The Impostors

Written, directed and co-starring Stanley Tucci, The Impostors is the story of two struggling actors who accidentally stow away on a cruise to run from an egomaniacal actor while meeting with an array of offbeat passengers and crew members. The film is a farcical comedy where it involves many people who pretend to be someone else while dealing the need to act in order to save themselves. Also starring Oliver Platt, Alfred Molina, Lili Taylor, Campbell Scott, Hope Davis, Steve Buscemi, Michael Emerson, Billy Connolly, Dana Ivey, Allison Janney, Richard Jenkins, Tony Shalhoub, and Isabella Rosselini. The Impostors is a rip-roaring and exhilarating film from Stanley Tucci.

Set during the Great Depression in New York City, the film revolves around the misadventure of two struggling actors who receive tickets to a show starring an egomaniacal actor where they insult him at a bar only to go on the run and find themselves as stowaways on a cruise ship. It’s a film that play into two men who are trying to make it as actors but upon learning they’re on a cruise ship where they pretend to be stewards. Stanley Tucci’s screenplay is quite loose where it plays into these misadventures of Maurice (Oliver Platt) and Arthur (Stanley Tucci) to them trying to get food as they’re unemployed as well as what goes on in the ship as they encounter a series of offbeat passenger and crew members. Among them is a deposed queen (Isabella Rosselini), a heartbroken singer (Steve Buscemi), a once-rich-turned poor widow (Dana Ivey) with her grieving daughter (Hope Davis), a possibly gay tennis pro (Billy Connolly), and other oddball characters. Adding to the turmoil is the fact that the famed but arrogant actor Jeremy Burtom (Alfred Molina) is also on the ship.

Tucci’s direction is definitely stylish starting with an opening credits sequence where Maurice and Arthur cause trouble as a way to avoid paying for coffee and food as it’s presented like a silent movie. Then it becomes partially straightforward with elements of slapstick comedy where some of it is shot partially in New York City while much of it is shot on a soundstage for the scenes set on the cruise ship. While Tucci would create some amazing compositions with the wide and medium shots, much of it presented loosely where he allows his actors to just create performances that are exaggerated. While it does help to tell the story, there is an element where it feels self-indulgent at times but Tucci wants to create something where the actors are there to have fun and allow themselves to over-act at times. Overall, Tucci creates a silly yet extremely fun film about two actors who stowaway on a cruise and try to find a way to solve problems through the power of acting.

Cinematographer Ken Kelsch does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the colorful and sunny look of the daytime New York City exteriors to the look of the many interiors on the cruise ship as well as some of its exteriors. Editor Suzy Elmiger does brilliant work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts play into its humor and lively tone. Production designer Andrew Jackness, with set decorator Catherine Davis and art director Chris Shriver does amazing work with the look of the cruise ship with its exteriors as well as some of the interiors of the rooms and ballroom in the ship. Costume designer Juliet Polcsa does fantastic work with the design of the clothes from the clothes of the men including the lavish look of Burtom and the dresses that the women wear.

Hair stylists Victor DeNicola and Carla White do nice work with the hairstyles the women wore in those times along with some of the wigs that some of the characters wear. Sound editor Robert Hein does terrific work with the sound in the way some of the sound effects are presented as well as the sparse moment in the play scene. The film’s music by Gary DeMichele is wonderful for its ragtime/jazz-based score that played into the period of the times while music supervisor Margot Core creates a soundtrack that play into that period including some old music in French as it relates to the destination of where the ship is going to.

The casting by Ellen Lewis is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it feature some notable small roles from David Lipman as a baker Arthur harasses and gives Maurice tickets to a show, Matt Malloy as a fellow actor that Maurice and Arthur knows who had been humiliated by Burtom, Lewis J. Stadlen as a band leader, Elizabeth Bracco as an entertainment director for the cruise, Allan Corduner as the ship’s captain, Michael Emerson as Burtom’s assistant, Teagle F. Bougere as a sheik who has a fondness for a certain French song, Matt McGrath as an Italian detective named Marco who is afraid to kill as he has feelings for one of the ship’s directors in Lily, and Woody Allen in an un-credited yet funny performance as a neurotic stage director Maurice and Arthur audition for. Richard Jenkins and Allison Janney are superb in their respective roles as the con artists Johnny and Maxine as Americans who pretend to be French as they both try to woo Mrs. Essendine and the sheik. Tony Shalhoub is stellar as the ship’s first mate Voltri as a man who runs the ship but also has some very dark motives of his own.

