Oppenheimer

 

Based on the book American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Oppenheimer is the story of Robert J. Oppenheimer and his role in creating the atomic bomb that would usher in the atomic age as it is told in different periods of time including two different hearings in the 1950s. Written for the screen and directed by Christopher Nolan, the film is an exploration into the life of a man who would help play a role in the destruction of the world as well as struggle with its aftermath that would play into his personal life as Oppenheimer is portrayed by Cillian Murphy. Also starring Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Olivia Thirlby, Benny Safdie, Dane DeHaan, Jason Clarke, Alex Wolff, Devon Bostick, Josh Peck, Michael Angarano, Gary Oldman, and Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss. Oppenheimer is a riveting and haunting film from Christopher Nolan.

July 16, 1945 is a day many physicists, scientists, and the world will remember in the project known as Trinity where a weapons test was held in the deserts of New Mexico 200 miles south from the Los Alamos area where many of these scientists would create the atomic bomb. A day that was overseen by J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team as they would create a weapon that had the ability to destroy cities and thus create a world of destruction as it would also set a chain of events leading to the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union that went on for nearly 50 years but also terror that would engulf the world in how it can destroy itself. The film is about the man who would help create the atomic bomb as Oppenheimer is a man filled with complications as someone who had theories about quantum physics and what it could do while is also someone with political views that leaned towards communism as it would later get him in trouble in the 1950s as he would endure a hearing in the era of McCarthyism.

Christopher Nolan’s screenplay doesn’t follow a traditional narrative as it is largely non-linear as it focuses on Oppenheimer’s early life, working for the Manhattan Project in the 1940s, his chaotic personal life, post-war life, and two hearings in the 1950s that would also involve Lewis Strauss as the latter revolves around Strauss at a Senate confirmation hearing as it relates to the former who is questioned over being a communist. The script also showcases a world in which Oppenheimer would see things as it relates to quantum physics while also going into a world where he becomes part of a social circle in the late 1920s/1930s involving those with communist views including a young woman in Jean Tatlot (Florence Pugh) whom he would have an on-off affair with while later marrying Katherine Puening (Emily Blunt) who would stick by him despite his affair with Tatlot that would end in the early 1940s. Oppenheimer’s work through quantum physics and its theories that included collaborations with Ernest Lawrence (Josh Hartnett) and Edward Teller (Benny Safdie) as it gets the attention of the American military as they learn about stories of the Nazi Germany creating their own nuclear weapon program under the supervision of German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg (Matthias Schweighofer) whom Oppenheimer met in the 1930s in Switzerland.

Working with General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) and his then subordinate in Lt. Kenneth Nichols (Dane DeHaan), Oppenheimer would work with the military as they chose a remote area in the New Mexico deserts that would become Los Alamos as they also recruited many scientists, theorists, and others to create the atomic bomb. Even as there would be other places around the country including a location in Chicago headed by Enrico Fermi (Danny Deferrari) and David L. Hill (Rami Malek) who would have their own ideas as they would meet with Oppenheimer outside of their respective bases. Nolan would also play into Oppenheimer’s own personal issues as it relates to the fallout of his affair with Tatlot and the chaos in his marriage to Katherine as well as the aftermath of World War II as he becomes the advisor for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission headed by Lewis Strauss only for Oppenheimer’s ideas to restrict nuclear weapon development has him at odds with Strauss who has a storyline about his 1959 Senate confirmation hearing.

Nolan’s direction is definitely stylish as it plays into recurring images of water, stars, and fire that play into the mind of Oppenheimer who thinks about the destruction that he’s created. Shot on various locations at New Mexico, California, New Jersey, and bits of Switzerland on 65mm large-format film and IMAX 65mm film in both color and black-and-white film stock. Nolan creates a film that plays into a world that is ever-changing while using its non-linear narrative to move back and forth into stories that relates to Oppenheimer’s life as well as the 1954 security hearing and Strauss’ 1959 Senate confirmation hearing. Notably as Nolan uses a lot of wide and medium shots to cover the vast look of the locations as well some of the hearings with the latter providing a sense of claustrophobia for Oppenheimer’s hearing as it also include these close-ups that add to the drama. There are also elements of surrealism for scenes at Oppenheimer’s hearing that includes him having to talk about his affair with Tatlot as they’re having sex at the hearing with Katherine watching in horror.

Nolan also maintains this sense of drama as it relates to Oppenheimer’s post-war life and the emergence of the Cold War such as a scene at a posh restaurant that is presented in both black-and-white and color as it relates to mood in how it would affect later events. Notably as Oppenheimer also deals with figures such as Boris Pash (Casey Affleck) and William L. Borden (David Dastmalchian) who would try and discredit Oppenheimer in different periods of time as Nolan’s direction would have his camera not show their faces at first or re-show a shot from a different perspective as it plays into the drama. The Trinity sequence of that famed bombing is among one of the key moments in the film as it is about where the camera is as well as those watching from afar where the bomb is about to drop. There is also this tense moment as the countdown occurs as there is a lot of tension but also moments such as Oppenheimer and General Groves having a moment despite their own differences. It all leads to the bomb exploding as it is a key moment in the film but it is followed in this aftermath including a surreal moment in what Oppenheimer realized what he had created.

Nolan’s approach to the hearings as it has all of this drama where Strauss’ aide (Alden Ehrenreich) pieces everything that Strauss had been talking about as it relates to Oppenheimer. Even as it plays into the drama over Oppenheimer’s past as well as Katherine’s past due to her own brief affiliation with communism where the hearing is this chilling moment where Katherine is being grilled by Roger Robb (Jason Clarke) only for things to backfire. Even as it would parallel with Strauss’ hearing where it would play into some surprising revelations into why he and Oppenheimer had a falling out. Its ending plays to a scene as it relates to Oppenheimer meeting Albert Einstein (Tom Conti) that is shown early in the film but its conversation isn’t revealed until the end. It all relates to a quote about Prometheus and what he brought to the world as it alludes to the troubled legacy that Oppenheimer would bring to the world. Overall, Nolan crafts a gripping yet intoxicating film about the man who would bring the world a weapon that would destroy it.

Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting for the scenes in Los Alamos and New Mexico including its usage of low-key lighting for the interior scenes at night while the black-and-white footage has a richness that play into the world that Strauss sees. Editor Jennifer Lame does incredible work with the film’s editing as its usage of montages, jump-cuts, and other stylish cut add to the drama as well as the usage of parallel moments in its non-linear narrative as it is a highlight of the film. Production designer Ruth de Jong, with supervising art director Samantha Englender plus set decorators Claire Kaufman, Olivia Peebles, and Adam Willis, does brilliant work with the look of the Los Alamos base including its houses, labs, and the tower where the bomb would drop for the Trinity project as well as the places that the characters lived in including the office where Oppenheimer has his hearing. Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick does excellent work with the costumes that play into the period of the time as well as the suit and Fedora hat that Oppenheimer wears as well as some of the dresses that Katherine and Tatlot would wear.

Prosthetic makeup designer Luisa Abel does terrific work with the makeup effects for a key scene in which Oppenheimer sees a young woman’s skin starting to peel away in a surreal moment as it relates to what Oppenheimer has done. The special effects work of Scott R. Fisher and Laurie Pellard, along with visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson, do amazing work with the visual effects with the usage of practical effects to create the sense of realism in what Oppenheimer sees as well as the explosions in the tests he and his team would create. Sound designer Richard King does remarkable work with the sound in the way certain gadgets would sound as well as the immense explosion of the Trinity bomb as it is a major highlight of the film. The film’s music by Ludwig Goransson is phenomenal for its mixture of eerie orchestral pieces as well as some electronic-based bits as it plays into the dramatic suspense and tension that looms into the film as well as the sense of dread as Goransson’s score is a major highlight of the film.

