 80s as it’s short largely in New York City as well as a few places in upstate New York, Sacramento, and Paris. The use of grainy black-and-white footage does give the film a timeless feel where Baumbach creates something is told in a modern sensibility in a present time but it also could’ve been placed in another world. Baumbach’s camera also has these very entrancing compositions in not just the way he uses close-ups and wide shots but also the sense of looseness in the direction that includes some tracking shots in some of the film’s exterior scenes.
The film also features a lot of dance where it wants to showcase a woman’s desire to create something that is meaningful as Baumbach captures Frances’ energy through dance. Even as it features some moments in the ballet to showcase her love but also the melancholia that she’s feeling where Baumbach knows where to put her in the frame to display those emotions without the need to embellish things. Particularly where Baumbach wisely avoids melodrama to just have a bit of realism in the situations that Frances deals with though there is some drama that plays to Frances’ friendship with Sophie and how intense it can be. Overall, Baumbach creates a compelling yet exhilarating film about growing into the world of adulthood.
Cinematographer Sam Levy does fantastic work with the film‘s black-and-white photography where it does have some elements of grain in its look for some of its interior settings and scenes at night while also having that sense of style in the lighting without the need to overdo things. Editor Jennifer Lane does excellent work with the editing to create some rhythmic cutting for some of the dancing as well as a few stylish cuts to showcase Frances‘ difficulty with adjusting to adulthood. Production designer Sam Lisenco and set decorator Hannah Rothfield do wonderful work with the set pieces from the different apartments that Frances live in to the dance studio that she works at.
Sound editor Paul Hsu does terrific work with the sound where it is very natural in many of its location settings along with a few scenes in the dance performances. Music supervisor George Drakoulias creates a very fun soundtrack that features score music from films of the French New Wave including score cuts by Georges Delerue plus original music from Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips as well as songs by T. Rex, Hot Chocolate, Paul McCartney, and David Bowie.
The casting by Douglas Aibel is brilliant as it features appearances from Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips as a couple at a dinner party, Juliet Rylance and Josh Hamilton as guests at the dinner party, Grace Gummer as Frances’ dancer friend Rachel, Michael Esper as Frances’ ex-boyfriend Dan, and Charlotte d’Amboise as Frances’ boss Colleen. Other notable small roles include Patrick Heusinger as Sophie’s boyfriend Patch whom Frances doesn’t really like, Michael Zegen as the writer friend Benji, and Adam Driver as Benji’s artist roommate Lev. Mickey Sumner is excellent as Frances’ best friend Sophie who deals with the changes of her life as it would affect her and Frances in a big way. Finally, there’s Greta Gerwig in an incredible performance as Frances as a woman dealing with the difficulties of real life as she is trying to hold on to her dream as a dancer where Gerwig brings a lot of energy and charisma to her role as Frances.
***Additional DVD/Blu-Ray Material Written on 1/23/15-1/24/15***
The 2013 dual-disc Region 1 DVD/Region A Blu-Ray from the Criterion Collection presents in a new high-definition digital master that is approved by its director Noah Baumbach with an uncompressed 5.1 DTS-HD Surround Sound Master Audio for the Blu-Ray. Presented in its 1:85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, the film retains the rich look that was presented in its theatrical release. The special features of the DVD/Blu-Ray set features three interviews about the film.
The first is a fifteen-minute conversation with the film’s co-writer/director Noah Baumbach and filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich about the film where Baumbach revealed its genesis as it relate to him wanting to return to New York City and make a film about young people in the city. Through his email conversations with Greta Gerwig, a script came in where much of the dialogue is written with the exception of Frances returning home for Christmas. Baumbach also talked about his approach to the music and why the film was shot in black-and-white and on digital as Baumbach revealed that it was for financial reasons but also to see if he could make a film on digital and in black-and-white though digital would often present the film in color. When Baumbach see that it could be done, it gave him everything he needed as he wanted the film to have a timeless look but also be a homage to the films of the French New Wave which were one of the inspirations for the film.
The second is a seventeen-minute conversation with actress/co-writer Greta Gerwig and actress/filmmaker Sarah Polley about the film has Polley asking Gerwig questions about the character of Frances as well as Gerwig’s collaboration with Baumbach. Gerwig reveals a lot about Frances development as well as her own interpretation to the character. Gerwig also reveals what she and Baumbach wanted to do with the script as it relates to Frances’ journey and what she would accomplish at the end of the film.
The third and final interview is an eighteen-minute conversation between Baumbach, cinematographer Sam Levy, and color master Pascal Dangin about the film’s look as it is a must-see for anyone that wants to know how these three men shot the film in digital and how it created the film’s black-and-white look. Baumbach, Levy, and Dangin talk about the late cinematographer Harris Savides who was the key figure into getting Baumbach to think about shooting the film digitally as he would aid them into creating the black-and-white process through some tests. The three men also reveal how difficult it was where it was crucial that tests were made as Dangin would be the one to find the look of the film through post-production mastering process as he revealed how he did it as it’s one of the finest pieces about the advantages and disadvantages of digital filmmaking. The special features also include the film’s theatrical trailer for its 2013 theatrical release.