Dana Ivey is wonderful as the widowed Mrs. Essendine who is upset that her late husband didn’t leave her a cent while Hope Davis is terrific as her daughter Emily who grieves for her father and acts melancholy until she notices the heartbroken singer. Isabella Rossellini is fantastic as the veiled queen who laments over being deposed and not want to be seen as she is fun to watch while Campbell Scott is hilarious as the German cruise director Meistrich who has a thing for Lily where he is just a hoot. Billy Connolly is excellent as the tennis pro Sparks who definitely bear some homosexual tendencies as he is fond of Maurice while Steve Buscemi is amazing as the suicidal and heartbroken singer Happy Franks. 

Lili Taylor is brilliant as a cruise director in Lily who befriends Maurice and Arthur as she tries to help them hide as well as deal with Meistrich. Alfred Molina is phenomenal as the egomaniacal actor Jeremy Burtom as a man who is quite full of himself and isn’t aware that he’s just a hack. Finally, there’s the duo of Stanley Tucci and Oliver Platt in remarkable performances in their respective roles as Arthur and Maurice as two unemployed struggling actors trying to get work where an awkward moment with Burtom leads them to accidentally stow away on a cruise where they do whatever they can to hide as they use their acting skills to save them.

The Impostors is a sensational film from Stanley Tucci. Featuring a great cast, amazing set pieces, lively music, and a willingness to just let loose and have fun. It’s a film that is aware that it’s being indulgent while giving the actors a chance to just act out and be funny. In the end, The Impostors is a spectacular film from Stanley Tucci.

Stanley Tucci Films: (Big Night) - (Joe Gould’s Secret) - (Blind Date (2007 film))

© thevoid99 2016

Ginger & Rosa

Written and directed by Sally Potter, Ginger & Rosa is the story of two young girls living in the 1960s as they cope with the threat of nuclear holocaust during the Cold War as well as a growing divergence between the two. The film is a coming of age tale set entirely in the year of 1962 Britain during the period of the Cuban Missile Crisis as a young woman fears about the concept of no future. Starring Elle Fanning, Alice Englert, Alessandro Nivola, Christina Hendricks, Timothy Spall, Oliver Platt, Jodhi May, and Annette Bening. Ginger & Rosa is a compelling and touching film from Sally Potter.

The film revolves around the lives of two 17-year old girls in 1962 Britain as they cope with the idea of nuclear holocaust as they both diverge into different paths where one of them tries to do something about it while the other falls in love. It’s a film that is a coming-of-age tale set in the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis where two girls are trying to have fun but certain events in their lives would change things. While Ginger (Elle Fanning) and Rosa (Alice Englert) have many similarities in their personalities and adventures as they were both born on the same day to young mothers. The latter would find herself be drawn to Ginger’s free-spirited father Roland (Alessandro Nivola) in his views of being independent and wild as he encourages Ginger to do so. Yet, Ginger is becoming interested in poetry as she also tries to find herself through activism.

Sally Potter’s screenplay doesn’t just play into the relationship between the two girls but also the events that would drive them apart. Notably Rosa’s actions as she likes to drink and smoke while make out with boys while Ginger is confused if she wants that as she becomes more passionate about activism as well as poetry. While Rosa isn’t exactly a bad person but rather someone who does bad things, her lack of a father figure and need for one in Roland would create a schism in her friendship with Ginger who would also lash out over the state of the world. The film’s second half would have Ginger live with her father but it becomes clear that it’s not ideal where she turns to family friends including an experienced activist in Bella (Annette Bening) who knows what Ginger is dealing with but also tell her there is still a solution to the chaos of the world.