The casting by John Papsidera is marvelous as it features some notable small roles and appearances from Flora Nolan as the young woman Oppenheimer sees at an event following the Trinity project whose skin gets peeled by the bomb, Danny Deferrari as the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi who works in Chicago, James Remar as the then-Secretary of War in the 1940s in Henry Stimson, Emma Dumont as Oppenheimer’s sister-in-law Jackie, Macon Blair as Oppenheimer’s lawyer during the security hearings in Lloyd K. Garrison, Matthias Schweighofer as the German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg whom Oppenheimer meets in the 1930s, Jack Cutmore-Scott as Security Officer Lyall Johnson, James Urbaniak as the philosopher Kurt Godel whom Oppenheimer would meet in Switzerland, James D’Arcy as the experimental physicist Patrick Blackett whom Oppenheimer studied from at Cambridge back in 1926, Hap Lawrence as U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, Louise Lombard as Teller’s lover Ruth Tolman, Josh Zuckerman as one of Oppenheimer’s first students in Giovanni Rossi Lomanitz, and Gary Oldman in a superb one-scene appearance as U.S. President Harry S. Truman.

In roles as members of the team that helped Oppenheimer in creating the bomb include Michael Angarano as Robert Serber, Devon Bostick as Seth Neddemeyer, Olli Haaskivi as Edward Condon, Alex Wolff as a former student of Oppenheimer in Luis Walter Alvarez, Harrison Gilbertson as Philip Morrison, Jack Quaid as Richard Feynman, Josh Peck as Kenneth Bainbridge who would push the button for the Trinity bomb explosion, Gustaf Skarsgard as German-American physics theorist Hans Bethe, Christopher Denham as Klaus Fuchs who would later revealed to be a spy for the Soviet Union, and Olivia Thirlby as the lone woman in the team in Lilli Hornig who would play a key part in the development of the Trinity Project as they’re all fantastic in their roles with Angarano, Peck, Wolff, and Thirlby being the major standouts.

Other notable key small roles include Matthew Modine as Vannevar Bush who helps create the Manhattan Project, David Krumholtz as Oppenheimer’s friend Isidor Isaac Rabi who is also a physicist who is worried about the moral implications in creating the bomb, Dylan Arnold as Oppenheimer’s younger brother Frank who would help find the site for Los Alamos, Jefferson Hall as Haakon Chevalier as a friend of Oppenheimer with ties to communism, Tony Goldwyn as Gordon Gray as the head judge at Oppenheimer’s hearing, David Dastmalchian as William L. Borden as a government official who would write a letter to the FBI accusing Oppenheimer to be a spy for the Soviet Union, Dane DeHaan as General Groves’ subordinate Kenneth Nichols who would also try to discredit Oppenheimer in the 1950s, and Alden Ehrenreich as Strauss’ senate aide who accompanies Strauss during the hearing while trying to piece together Strauss’ relationship with Oppenheimer.

Tom Conti is excellent as Albert Einstein as the famed physicist/scientist whom Oppenheimer goes to advice over calculations as he would later meet Einstein years later in the 1950s as he laments over what Oppenheimer has created. Jason Clarke is superb as Roger Robb as a prosecutor at Oppenheimer’s hearing who is intent on bringing Oppenheimer and his associates down while Josh Hartnett is fantastic as Ernest Lawrence as a colleague at Berkeley who is aware of what Oppenheimer is creating though the two would later fall out for a time. Benny Safdie is brilliant as Edward Teller as the famed theoretical physicist who is a key figure that collaborates with Oppenheimer as well as coming up with the idea of the hydrogen bomb despite Oppenheimer’s views on nuclear weapons. Kenneth Branagh is amazing in his small role as Niels Bohr as the Danish physicist who is fascinated by Oppenheimer’s theories as he would be a mentor while also getting a look into Oppenheimer’s work.

Rami Malek and Casey Affleck are great in their performances in their respective small roles as physicist David L. Hill and Colonel Boris Pash with the former who worked in Chicago as he would later play a key role at Strauss’ hearing while the latter is a military official who tries to discredit Oppenheimer. Florence Pugh is incredible as Jean Tatlot as Oppenheimer’s lover in the 1930s who had communist views as they would have an unusual relationship only for things to disintegrate following his marriage to Katherine as their affair would later get troubling. Emily Blunt is marvelous as Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer as Oppenheimer’s wife who deals with her husband’s role and his affair as well as the things said about him where Blunt has a great moment upon being confronted by Robb at her husband’s security hearing as she destroyed him. Matt Damon is remarkable as General Leslie Groves as a military official who works with Oppenheimer despite their own differences as he sees the potential of what they’re creating as he also knows what is at stake during World War II.

Robert Downey Jr. is phenomenal as Lewis Strauss as the head at U.S. Atomic Energy Commission who would bring Oppenheimer as an advisor only to feel humiliated by Oppenheimer as he would have a falling out with Oppenheimer as he would later have a Senate confirmation hearing where he would talk about his issues with Oppenheimer as Downey shows restraint in his performance but also a lot of complexities into the character. Finally, there’s Cillian Murphy in a tremendous performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer as the famed theorist physicist who is called the Father of the Atomic Bomb as he is man that is filled with complications as he tries to figure out how to create something only to realize that he has created a chain of events that would trouble him. Murphy’s performance is filled with a lot of restraint but also anguish into a man who deals with a legacy that would haunt him as it is a career-defining performance from Murphy.

Oppenheimer is an outstanding film from Christopher Nolan that features a spectacular leading performance from Cillian Murphy. Along with its ensemble cast, immense technical work, a screenplay that explores a man’s troubled life and what he created, and Ludwig Goransson’s eerie music score. It is a film that is unlike many bio-pics as it focuses more on exploring the legacy of a man who would create a weapon for the world to destroy itself and the morality he would endure for his part in that creation. In the end, Oppenheimer is a magnificent film from Christopher Nolan.

Christopher Nolan Films: Following (1998 film) - Memento - Insomnia (2002 film) - Batman Begins - The Prestige - The Dark Knight - Inception - The Dark Knight Rises - Interstellar - Dunkirk - Tenet - The Auteurs #13: Christopher Nolan

© thevoid99 2023

White Orchid (2018 film)

Written, edited, and directed by Steve Anderson, White Orchid is the story of a part-time social services investigator who takes on the identity of a dead woman to capture a serial killer who killed the woman. The film is a neo-noir film that has a woman help the police to catch a killer but becomes lost in the identity that she inhabits. Starring Olivia Thirlby, Jennifer Beals, John Carroll Lynch, Janina Gavankar, Raymond J. Barry, Brendan Sexton III, Rachael Taylor and Nichelle Nichols. White Orchid is an intriguing though underwhelming film from Steve Anderson.

Following the death of a woman who was beheaded and found naked on a beach, a part-time social services investigator is asked by local police officials to take part of the case as she would pretend to be the dead woman only to get way over her head. It’s a film with a simple premise as it play into a woman being asked to investigate a murder in a small town near San Francisco yet it is also a film about identity where this shy and reserved part-time social services investigator takes more than she bargains for. Steve Anderson’s screenplay largely revolves on the protagonist of Claire (Olivia Thirlby) who is asked by a district attorney in Vivian (Jennifer Beals) to investigate this case and give out any information to the local authority figure in Sheriff Martin (John Carroll Lynch).