The DVD/Blu-Ray set also features an essay from playwright Annie Baker about the film entitled The Green Girl. Baker talks about the character of Frances and the bad decisions she made where it would play into the tribulations she would face while trying to maintain some element of optimism. Baker says the film is a romantic film but between Frances and herself as she tries to find herself through her many misadventures and living situations. It’s a film that Baker says is about a woman finding herself and how she tries to find herself through other people only to come to terms that it’s about her. It’s a very witty and insightful essay into a film that truly lives up to the word magical.
***End of DVD Tidbits***
Frances Ha is an outstanding film from Noah Baumbach that features a sensational performance from Greta Gerwig. The film is definitely one of Baumbach’s most enjoyable and engaging works of his career as well as creating a very realistic yet humorous take on the world of adulthood. With a fantastic script and a fun soundtrack, the film is definitely something that showcases a woman trying to hang on to her dreams in the world of adulthood. In the end, Frances Ha is a tremendous achievement from Noah Baumbach.
Noah Baumbach Films: Kicking and Screaming - Highball - Mr. Jealousy - The Squid & the Whale - Margot at the Wedding - Greenberg - While We’re Young - Mistress America - DePalma - The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) - Marriage Story - (White Noise (2022 film)) - The Auteurs #41: Noah Baumbach
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by Noah Baumbach and written by Baumbach, Carlos Jacott, and Christopher Reed, Highball is the story about a newlywed couple who decide to throw parties in order to improve their social lives in the course of an entire year. The film is a look into the world of marriage and friendships as they‘re tested in a trio of parties where things happen in weird ways. Starring Justine Bateman, Peter Bogdanovich, Dean Cameron, Chris Eigeman, Eric Stoltz, Annabella Sciorra, and Christopher Reed. Highball is a messy and incomprehensible film from Noah Baumbach.
The film revolves around the lives of a newlywed couple in Travis (Christopher Reed) and Diane (Lauren Katz) as they decide to throw parties in the course of a year in order to improve their social life with their friends. Instead, things go wrong in a trio of parties where there’s some spats, misunderstandings, discussions that go horrible wrong, and all sorts of confusion while one of the guests in Darien (Eric Stoltz) is always bringing a date who is a famous actress. The screenplay that Noah Baumbach, Christopher Reed, and Carlos Jacott explore the idea of these parties where everyone is eager to have a good time but something always go wrong. Things get messier and weirder where couples break up, a guest always instigate things, and there’s always something to make things even worse.
Baumbach’s direction is very intimate as he sets the film entirely in an apartment in Brooklyn where people are always gathering around to socialize and do things. Shot in six days with leftover film stock, the direction is quite loose while Baumbach would insert scenes of the New York City streets in between each segment of the film that is wonderfully edited with dissolves and such. The rest of the film itself unfortunately meanders where there’s gags involving a record company employee named Miles (John Lehr) and his boss (Chris Eigeman) while a guest named Felix (Carlos Jacott) spars with another guest (Noah Baumbach). There are moments that are funny including a guest (Peter Bogdanovich) making various impressions but it starts to lose its luster by the third act and things get more ridiculous as things wore on. Overall, Baumbach creates a very troubled and often dull micro budget film that really isn’t sure what it wants to be.
Cinematographer Steven Bernstein does nice work with the cinematography where it does have some grainy camera work for many of the film‘s interior settings to capture the mood of the parties. Production designer Shanya Tsao does terrific work with the design of the parties to play up the holiday or theme of the parties. Costume designer Katherine Jane Bryant does wonderful work with the costumes including the designs of the Halloween costumes the guests wear at the party. Sound editor Jason Kaplan does excellent work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the parties as well as some of the backdrops of conversations heard in the background. Music supervisor Dean Wareham creates a fine soundtrack that features some of his own music plus some dreamy folk songs of his own including a few stuff played in the parties.
The film’s cast is a highlight of the film as it features appearances from Ally Sheedy and Rae Dawn Chong as themselves who are dates of Darien, Louise Stratten as a woman dressed up as a subway train, Catherine Kellner as a party guest dressed up as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Dean Cameron as a magician in the first party, Dean Wareham as a guest in the New Year’s Eve party, and Peter Bogdanovich as a guest who dresses up as a director in the Halloween party while doing many impressions of famous actors from the past.
Other small roles include Justine Bateman as the guest Sandy who is a friend of Diane, Annabella Sciorra as another friend of Diane in Molly, John Lehr as the somewhat dim-witted Miles, Noah Baumbach as the low-key yet smart-ass Philip, Chris Eigeman as Miles’ annoyed boss Fletcher, and Carlos Jacott as the very brash and pushy Felix. Lauren Katz is very good as Diane as a woman trying to get the party right while being frustrated by Felix while Christopher Reed is excellent as Travis who is a friend of Felix but couldn’t get anything through to Diane because he never tells her anything.
Highball is a drab yet disappointing film from Noah Baumbach. While it features themes about adulthood that he’s known for, it’s a film that gets bogged down by too many things happening where not much makes sense. Though it does have moments that are funny and is a bit impressive in terms of the small budget it has. It’s a film that really doesn’t offer much as it gets too repetitious at times while some of the characters don’t become interesting anymore. In the end, Highball is a disappointing yet dull film from Noah Baumbach.
Noah Baumbach Films: Kicking and Screaming - Mr. Jealousy - The Squid & the Whale - Margot at the Wedding - Greenberg - Frances Ha - While We’re Young - Mistress America - De Palma - The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) - Marriage Story - (White Noise (2022 film)) - The Auteurs #41: Noah Baumbach
© thevoid99 2013