Potter’s direction is quite simple in terms of the compositions she creates yet does manage to create some dazzling visuals as it relates to the world that Ginger and Rosa are living in. Shot largely in locations near Kent in Britain, the film does play into a small-town yet post-war feel in a world that is changing but grounded as much of the film is set in a working class environment where kids are listening to jazz and rock n’ roll. While Potter uses a lot of wide shots to capture the scenes set on Roland’s boat and in some location shots, she maintains an intimacy with the medium shots and close-ups. Especially as it plays into Ginger’s own growing pains and confusion as it would culminate into the third act where she begins to realize that the world she is in as it relates to her father is just as complicated as what is happening around her. Even as Rosa becomes a more complicated person to the point that Ginger has no clue how to comprehend everything around her. Overall, Potter crafts a mesmerizing coming-of-age film about two teenage girls diverging into different paths amidst the growing threat of a nuclear holocaust.

Cinematographer Robbie Ryan does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography to create some very vibrant and colorful looks for many of the exterior scenes set in the day and night along with some low-key lighting for some of the interior scenes in the film. Editor Anders Refn does nice work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward with a few stylish bits such as an opening montage on Ginger and Rosa‘s lives as well as some scenes that play into Ginger‘s emotional turmoil. Production designer Carlos Conti, with set decorator Liz Griffiths and art director Andrea Matheson, does fantastic work with the look of Roland‘s home with its somewhat-Bohemian look that is a sharp contrast to the simplistic yet more spacious home that Ginger lives with her mother. Costume designer Holly Waddington does excellent work with the costumes with the look of early 1960s fashion including the turtleneck sweaters the girls would wear.

Hair/makeup designer Tara McDonald does terrific work with the hairstyles of Ginger and Rosa with the former having dyed red hair as well as the look of young men in Teddy-boy haircuts. Visual effects supervisor Martin Madsen does some fine work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects which is just essentially bits of set dressing for some of the locations. Sound editor Eddie Simonsen does superb work with the sound in not just capturing some of the moments in the locations but also in the way the reports on the radio about the Cuban Missile Crisis is being presented. Music supervisor Amy Ashworth creates a wonderful soundtrack that features different kinds of music from classical, jazz, and rock n’ roll as it features contributions from Franz Schubert, Little Richard, Chubby Checker, Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Sidney Bechet, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Miles Davis, the Shadows, Les Paul, and Django Reinhardt.

The casting by Irene Lamb and Heidi Levitt is brilliant as it features some notable small roles from Andrew Hawley as the lead activist Tony that Ginger befriends, Luke Cloud as Rosa’s father who is only seen briefly early in the film, and Jodhi May in a wonderful role as Rosa’s mother Anoushka who deals with her daughter’s behavior as well as the activities she is doing. Oliver Platt and Timothy Spall are excellent in their roles as two family friends named Mark who help Ginger in dealing with the chaos of the world as well as provide their own insight into the way things are. Annette Bening is fantastic as Bella as an activist friend of the American Mark who would help Ginger in answers about the ways of the world while calling out on some of Roland’s own bullshit idealism.

Christina Hendricks is amazing as Ginger’s mother Natalie as a former artist turned homemaker who becomes overwhelmed with her daughter’s activities and her husband’s infidelities where she struggles to maintain some sanity over what is happening in her family life. Alessandro Nivola is superb as Ginger’s father Roland who is this free-spirited pacifist who encourages his daughter to be independent and free but often does a lot of bad things as it includes sleeping with other women and students where one of them would be too much for Ginger to deal with. Alice Englert is remarkable as Rosa as a 17-year old girl who becomes more fascinated by boys rather than the reality of nuclear holocaust as she starts to dress more stylish and act a certain way where she would make Ginger feel uncomfortable. Finally, there’s Elle Fanning in an incredible performance as Ginger as a 17-year old girl dealing with the reality of what is coming as she leans towards her poetry to cope with not just that reality but also the one close by as it relates to her disintegrating friendship with Rosa and her relationship with her father.

Ginger & Rosa is a marvelous film from Sally Potter that features a mesmerizing performance from Elle Fanning. Along with a great supporting cast as well as a compelling premise that play into real world situations from the views of a young lady. It’s a coming-of-age film that plays a lot into what happens when a bomb will drop and two young girls different reaction to that reality. In the end, Ginger & Rosa is a rapturous film from Sally Potter.