While Claire would learn about this mysterious killer and its victim, she also learns about the latter and her vices where she would wear wigs and such as Claire would inhabit a different identity. The script does succeed in Claire’s fascination for this victim yet it has a lot of tonal issues in what it wants to be as a story while it doesn’t do much to build up the suspense. Even as it prefers to be something low key which doesn’t bring in a lot of surprises as it’s one of the weaker elements of the film.

Anderson’s direction is largely simple in its compositions as it is shot largely on location in the Bay Area in California with a few shots in San Francisco where it is obvious there is a homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo in one notable shot as well as a few references to the film in a few scenes. Yet, it’s among some of the issues the film has where it isn’t sure what it wants to be where it wants to be this suspense-drama but it also wants to be a film about identity. Anderson does know how to create intriguing compositions that include a scene of Claire trying out wigs in a stylish montage created by Anderson, who also serves as its editor, as well as moments that play into elements of eroticism. Despite the many tonal issues the film has, Anderson is able to create scenes that are intriguing that include this climatic meeting between Claire and the person she believes is the killer as it is a battle of wits. Overall, Anderson creates a messy yet worthwhile film about a young investigator trying to solve a murder mystery as she pretends to be its victim.

Cinematographer Patrick Meade Jones does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward with some stylish lighting for a few scenes at night including a club scene. Art director Erin Cochran, with set decorators Abra Brayman and Fernando Valdes, does fantastic work with the look of the home of its victim as well as the small motel room that Claire would stay in for all of the research of her case. Costume designer E.B. Brooks does nice work with the costumes as it has an element of style in the clothes that Claire would wear as the victim that is stylish and sexy as opposed to the more reserved look that she usually sports. Sound mixer David Beebe does terrific work with the sound as it is largely straightforward to play into its locations and in some of the places Claire goes to. The film’s music by Enis Rotthoff is wonderful for its score as it has heavy orchestral themes for its suspenseful moments along with low-key ambient pieces for the quieter moments in the film.

The casting by Rebecca Mangieri and Wendy Weidman is superb as it feature some notable small roles from Michael Rodrick as a famed surgeon Claire sees in San Francisco whom she believes is a suspect, Raymond J. Barry as the neighbor of the victim, Kelsey Sieper as a woman Claire meets as the victim at a bar, Rachael Taylor as a mysterious woman Claire meets late in the film, Brendan Sexton III as a motel owner that Claire knows in James who deals with a break-in, Janina Gavankar as a friend of Claire in the musician Tina that helps her gather the research for the investigation, and Nichelle Nichols in a fantastic performance as an elderly blind woman that the victim used to chat with as Claire would befriend her. Jennifer Beals is terrific in a small role as Claire’s boss in the district attorney Vivian who gives Claire the big case though Beals is severely underused in the film.

John Carroll Lynch is excellent as Sheriff Martin as the local sheriff who helps Claire with the case while he has some concerns knowing its severity and Claire’s inexperience. Finally, there’s Olivia Thirlby in an incredible performance as Claire as a part-time social services investigator who is given a major assignment in a murder mystery where Thirlby displays that confusion and determination in a woman knowing she is dealing with a serious case while trying to understand its victim to find the killer as it is an entrancing and radiant performance from Thirlby.

White Orchid is a good yet uneven film from Steve Anderson that features an amazing performance from Olivia Thirlby. While it’s a film that does have some nice moments and intrigue about identity and loss, it does suffer from being inconsistent in its tone as well as wanting to be all sorts of film without finding its center. In the end, White Orchid is an alright film from Steve Anderson.

© thevoid99 2019

5 to 7

Written and directed by Victor Levin, 5 to 7 is the story of a young writer who meets a married woman as he would have an affair with her unaware that it’s part of an arrangement she has with her husband. The film is an exploration of love as well as young man finding out that the woman he’s with is having an open marriage with her husband. Starring Anton Yelchin, Berenice Marlohe, Olivia Thirlby, Lambert Wilson, Frank Langella, and Glenn Close. 5 to 7 is a majestic and fascinating film from Victor Levin.

Set entirely in New York City, the film revolves around a young writer whose encounter with a married French woman lead to an arranged affair between five to seven PM. It’s a film with a simple concept as it is largely told by this young man in his 20s who is trying to find himself as a writer but also find ideas to become a great one. Upon meeting this beautiful Frenchwoman in her 30s, he would have this affair but would have to meet between five and seven PM as he would learn that she is married to another man who is also in an open relationship with another woman. Victor Levin’s screenplay is largely told from the perspective of its protagonist Brian Bloom (Anton Yelchin) who is quite young as he hasn’t experienced enough with his life to create anything of worth in his desire to be a writer. When he meets Arielle Pierpont (Berenice Marlohe), he would gain some experience in this affair yet he becomes enamored by Arielle and her life. Though the script does follow scenarios that is typical of romantic-comedies, there are more complexities as it play into this arrangement as well as what it could for Brian’s future.

Levin’s direction is quite simple as it is shot on location in New York City and its various locations where it play into Brian living in a city where it’s known for giving birth to many writers as the city itself is a character in the film. Many of the compositions are simple with its usage of close-ups and medium shots to play into the intimacy of the scenes as well as in some of the parties. There are a few wide shots in the film yet Levin is more about Brian being part of Arielle’s life as she has two kids while introducing her to his parents who are baffled by this arrangement. The direction is also very playful as it owe a lot to elements of the French New Wave for much of the film’s first half that would include a lot of tracking shots yet the style would become more controlled and less stylized for the third act. Notably as it would play into Brian’s own view of the world and his own idea of love where things become complicated but there are things he would have to accept in his development as a man. Overall, Levin creates an engaging yet charming film about a young man’s affair with a married woman.

Cinematographer Arnaud Potier does excellent work with the cinematography in the way many of the rooms are lit from inside as well as the naturalistic exterior shots in the daytime. Editor Matt Maddox does nice work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward with a few jump cuts and montages in some sequences. Production designer Jeannine Oppewall and set decorator Susan Perlman do fantastic work with the look of the hotel suite Brian and Arielle would often meet at as well as Brian‘s quaint apartment and the lavish one Arielle lives in with her husband.

Costume designer Heidi Bivens does wonderful work with the costumes from the suits that Brian wears to the stylish clothes that Arielle wears. Sound designers J.M. Davey and Zach Seivers do terrific work with the sound as it is mostly low-key to play into the locations as well as in some of the parties that the characters go to. The film’s music by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans do superb work with the music as it‘s mostly a mixture of classical and waltz-based music with bits of jazz while music supervisor Laura Katz create a soundtrack filled with jazz, classical, and some French pop music.

The casting by Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram, and Heidi Levitt is great as it features appearances from real-life figures Julian Bond, Daniel Bouloud, Alan Gilbert, and David Remnick as themselves along with Milo Mungier Jacob and Brune de Drueille Senecterre in their respective roles as Arielle’s children Marc and Elodie and Eric Stoltz in a one-scene performance as the renowned editor Galassi. Glenn Close and Frank Langella are fantastic as Brian’s parents respectively in Arlene and Sam Bloom with Close as the more quirkier of the two while Langella is the more uptight who isn’t that fond of the relationship. Lambert Wilson is excellent as Arielle’s husband Valery as a man who loves his wife but also has a mistress as he tries to create a situation where everyone is happy as he also sees promise in Brian’s writing talents.

Olivia Thirlby is amazing as Valery’s mistress Jane as an editor who is able to help Brian sort out the arrangements of these affairs but also get him the chance to get his work published as she would be a friend to him. Berenice Marlohe is brilliant as Arielle Pierpont as a woman who meets Brian as she embarks on an affair with him as she learns about some of the aspects of American culture while becoming unsure if she can have a real relationship with him. Finally, there’s Anton Yelchin in a remarkable performance as Brian Bloom as a young writer trying to find experience in life as he meets and falls for Arielle while pondering if he can have a future with her despite their arrangements in Arielle’s open marriage.

5 to 7 is a marvelous film from Victor Levin that features incredible performances from Anton Yelchin, Berenice Marlohe, and Olivia Thirlby. It’s a romantic comedy that is very low-key yet is filled with some charm as well as some compelling ideas on open marriages and experiences for the young. In the end, 5 to 7 is an excellent film from Victor Levin.

© thevoid99 2017

The Stanford Prison Experiment

Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez and written by Tim Talbott, The Stanford Prison Experiment is the story of the real life experiment created by Dr. Philip Zimbardo where students would play prisoners and guards as the experiment becomes very dangerous. The film is a dramatic account of the experiment that led to a lot of controversy with Billy Crudup playing the role of Dr. Philip Zimbardo. Also starring Ezra Miller, Olivia Thirlby, Michael Angarano, Logan Miller, Nelsan Ellis, Ki Hong Lee, Tye Sheridan, Jack Kilmer, and Nicholas Braun. The Stanford Prison Experiment is a chilling yet visceral film from Kyle Patrick Alvarez.

In the summer of 1971 at Stanford University in California, psychology professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo decides to conduct a two-week experiment with 18 male students who would be paid $15 a day to volunteer where 9 students would play prisoners and 9 would play guards in a fictionalized prison. The objective was to study the psychological aspects of how prisoners deal with being prison and endure the abuse of the guards. What happens during the experiments is that things go too far where the students playing the guards become too comfortable with their roles while the prisoners either rebel or fall apart emotionally and psychologically. The film is about the experiment as it was considered very controversial as it showcases what Dr. Zimbardo was trying to do and how far it went where even those who are working with Dr. Zimbardo are taken aback at how far it’s gone.

Tim Talbott’s screenplay does have a unique structure where it is told in the span of days where time during this fictional prison is very slow but also confusing from the point-of-view of the prisoners. During the duration of two-weeks, prisoners would have emotional breakdowns while there are those who are willing to do what the guard says as either as a way to survive or not cause trouble. Yet, it would be observed by Dr. Zimbardo and members of his staff including a former prisoner in Jesse Fletcher (Nelsan Ellis) who also observes to see how real it is despite the fact that cells are offices and much of the action is in a hallway. Prisoners would have meetings with Dr. Zimbardo and others as if they’re being interrogated where it would eventually become too much not just for the young men playing the prisoners but also those in Dr. Zimbardo’s staff as well as Fletcher who would be forced to play a part that makes him very uncomfortable.

Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s direction is very intense in terms of what goes on in the experiment as the film is shot in a building in Los Angeles where there are very little exterior shots to play into an atmosphere that is very gripping. While there are a few exterior shots of the Stanford campus and the home of one of the volunteers pretending to be a prisoner, much of it is shot in the building where it has an intimacy that is very discomforting. Notably in the close-ups in how the guards interact and intimidate the prisoners where it feels too real at times as well as wondering when is someone going to break. The fact that much of the action takes place in this small hallway with rooms as prison cells has this air of claustrophobia in its look and feel. The scenes where Dr. Zimbardo and his staff are watching through a small TV that has a camera filming everything is just as eerie where there is more coverage in the wide and medium shots. Once the film progresses more and more as one day becomes the next, the mood definitely gets darker and more tense. Especially in a mock parole scene where Fletcher plays a parole board member who would list false charges a prisoner makes as Dr. Zimbardo’s then-girlfriend Christina Maslach (Olivia Thirlby) would look at what Fletcher is reading and see nothing.

Alvarez also create these moments where the prisoners try to find a way to break out but also deal with what is happening to them emotionally and mentally. The scenes where the prisoners and guards have to meet for a daily routine, the way they’re presented each day does intensify where a new prisoner would come in as he is just aghast in the experiment he’s volunteered for. Especially as what happens become terrifying as Dr. Zimbardo would be forced to watch everything as his colleagues begin to question the experiment itself. The film’s aftermath wouldn’t just showcase how troubling the experiment was but also the situations these volunteers had been put in through where it says a lot about the many complexities of human nature. Overall, Alvarez creates an unsettling yet evocative film about a man’s experiment about human behavior set in a prison.

Cinematographer Jack Shelton does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography to create different moods for much of the lighting in the cells and hallways as well as the rooms where Dr. Zimbardo and his team are watching everything. Editor Fernando Collins does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of-slow motion, jump-cuts, and other stylish cuts to play into the tension and drama that looms throughout the film. Production designer Gary Barbosa, with set decorator Sandra Skora and art director Andres Cubillan, does fantastic work with not just the look of the hallway and cells but also this cramped room known as the Hole as well as rooms that Dr. Zimbardo and his team would observe everything.

Costume designer Lisa Tomczeszyn does nice work with the costumes as much of the casual look is from clothes from the 70s while the look of the prisoners are ragged with just a long shirt and a pantyhose stocking as a cap. Sound editor Martyn Zub does terrific work with the sound as it‘s mostly low-key in how some of the sound is recorded at the Dr. Zimbardo‘s office to what it sounds naturally at the hallway. The film’s music by Andrew Hewitt is wonderful for its ambient-based score that plays into the drama as well as some of the terrifying moments in the film.

The casting by Angela Demo and Barbara J. McCarthy is great as it feature some notable small roles from Albert Malafronte as a priest, James C. Victor and Kate Butler as the parents of one of the prisoners in Peter Mitchell, and Fred Ochs as a professor who unknowingly makes an unexpected visit on the experiment. Other notable small roles include Moises Arias, Nicholas Braun, and Gaius Charles as the three associates of Dr. Zimbardo who are tasked to observe with him as they become more uncomfortable with the experiments. In the roles of some of the prison guards, the performances of Keir Gilchrist, James Wolk, Matt Bennett, James Frecheville, Mile Heizer, Callan McAuliffe, Benedict Samuel, and Harrison Thomas are superb in the roles as guys who act abusive with some becoming uneasy in what they’re doing in the experiment. In the roles of some of the prisoners, Chris Sheffield, Jack Kilmer, Brett Daverne, Jesse Carere, Logan Miller, Johnny Simmons, and Ki Hong Lee are excellent as a group of men who volunteer to play prisoners as they endure abuse and humiliation of the worst kind with some trying to find ways to survive.

Thomas Mann is fantastic in a small role as prisoner 416 who comes to the experiment late in the film as he deals with the harsh surroundings he is in as well as what he is forced to do. Nelsan Ellis is brilliant as Jesse Fletcher as a former convict who is asked by Dr. Zimbardo to observe as some of the events make him uncomfortable as he would have to confront one volunteer about his claim of being sick and another where he pretends to be a parole board figure. Olivia Thirlby is amazing as Christina Maslach as Dr. Zimbardo’s then-girlfriend who fills in for the observation where she becomes uncomfortable with what is happening. Tye Sheridan is remarkable as Peter Mitchell/prisoner 819 who tries to defy authority as he later endures some emotional and mental abuse that becomes too much for him to deal with.