Sally Potter Films: (The Gold Diggers) - (Orlando) - (The Tango Lesson) - (The Man Who Cried) - (Yes) - (Rage)

© thevoid99 2016

Please Give

Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, Please Give is the story about a couple and their daughter dealing with an aging neighbor as they befriend the woman‘s adult granddaughters. Meanwhile, one of the granddaughters try to deal with her lonely life as she starts dating while her grandmother’s neighbor tries to help out any way she can over her worry with the state of the world. Starring Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, Ann Guilbert, Sarah Steele, Amanda Peet, and Rebecca Hall. Please Give is a clever yet intriguing film from Nicole Holofcener.

Kate (Catherine Keener) and Alex (Oliver Platt) are vintage furniture sellers who have a teenage daughter named Abby (Sarah Steele) who is going through her own growing pains. Living next door is an aging, cranky neighbor named Andra (Ann Guilbert) who is about to turn 91 as she is often cared by her kind yet lonely granddaughter Rebecca (Rebecca Hall). Kate often bumps into Rebecca as they would often have conversations as Rebecca is a radiology technician for breast cancer while her older sister Mary (Amanda Peet) is a cosmetologist. When Kate and Alex invite Andra, Rebecca, and Mary for Andra’s birthday dinner, Kate and Alex reluctantly reveal what they will do to Andra’s apartment when she passes away which doesn’t surprise the more cynical Mary.

With Kate worried about her daughter’s desire to purchase expensive jeans, she wants to help out those who really need things as she often gives money to the homeless and try to volunteer to help out other people. Alex meanwhile, becomes interested in Mary as he goes to her spa for a facial where flirtation ensues with the two. While helping out a patient named Mrs. Portman (Lois Smith), Rebecca meets her patient’s grandson Eugene (Thomas Ian Nicholas) as the two go out where she takes Andra and Mrs. Portman on a ride to the Catskills Mountains. Kate learns that some of the furniture she bought and sold is being sold once again by another competitor which only adds to her anxieties about the state of the world. With Abby more worried about her face and trying to fit in, Alex becomes upset over Kate’s issues while Mary starts to not help Rebecca in caring for Andra leading to a very drastic moment for all involved.

The film is about a group of people dealing with themselves as an old, cranky woman is about to likely to die as her neighbors want her apartment so they can expand their own. While the neighbors don’t want to do anything to hurt anyone, it does leave one of her granddaughters relieved about the whole other while the other is saddened by that prospect. For these four adults and a teenager, they’re all trying to deal with their own place in the world as characters like Kate and Rebecca are two women that really mean well in their generosity. Though it would often backfire for Kate who does upset Abby over the idea of giving away money. Rebecca is a bit more cautious as she has a hard time leading a normal life as she is devoted to taking care of her grandmother until she actually meets someone who is actually a nice guy.

While Alex, Abby, and Mary aren’t entirely selfish people despite their desires for wanting certain things. Alex is just trying to run a store while becomes fascinated by the idea of spa facials where he would have this flirtatious relationship with Mary. Mary likes this relationship although she is having her own issues over by often going to this clothing store and not buy anything. Mary may be the most un-likeable character of the entire film but Nicole Holofcener doesn’t portray her to be that overly-selfish as she does try to help Abby out with her facial breakouts. The script does have a lot of witty dialogue and humor as well as some captivating drama that occurs quite often. The only flaw with it is that it’s uneven due to the fact that there’s a lot of characters involved in their own worlds which doesn’t make the story as tight as it could’ve been.

Holofcener’s direction is quite understated and straightforward in the way she shoots conversations and scenes where characters are walking around the streets of New York City. Yet, the film starts off with these shots of women getting their breasts examined as it’s Holofcener making the audience uncomfortable by what she’s showing. It’s part of her strange yet quirky sense of humor as it revels in the theme of aging that Holofcener does touch on throughout the film. One of Holofcener’s gifts as a filmmaker is the way she directs actors where she can get them to relax and emote in certain ways. Even as she is shooting them on a sidewalk or in a room as she captures the energy of these conversations or allow them to react to their moments in a silent manner. Overall, Holofcener creates an engrossing yet humorous film about people and their willingness to try and be good.