Ezra Miller is marvelous as Daniel Culp/prisoner 8612 as the most rebellious prisoner who would always push the buttons of the guards only to be pushed back big time as he would try to make an escape. Michael Angarano is phenomenal as the guard Christopher Archer who would take his role too seriously as he would play a sadist as if he was John Wayne as it’s a fun yet dark performance from Angarano. Finally, there’s Billy Crudup in a remarkable performance as Dr. Philip Zimbardo as a psychological professor who is trying to create a study on human nature in a prison where he pushes things further to see how far things can go too far.

The Stanford Prison Experiment is a spectacular film from Kyle Patrick Alvarez. Featuring a great ensemble cast and a fascinating study on human nature and might happen to someone in prison. It’s a film showcases a man’s experiment and how far it went as it shows some of the horror of what might happen at a prison. In the end, The Stanford Prison Experiment is a riveting and harrowing film from Kyle Patrick Alvarez.

© thevoid99 2016

Nobody Walks

Directed by Ry Russo-Young and written by Russo-Young and Lena Dunham, Nobody Walks is the story of a young woman who moves into the guest home of a wealthy family to complete an art project where she unknowingly disrupt their life. The film is an exploration into a family whose quaint and idealistic life is shattered by an innocent outsider who has no clue what she had gotten herself into. Starring Olivia Thirlby, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt, India Ennenga, Dylan McDermott, and Justin Kirk. Nobody Walks is an intriguing yet mesmerizing film from Ry Russo-Young.

The film revolves around a 23-year old filmmaker who moves into the guest home of another filmmaker who will help her with the project she’s making as she finds herself getting involved in the life of this wealthy family. It’s a film that plays into a woman whose arrival doesn’t just create a bit of chaos in the life of this family but does it so without meaning to as she just needed help with her film. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just play into the ideas of a woman finding herself interfering a bit with the life of a family but also how things just happen amidst this chaos. Yet, the script doesn’t judge Martine (Olivia Thirlby) for her actions as she is just a young woman that needed help but she is also kind of flirtatious as she charms her host Peter (John Krasinski) where the two have a secret affair. Yet, things in Peter’s life become troubling when his therapist-wife Julie is dealing with a patient who reveals to have feelings for her while her daughter Kolt (India Ennenga) is dealing with growing pains and a creeping Italian tutor (Emanuele Secci).

Ry Russo-Young’s direction is very simple as she shoots the film largely on location in the Silver Lake area in Los Angeles. Russo-Young’s approach to hand-held cameras and the usage of close-ups and medium shots help play into the intimacy that looms throughout the film. Much of it is very loose in terms of how the actors are shown in the frame or in a scene such as a dinner sequence where Julie’s ex-husband Leroy (Dylan McDermott) shows up for a visit where it does make things a bit uncomfortable. The direction also feature some low-key humor but it’s mostly dramatic since it plays into this young woman needing help for her experimental film. The film-within-a-film is an experimental feature involving bugs where Martine just needed some sound as it plays like many experimental/art-driven films which play into Martine’s own personality. Even as she is someone that is in need of a home or companionship but manages to make a mess of things as she tries to fix them. Overall, Russo-Young creates an engaging yet low-key film about a young artist whose presence nearly causes trouble for a family.

Cinematographer Christopher Blauvet does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography in capturing the sunny look of the locations as well as creating some low-key lights for many of the film‘s nighttime interior/exterior scenes as well as Peter‘s sound room. Editor John Walter does nice work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward with some stylish jump-cuts to play into some of the dramatic moments into the film. Production designer Linda Sena and art director Mando Lopez do excellent work with the look of the home that Peter and Julie live in as well as Martine‘s guest home and the design of Julie‘s office.

Costume designer Kim Wilcox does terrific work with the costumes as it is largely casual with the exception of some of the stylish clothes that Martine wears. Sound designer Rich Bologna does fantastic work with the sound to create the many textures and sound effects that Martine needed for her film as well as capture some of the moments in the places the characters go to. The film’s music by Will Bates and the indie band Fall on Your Sword is wonderful for its mixture of dreamy and ambient music that plays into the Californian landscape while music supervisor Tiffany Anders brings in a mixture of folk and electronic music for the film’s party scene.

The casting by Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee is superb as it features some notable small roles from Jane Levy as Kolt’s classmate Caroline, Sam Lerner as another of Kolt’s classmate in Avi, Mason Welch as Peter and Julie’s son Dusty, Emanuele Secci as Kolt’s creepy Italian tutor, Rhys Wakefield as Peter’s assistant David whom Kolt has a crush on despite flirting with Martine, and Dylan McDermott in a terrific role as Julie’s ex-husband/Kolt’s father Leroy who arrives for dinner as he would create some discomfort for Martine and Peter. Justin Kirk is excellent as Julie’s patient Billy who reveals to her that he had dreams of having sex with her where a later encounter at the party makes Julie really uncomfortable. India Ennenga is fantastic as Kolt as Julie’s teenage daughter who deals with growing pains as she has a crush on step dad’s assistant while dealing with the strange teachings of her Italian tutor.

Rosemarie DeWitt is brilliant as Julie as a therapist who deals with Martine’s presence as well as her own issues as it’s a very low-key yet charming performance from DeWitt. John Krasinski is amazing as Peter as a filmmaker and stay-at-home dad who helps Martine do sound work on her film as he would fall for her only to deal with the implications of their tryst. Finally, there’s Olivia Thirlby in a phenomenal performance as Martine as this young artist who is seeking help to finish her experimental film as she is grateful for the help only to be flirtatious at times as it’s a very complex and charismatic performance from Thirlby.

Nobody Walks is a brilliant film from Ry Russo-Young that features incredible performances from Olivia Thirlby, John Krasinski, and Rosemarie DeWitt. With a captivating script and subtle themes on family, trysts, and art, it’s a film that doesn’t try to be or say anything but showcase the idea of needing to help and how someone can unknowingly screw things up. In the end, Nobody Walks is an amazing film from Ry Russo-Young.

© thevoid99 2016

Margaret (2011 film)

Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, Margaret is the story of a young woman who feels responsible for causing an accident that left someone dead. In turn, she deals with the guilt over what happened while going through all sorts of things in her own life. The film is an exploration into the tumultuous life of a young woman who goes through lots of changes in her life as well as trying to find herself. Starring Anna Paquin, Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo, Kieran Culkin, Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt, J. Smith-Cameron, Matthew Broderick, Jeannie Berlin, Allison Janney, and Jean Reno. Margaret is a haunting yet mesmerizing film from Kenneth Lonergan.

What happens when a young 17-year old student distracts a bus driver where an accident is caused resulting in the death of a woman as this young woman deals with the guilt over what happened? That’s pretty much the idea of what this film is about as it explores a young woman named Lisa Cohen (Anna Paquin) whose life changes due to an accident she caused all because she asked this bus driver (Mark Ruffalo) about his cowboy hat while he was driving the bus. For Lisa, she deals with the guilt over what happened as she has no idea what to do as she tries to protect the driver since what he did was an accident yet when she meets him to discuss the accident. Things don’t go well as she decides to change her statement to the police while contacting a woman to help file a lawsuit against the bus company in hopes the driver gets fired.