Cinematographer Yaron Orbach does a nice job with the film‘s photography from the colorful daytime look exterior and interior settings to the look of Rebecca and Mary‘s home at night. Editor Robert Frazen does an excellent job with the film‘s editing by utilizing straight yet rhythmic cuts to play with the film‘s humor while maintaining a leisured pace for the film. Production designer Mark White, with art director Lauren Fitzsimmons and set decorators Kim Chapman and Kris Moran, does a brilliant job with the set pieces created from the homes of the characters to the furniture that Kate and Alex are selling in their shop.

Costume designer Ane Crabtree does a wonderful job with the costumes from the casual clothes most of the cast wear to the more stylish look of Mary and Abby. Visual effects supervisor Mark Russell does a good job in recreating some of the exterior of the mountains that Rebecca, Andra, Mrs. Portman, and Eugene go to see. Sound editor Lora Hirschberg does a fine job with the sound work from the exterior settings of the city to some of the intimate moments in some of the interior scenes in the film. The film’s folk-jazz score by Marcelo Zarvos is superb for underplaying the drama and humor of the film.

The casting by Jeanne McCarthy is brilliant for the ensemble that is created along with a slew of appearances from well-known actors such as Scott Cohen as Rebecca’s boss, Kevin Corrigan and Elizabeth Berridge as a couple of furniture sellers, Thomas Ian Nicholas as the very kind Eugene, and Lois Smith as Eugene’s lively grandmother Mrs. Portman. Ann Guilbert is great as the cranky Andra who always spout inappropriate lines about food and everything else while dealing with her old age. Sarah Steele is terrific as the 15-year old Abby who is obsessed with wanting expensive jeans while dealing with her own growing pains and her mother’s obsession with helping people out. Amanda Peet is excellent as the cynical Mary who doesn’t really like her grandmother and always say mean things while befriending Alex over their love of facial spa work.

Oliver Platt is wonderful as the calm yet curious Alex who is interested in Mary’s work while trying to deal with Kate’s own obsession with helping people as well as his furniture business. Rebecca Hall is amazing as the kind and helpful Rebecca who tries to deal with her grandmother as well as her own lonely life as she seeks to find love. Finally, there’s Catherine Keener in a fantastic performance as the well-meaning Kate who tries to deal with her business as well was wanting to make the world a better place. It’s a performance where Keener endures humility as well as the fact that she’s a mess because she can’t fix everything around her as it’s one of Keener’s top performances.

Please Give is a stellar and heartwarming film from Nicole Holofcener. Featuring a remarkable ensemble cast led by Catherine Keener, it’s a film that explores people trying to figure themselves out while helping out those they feel are in need of help. While it doesn’t have a much more concise narrative than Holofcener’s previous films. Holofcener makes up for it by creating real characters that audiences can relate to. In the end, Please Give is a charming film from Nicole Holofcener.

Nicole Holofcener Films: Walking and Talking - Lovely & Amazing - Friends with Money - Enough Said - The Auteurs #22: Nicole Holofcener

© thevoid99 2012

X-Men: First Class

When the X-Men film franchise arrived in 2000 under the direction of Bryan Singer, the first film helped created a new wave of films based on comic book-created superheroes. 2003’s sequel X2: X-Men United was considered to be the best of the franchise as Singer brought more legitimacy to the franchise. Then, Singer left to do 2006’s Superman Returns as the franchise was taken over by Brett Ratner for 2006’s X-Men 3: The Last Stand which drew very mixed reviews from fans and critics. Then came 2009’s prequel, X-Men Origins: Wolverine that many considered to be the worst as a planned origins story on Magneto was scrapped in favor of another origins story about Magneto’s friendship with Charles Xavier for X-Men: First Class.

X-Men: First Class tells the story of how Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto and Charles Xavier/Professor X first met along with the formation of the X-Men and how their relationship dissolved as the whole film is set primarily in the 1960s. Helming the film is Matthew Vaughn of Layer Cake and Kick-Ass fame as he co-writes the script with longtime collaborator Jane Goldman along with Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz that is based on a story from Bryan Singer and Sheldon Turner. The film is a part origins story about Xavier and Lehnsherr but also introduces mutants that would be part of the series. Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, January Jones, Oliver Platt, Zoe Kravitz, Jason Flemying, and Kevin Bacon. X-Men: First Class is a good and entertaining film from Matthew Vaughn.

It’s the 1960s as the Cold War is brewing as Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) is planning to get World War III started by convincing Colonel Hendry (Glenn Morshower) to put missiles in Turkey. Yet, Shaw’s real name is Schmidt who had been a German professor during World War II as a man named Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) is trying to find him. Meanwhile in England, Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) has graduated from Oxford as he’s joined by his adopted sister Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) where they meet a CIA agent named Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) who asks for their help against Shaw. During a failed attack against Shaw’s ship, Charles meets Erik who had been trying to attack Shaw.

While CIA director McCone (Matt Craven) isn’t sure about using mutants to battle against the energy-absorbing Shaw. He ask MacTaggert and another agent (Oliver Platt) to aid Xavier to get things ready against Shaw with help from Lensherr and Raven as they meet Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult) who has feet different from humans. McCoy introduces Xavier and Lensherr to new gadgets including a machine called Cerebro to increase Xavier’s telepathy as he tracks down mutants to join their team. After the search, Xavier and Lensherr along with MacTaggert go to the Soviet Union to see if Shaw would arrive to meet with a general only to realize that he sent one of his aides in Emma Frost (January Jones). Shaw meanwhile, stages an attack with his henchman Azazel (Jason Flemyng) and Riptide (Alex Gonzalez) on the CIA to gain the mutants that Xavier and Lensherr recruited.

After Frost’s capture and learning what Shaw did, Xavier decided to move the operations to his home as he and Lensherr decide to teach Raven, Hank, Sean Cassidy (Caleb Landry Jones) and Alex Summers (Lucas Till) to prepare them for battle. With Hank trying to make a cure that would keep mutant abilities but make them look human, he tries it on himself which ends up looking more mutant. Xavier learns about Erik’s past as he tries to get him to reason as they start to battle Shaw and his team to prevent World War III from happening in Cuba. Even as the battle would eventually lead to the division between Xavier and Lensherr.

The film is essentially an origins story of sort about both Erik Lensherr and Charles Xavier in how they lived different lives and why they are the different men that originally formed the group that would become the X-Men. At the same time, it allows the story to learn where Cerebro came from and why Xavier used the house he lived in as a school. While that’s part of the story of the film, it also allows the film to get into stories such as Lensherr’s past in the Holocaust as well as introducing characters such as Mystique, Beast, and MacTaggert as how they played part into the X-Men lore. The problem with the script is that there’s so much told in the film but not enough to simplify things.

The screenplay does have some characters such as Raven, Hank, Moira, Shaw, Charles, and Erik that got things to do and fully-realized. Yet, there was also some that didn’t get fully developed as there were too many characters in the film to kind of follow. Some appear and then they’re gone while the Emma Frost character is really very dull. While setting the film during the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis isn’t a bad idea and there wasn’t too much exposition in the film. That use of historical elements mixed in with the story and all of these characters create something that is too much without a central focus which should’ve been solely on Xavier and Lensherr.

Matthew Vaughn’s direction has some excellent moments though it has things that many blockbuster film audiences have seen before. Still, Vaughn manages to cram some humor into the film that includes a cameo by a future X-Men. Vaughn does create some exciting action sequences while his real strength in his direction is in the more intimate scenes involving Charles and Erik. He doesn’t have to do much and let the actors act as it features Vaughn doing what he does best. Yet, due to the script’s lack of cohesiveness and Vaughn wanting to incorporate many different genres into the film. Vaughn isn’t able to make things simpler while giving in to clichés with some things in the film. Overall, Vaughn does manage to make something that is entertaining but doesn’t do enough to make it stand out with the rest of the films in the X-Men franchise.

Cinematographer John Mathieson does some good work with the photography that includes some excellent moments such as the stylish lights at nightclub where Erik and Charles interview a mutant along with the blue-lights that surrounded Shaw‘s submarine reactor. Editors Eddie Hamilton and Lee Smith do a fine job with the editing that includes a wonderful montage scene of the mutants in training. Production designer Chris Seagers, along with set decorators Erin Boyd and Sonja Klaus and art director John King do a very good job with the look of Shaw‘s sub along with the clubs of the 1960s and the early versions of Cerebro and the X-plane.