While the story largely revolves around Lisa’s tumultuous life as she deals with guilt and loss, there is a subplot revolving around Lisa’s mother Joan (J. Smith-Cameron) who finds herself in a relationship with a man named Ramon (Jean Reno) which causes issues between the two women who already have a troubled relationship. Notably as Joan is a stage actress while Lisa is just a high school kid who likes to smoke and do crazy things. The accident definitely causes a rupture in their relationship where Lisa starts to act out more in school and later befriend the friend of a victim where they go for a lawsuit. Yet, Lisa’s behavior becomes more complicated over the guilt she deals with families of the victim gets involved as well as other aspects of her life including relationship with boys and her attraction towards her math teacher Aaron Caije (Matt Damon).

The script also allows to explore the dynamic between Lisa and Joan as they’re two different women who are going through changes in her life. While Joan is concerned over what happened to Lisa, she has no idea how to talk to Lisa who starts to become more detached and angry. Yet, Lisa would also deal with the realities of how things are handled with the police and the lawsuits as it would cause more complications about who she is. Particularly as she is this 17-year old high school student who is in the transition into becoming a woman.

Kenneth Lonergan’s direction is very entrancing for the way he presents this very dramatic story that contains very heavy themes. Shot on location in New York City in the Manhattan area, Lonergan does make the city a character in the story though he does go a bit overboard in utilizing lots of insert shots to help fill the story though some parts are effective. Notably as the camera gazes through the city to show a world where things are already moving on despite the incident that had just happened. Lonergan’s direction also has a lot of unique framing devices to help capture the sense of loneliness and detachment that Lisa is going through. There’s also a lot of shots that are stylized including the big accident scene where Lonergan uses the crane to express the sense of loss and longing that Lisa goes through.

Another part of Lonergan’s direction that is unique is the fact that film also features scenes at the Metropolitan Opera House to establish not just the world Joan is in but also the drama she’s facing in her own life. Other scenes such as school discussions about politics show Lisa becoming more aggressive in her arguments where she will sometimes go way too far. These are moments to establish this detachment and anger these two women are going through where they will vent to each other and say things to each other that intensify. Yet, Lonergan will find a way for the women to reconnect where both women will face something that would overwhelm them leading to a powerful ending. Overall, Lonergan creates a very strong yet harrowing film about guilt and loss.

Cinematographer Ryszard Lenczewski does excellent work with the film‘s photography as a lot of it is straightforward to complement the beauty of New York City in its day and nighttime settings. Editors Mike Fay and Anne McCabe, with additional work from filmmaker Martin Scorsese and his longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker, do superb work with the editing to play out the drama as well as some of its intensity as it includes some stylized moments in the non-dialogue scenes. Production designer Dan Leigh, with set decorator Ron von Blomberg and art director James Donahue, does nice work with the sets from the look of the apartments to the look of the school.

Costume designer Melissa Toth does terrific work with the costumes as a lot of it is casual with the exception of the scenes at the opera house. Sound designer Jacob Ribicoff does brilliant work with the sound to capture the low-key atmosphere of the opera houses to the more raucous scenes in some of the film‘s exteriors and phone conversations. The film’s music by Nico Muhly is amazing for its low-key orchestral pieces with some haunting arrangements on the strings while the soundtrack features an array of classical and operatic pieces along with some few indie-rock and hip-hop cuts in the party scenes that Lisa goes to.

The casting by Douglas Aibel is a major highlight of the film for the rich ensemble that was assembled for the film. Among those making small appearances include Krysten Ritter as salesgirl, John Gallagher Jr. as a friend of Lisa in Darren, Olivia Thirlby as a classmate of Lisa, Sarah Steele as Lisa’s friend Becky, Kieran Culkin as another classmate of Lisa whom she has sex with, Michael Ealy as a lawyer who advises Lisa, Jonathan Hadary as a lawyer who deals with the suit that Lisa is involved in, Cyrus Hernstadt as Lisa’s younger brother Curtis, Josh Hamilton as an actor Joan works with, and Rosemarie DeWitt as the wife of the bus driver. Other notable small roles include Matthew Broderick as a drama teacher, Allison Janney as the victim who is killed in the bus accident, and Jeannie Berlin as the victim’s friend Emily who helps out Lisa with the suit.

Jean Reno is wonderful as the very kind Ramon who falls for Joan as he tries to get to know Lisa. Matt Damon is excellent as Lisa’s math teacher Aaron Caije who is trying to understand Lisa’s behavior as well as her attraction to him. Mark Ruffalo is superb as the bus driver who causes the accident as he is aware of what he’s done while deals with Lisa’s aggressive manner towards him in the one scene they have together. J. Smith-Cameron is great as Lisa’s mother Joan who tries to deal with Lisa’s detachment while she falls for the businessman Ramon as she finds the escape she needed to deal with Lisa. Finally, there’s Anna Paquin in a remarkable performance as Lisa Cohen as a young woman dealing with tragedy as she becomes lost in her grief while becoming more angry over the way the world deals with what she is trying to do and such.

Margaret is an extraordinary yet engrossing drama from Kenneth Lonergan that features amazing performances from Anna Paquin and J. Smith-Cameron. The film is definitely an intriguing drama that explores the world of grief and detachment as well as interesting piece about the dynamics between mother and daughter. In the end, Margaret is a marvelous film from Kenneth Lonergan.

Kenneth Lonergan Films: You Can Count on Me - Manchester by the Sea

© thevoid99 2013

Juno

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/30/07 w/ Additional Edits.

Directed by Jason Reitman and written by newcomer Diablo Cody, Juno is about a young girl from a small town who suddenly gets pregnant. Deciding to give the baby away to a couple, she begins to deal with the changes in her life and such. While Reitman's previous film was a satire on the tobacco industry, this film is more about a young girl's pregnancy and how her family and friends deal with this experience. Starring Ellen Page, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Olivia Thirlby, and Rainn Wilson. Juno is a charming, witty film from Jason Reitman.

Juno MacGuff is a 16-year old high school student who just discovered that she's pregnant after trying three pregnancy tests at a convenience store. Realizing the father is her friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), she remembers that the conception happened out of boredom one night. Calling her best friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby), she suggests that Juno to go to an abortion clinic but cold feet makes her change her mind. With help from Leah, Juno searches for the Penny Savers to find a couple to give the baby up for adoption. After finding the right couple, Juno tells her father Mac (J.K. Simmons) and step-mother Bren (Allison Janney) about her pregnancy and plans to give it up for adoption.

Juno and Mac then meet the couple they're going to give the baby to in the form of middle-class, posh suburban Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) as Juno just wants to give the baby away. Though she is amused by their yuppie lifestyle, she learns Mark is a music composer for commercials with love for alternative rock and old-school horror films. While Vanessa is excited about having a baby, Mark seems more interested in his own world as he and Juno bond over music and horror films. With support from Mac and Bren, Juno deals with her newfound role as a 16-year old pregnant teenager while her friendship with Paulie is becoming shaky as they hope to reform their old band. Hanging out with Mark, Juno learns about their previous attempts to adopt when she and Leah meet Vanessa at the mall and her love for children.

By the spring and in the final stages of the pregnancy, Juno learns that Paulie might go to the prom with Katrina De Vroot (Ashley Whillans), a girl Paulie claimed he doesn't like. A falling out ensues as Juno decides to meet Mark where she learns about his relationship with Vanessa starting to falter. The sense of disillusionment over adulthood and love force Juno to confront with realities she is too young to face as she tries to find a way to deal with everything. Even as her child is about to come out.