Costume designer Sammy Sheldon does a nice job with the costumes from the 60s-style clothing the women wear including the lingerie to the early X-Men suits the team wears for the climatic battle scene. Visual effects supervisor Guy Williams does some excellent work for the visual effects moments such as Raven and Emma Frost changing form or Azazel popping up every now again as a teleporter. Sound designer Craig Berkey does some wonderful work with the sound such as the sound of rockets firing and cannons exploding to the chaos that goes on during the climatic battle scene. The film’s score by Henry Jackman is pretty good as its orchestral flair plays up to the drama and action moments of the film. Even as it has a bit of a 60s vibe to the music which features some songs from the early 1960s.

The casting by Roger Mussenden, Jeremy Rich, and Lucinda Syson has some inspiring moments as it features some appearances from Michael Ironside as a U.S. Navy captain, James Remar as a U.S. general, Ray Wise as a U.S. secretary Rade Sherbedgia as a Russian general, Don Creech as Col. William Stryker, and a couple of cameos from previous players of the X-Men films. Morgan Lilly, Laurence Belcher, and Bill Milner are very good as the young versions of Raven, Charles, and Erik, respectively as is Glenn Morshower as Col. Hendry and Matt Craven as the CIA director.

Jason Flemyng and Alex Gonzalez are OK in their respective roles as the villains Azazel and Riptide though they don’t get much to do other than be bad and fight. Edi Gathegi is OK as the good mutant Darwin as he only appears briefly as does Oliver Platt in a small role as a CIA agent. Zoe Kravitz has her moments as Angel though she doesn’t get much to do either other than fly and be sexy. Caleb Landry Jones and Lucas Till are very good in their respective roles as Sean Cassidy/Banshee and Alex Summers/Havok as they get to have a few funny lines. The film’s worst performance easily goes to January Jones as Emma Frost as Jones does nothing but look sexy and read lines as the only highlight in her performance is her lovely cleavage.

Rose Byrne is very good as Moira MacTaggart, the CIA agent who becomes part of the X-Men team as well as being a love interest of sorts for Xavier. Byrne plays it straight for most of the film as she does get a few funny moments including a great scene where she looks amazing in lingerie. Nicholas Hoult is also good as Hank McCoy/Beast who is a young scientist who helps develop future X-Men inventions while trying to find a cure to normalize the mutant gene as he eventually embraces his mutant role. Jennifer Lawrence is excellent as Raven/Mystique, a young woman wanting to fit in as she is torn between the two ideologies of Charles and Erik while befriending Hank. Kevin Bacon is superb as Sebastian Shaw, the film’s main antagonist as Bacon gets a chance to flex his language skills while be a charming villain who can be manipulative and cool.

The film’s best performances definitely go to James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. In the role of Charles Xavier/Professor X, McAvoy brings some humor to the character while being the man who pleads for peace and understanding. McAvoy brings a calm approach to his performance as he is also the most nurturing teacher of the X-Men team. For the role of Erik Lensherr/Magneto, Fassbender brings a more menacing quality as a man seeking revenge as he is the opposite of Xavier in wanting to be violent if necessary. It’s a remarkable performance for Fassbender as he also brings a great tragic weight to his character that is conflicted while he and McAvoy have great chemistry together.

Despite the messy script and uneven direction of the film, X-Men: First Class is a pretty good film from Matthew Vaughn thanks in part to the stellar performances of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. While the film does have something to offer to fans of the genre, it doesn’t do enough to make it more straightforward. Even though it is a vast improvement over the previous films like X-Men 3: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. In the end, X-Men: First Class is an entertaining film from Matthew Vaughn that serves its purpose to its fans.

Matthew Vaughn Films: (Layer Cake) - (Stardust) - Kick-Ass - Kingsman: The Secret Service

X-Men Films: X-Men - X2: X-Men United - X-Men 3: The Last Stand - X-Men Origins: Wolverine - The Wolverine - X-Men: Days of Future Past - X-Men: Apocalypse - Logan (2017 film) - Deadpool 2 – (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) - (New Mutants)

© thevoid99 2011