If a film about teenage pregnancy was done in a Hollywood style, it wouldn't work because it's tendency to sugarcoat something or make an entire situation look very silly. Yet, in the mind of director Jason Reitman and first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody, this is a film that doesn't pander down to Hollywood conventions or anything that's expected for a typical teenager. Instead, the whole film feels very real yet is done with a lot of sarcastic humor and realism, particularly in how high school is. Juno is a character who is essentially a loner with a few friends though she and Leah are in different social circles. Yet, Juno gets by with her own sarcasm, love of punk rock and alternative music, and her individuality that is both her strength and weakness.

Screenwriter Diablo Cody does a fantastic job with this amazing screenplay that is filled with a lot of heart, humor, and moments that audiences can relate to. Whether it's life in high school or dealing with adult situations that a 16 year old might not handle at all. Cody's script is very smart in the way characters are developed and such, notably the character of Vanessa. She's a woman who might seem like a typical, WASP-like character who is so giddy about having a child. Yet, when Juno gets to know her, there's a whole lot more to Vanessa as this woman who wants to be a mother. It's part of Cody's study of character that reveals that even though Juno is this kind of smart-aleck teenage girl, she is a real teenage girl that teenagers can relate to.

This is where Jason Reitman's direction is at it's best. While Reitman’s approach to humor is more subtle than his father, he really takes a huge step forward as far as approaching a film like this. Whereas his debut film Thank You for Smoking was a satire that was stylish yet worked in some parts, Juno really shows Reitman taking his direction to a more intimate level. It doesn't look overlit or forced so the result seems relaxed and natural that includes a wonderful opening credit sequence that's done in animation. Even the compositions are great to emphasize the moments of drama and humor as Reitman really shines with his direction that is overall solid.

Cinematographer Eric Steelberg does an excellent job with the film's cinematography that has a more natural look with wonderful colors and grey-like footage to showcase the differing look of the seasons from autumn to summer. Whereas the entire film has this look that is colorful yet desolate, it works to convey the look as well as the mood of the film. Editor Dana E. Glauberman does great work with the film's editing to convey the film's quirky tone with the use of jump-cuts and fade-outs to work the film's structure and changing of the seasons. Production designer Steve Sakland along with art directors Michael Diner and Catherine Schroer do great work in presenting the different places of Juno's world from the posh-like suburbia of the Lorings, the rooms of Leah and Paulie, to the working-class home of the MacGuff family that is very real with loads of props including the cheeseburger phone that is actually owned by screenwriter Diablo Cody.

Costume designer Monique Prodhomme does excellent work with the look of the high school track clothes that Paulie wears with those yellow short-shorts, red shirt, and yellow headband. It's funny and a bit creepy while the overall costume works to convey the personalities of each character. Sound editors Barney Carbal and Perry Robertson do a fantastic job with the film's sound, notably a scene of dramatic tension at the abortion clinic that forces Juno to make a drastic decision that works for laughs and such. The film's folky score by Matt Messina with chimes and such is wonderful plaintive as it conveys a Hal Ashby like feel reminiscent of his 1971 classic film Harold & Maude that featured the music of Cat Stevens.

The soundtrack is amazing and definitely one of the year's best. Featuring songs by Kimya Dawson and her former band the Moldy Peaches, the soundtrack is wonderful in conveying Juno's quirky little world that also features music from Sonic Youth covering the Carpenters' Superstar, Belle & Sebastian, the Kinks, Buddy Holly, Cat Power, the Velvet Underground, and Mott the Hoople's classic song All The Young Dudes written by David Bowie. It's a great soundtrack that is similar to the style of the film soundtracks of Wes Anderson but with a great selection while the music is used to great effect.

The film's cast is wonderfully assembled with small roles from Ashley Whillans as Katrina De Vroot whom Juno refers to as Soupy Sales, Kaaren de Zilva as an Ultrasound technician, Steven Christopher Parker and Candice Accola as Juno's lab partners who were fighting each other in a scene, Valerie Tian as Juno's schoolmate Su-Chin who is an abortion protester, Darla Vandenbossche as Bleeker's mom, and Sierra Pitkin as Juno's little sister Liberty Bell. Emily Perkins of Ginger Snaps fame makes a great appearance as pierced receptionist who looks very punk and twisted while Rainn Wilson is funny as a convenience store clerk who makes funny remarks to Juno's pregnancy.

Newcomer Olivia Thirlby is excellent as Juno's sexy best friend Leah, a cheerleader who helps Juno in finding the right parents while having to be one of her few real friends during this moment as Leah is also interested in old, adult teachers. Allison Janney is great as Juno's step-mother Bren who might seem like a typical mother but has her funny one-liners as she supports her step-daughter while saying the right, funny things in the film. J.K. Simmons is also great and funny as Mac MacGruff, an old army veteran who supports his daughter while giving her quirky advice on life and such. Jason Bateman is wonderful as Mark Loring, a man not sure about being a father as his desires to be a rock musician is in conflict as he desperately tries to hold on to his youth.

Jennifer Garner is amazing as Vanessa Loring, a loving, caring woman whose desires to be a mother is in conflict as she is pondering about her own maternal instincts despite her cheery personality. Garner may not have moments of humor but she holds her own as a woman who realizes she might have what it takes. Michael Cera is a joy to watch as Paulie Bleeker, this skinny kid wearing short-shorts who represents the kind of awkwardness of this young man who knows isn’t ready to be a father while trying to deal with being a young man growing up. Cera's performance is great while he does look fantastic in those yellow short-shorts, red shirt, and yellow bandana.

Then there's Ellen Page in what has to be one of the year's best performances by an actress. The 20-year old Canadian actress definitely shows her range as this quirky, offbeat young woman who tries to deal with this new reality while making her way in life through her sarcasm. Page's performance is a knock-out as she not only carries the film with such ease as well as natural humor and depth into playing a real-life teenager. This is truly Ellen Page's film all the way as she makes a star-making turn in this great performance.

Juno is a flat-out humorous, sweet, entertaining, and realistic film from Jason Reitman and company led by Ellen Page's winning performance and a funny script from Diablo Cody. Featuring a great ensemble cast and a superb soundtrack, it's a film that has a nice mix of humor and drama about teenage pregnancy without all of the sentimental mush that often revolves around these films. In the end, Juno is a phenomenal film from Jason Reitman.

Jason Reitman Films: Thank You for Smoking - Up in the Air - Young Adult - Labor Day - (Men, Women, & Children) - Tully - The Front Runner - Ghostbusters: Afterlife - The Auteurs #30: Jason Reitman

© thevoid99 2011

United 93

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/18/07 w/ Extensive Revisions.

The morning of September 11, 2001 seemed like any other normal morning until around 9 AM when suddenly, an airliner hit one of the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Then minutes later, a second plane hit the other tower were immediately, the entire world had changed completely. More minutes later, another plane had hit a part of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. It was around this time, a fourth plane was hijacked but unlike the three other planes, its intended target was at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Yet, what the terrorists in that plane didn't realize is that the passengers in that plane fought them and made the plane crash near a town in Pennsylvania. The plane of Flight United 93 were despite its tragedy proved to be a tale of courage in the wake of the 9/11 world.

Nearly five years after the tragedy of 9/11, two films about that flight were released. One was made-for-TV with some noted TV actors while another was released in theaters in an unconventional approach. Entitled United 93, the film tells the story of the day that changed the world as a group of passengers were hijacked by terrorists in a plane as they become aware that they're part of a new, dark world. Written and directed by Paul Greengrass, whose previous credits include Bloody Sunday and The Bourne Supremacy. United 93 features a cast of unknowns in this harrowing tale of what happened on that fateful morning that changed the world.

A group of Islamic Arabs pray in the late morning as they're set to go an airport in Newwark, New Jersey planning an attack. It's morning as crews talk to each other while lead pilot Jason Dahl (J.J. Johnson) is talking to his co-pilot who checks for gas on the plane. Meanwhile at the FAA headquarters in Virgnia, new FAA chief Ben Sliney (played by himself) is checking on what is going on for the day as it seems to be another typical day. Yet, an air-traffic controller from Boston notices that American Flight 11 from that city is going off course from its destination realizing something is wrong after trying to communicate with the plane only to hear something happening in New York. Back in Newark, passengers board United 93 as they set to go to Los Angeles where following its departure, the control tower sees one of the towers of the World Trade Center smoking in the air.

When the FAA learns that American Flight 11 is missing, they see the image of the one of the World Trade Centers towers filled with smoke on a huge screen while NORAD learns that United Airlines Flight 175 and American Flight 77 are both going off course. When the second WTC tower is hit, panic ensues as Sliney takes control while NORAD tries to contact the president. Back in United 93, things seem to go well until the terrorists take over as two pilots and a stewardess are killed as one of the hijackers take over the plane going to Washington, D.C. to hit the Capitol. With news that a third plane has hit the Pentagon, Sliney makes the ultimate decision as to shut down all U.S. airspace and international flights to the U.S. Realizing what's going on, the passengers of United 93 contact their loved ones as they decide to fight back against the terrorists.

While it's a largely fictional account of what happened in that plane on that tragic day, Paul Greengrass creates a film where it relies on the imagination of the audience on what might've happened on that day. While there's not much of a plot and part of the film, particularly on the plane and typical conversations were improvised. Greengrass does create an intensity and momentum that is horrifying to watch knowing that the audience is aware of what's going on and what is going to happen. In many respects, it's Greengrass' direction and his approach to the film that really makes it engaging yet uncomfortable to watch.

Since the film features many non-professional/professional actors including Gregg Henry and David Rasche in small parts plus people like Ben Sliney playing themselves. The performances of this cast is truly amazing with Sliney being singled out for playing himself in what would be the same way he probably reacted on that day. Yet, the confusion and panic of what's going on in the traffic controls in New York, Boston, and Cleveland are understandable as well as everything in the FAA. Then, there's all the scenes on the plane where part of it is scripted including the famous tag line "Let's roll". It's in the sequences on that flight where the performances of the passengers and hijackers are wonderfully handled while the hijackers are given with some realism and not as caricature villains. It's all done naturally, especially through Greengrass' direction as he takes a cinema verite approach of hand-held cameras and very documentary-like. It's by far some of the strongest and most unique directing in any film.

Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd does some wonderful, documentary-like cinematography without any kind of flashy camerawork or something that is breathtaking. Instead, Ackroyd brings a realism and intimacy to the film's look. Editors Clare Douglas, Richard Pearson, and Christopher Rouse do amazing work in giving the film a pacing that feels realistic to the tension that goes on as well as the intensity in the sequences of the FAA, the air-traffic control centers, and the sequences in the plane.

Production designer Dominic Watkins and art directors Romek Delmata and Joanna Foley do great in re-creating the look of the plane as well as the air-traffic control, NORAD, and FAA rooms. Costume designer Dinah Collin does excellent in the costumes of what the passengers could've wore as well as the clothes that everyone else was working. Sound editors Eddy Joseph and Oliver Tarney do excellent work in some of the sound work, especially in a few sequences in trying to figure out the suspicion of what the hijackers in the other plane was saying. Music composer John Powell brings a plaintive, brooding score that plays to the film’s suspense and melancholia where it's not overdone and is the right tone for accompanying what's to come.

While it's understandable that audiences won't see this or Oliver Stone's World Trade Center due to its subject matter and nature. Still, United 93 is a compelling, harrowing film about what happened on that day when a group of passengers chose to fight back despite their tragedy. Yet, the film wisely doesn't glorify or show things that are to happen while it's a lot of credit given to Paul Greengrass for his approach and wanting to portray things realistically and pay tribute to those who died on that day. For someone who wants an idea of what happened in that play knowing that they will be extremely uncomfortable yet wants to know something. United 93 is the film to go see.

Paul Greengrass Films: (Resurrected) - (The One That Got Away) - (The Theory of Flight) - (The Murder of Stephen Lawrence) - Bloody Sunday - (The Bourne Supremacy) - (The Bourne Ultimatum) - (Green Zone) - Captain Phillips

(C) thevoid99 2011

Snow Angels

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 4/15/09.

With three acclaimed films to his credit by 2007, David Gordon Green is considered to be one of American cinema's most promising young directors. Since his 2000 landmark debut film George Washington, Green's dream-like yet harrowing portrait of life in the American South has earned him praised from critics, notably Roger Ebert. Compared in some respects to the legendary yet elusive Terrence Malick, Green followed up his debut with 2003's romantic-drama All the Real Girls and 2004's thriller Undertow in which the latter was co-produced by Malick. After an attempt to get an adaption of the legendary John Kennedy Toole classic novel A Confederacy of Dunces with help from Steven Soderbergh as one of the screenwriters failed to get off the ground. Green took a break to plan several projects before taking on an adaptation of Stewart O'Nan's small-town drama Snow Angels.

A multi-layered story about young teenager dealing with the disintegration of his parents marriage as well as a long-standing crush with a former babysitter who is currently having relationship problems with her ex-husband. When the woman and her ex-husband starts to boil over due to an affair, the young man suddenly finds himself falling for a quirky young high school girl as a small town begins to lose its innocence. Written for the screen and directed by David Gordon Green, Snow Angels marks as a huge departure for the director as he moves North to create an enchanting yet eerie tale of small town life that is close to his own small town world in the South. With an all-star cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Angarano, Nicky Katt, Olivia Thirlby, Jeanetta Arnette, Amy Sedaris, Tom Noonan, and Griffin Dunne. Snow Angels is an enchanting yet harrowing drama from David Gordon Green.

Arthur Parkinson (Michael Angarano) is a high school teenager dealing with new changes in his life. His parents Don (Griffin Dunne) and Louise (Jeanetta Arnette) are splitting up as Arthur tries to cope with it with school work and marching band practice. Around the same time, Arthur works as a bus boy at a local Chinese restaurant with his former babysitter Annie (Kate Beckinsale) whom he's had a crush on. Annie is dealing with her own problems raising her four-year old daughter Tara (Gracie Hudson) by herself while her ex-husband Glenn (Sam Rockwell) has become a Born-again Christian and just landing a job selling carpets. Though Glenn does get to see Tara from time to time, he hopes to have Annie back in his life while maintaining his own sobriety. It's around the same time Arthur befriends a new student in the nerdy yet charismatic Lila (Olivia Thirlby).

With Glenn starting to get things in order, Annie has an affair with a cop named Nate (Nicky Katt) who is married to Annie's friend Barb (Amy Sedaris) who also works with her as a waitress at the Chinese restaurant. The affair becomes secretive for awhile until Glenn starts to suspect something as Barb also finds out. With Annie stressed out in her own life while trying to raise Tara, Glenn starts to confront Annie and Nate over this affair as trouble starts to brew. Arthur meanwhile, learns that his dad is seeing someone as he starts to get close with Lila whom he's becoming attracted to. Then one day, a sick Annie is at home with a cold when her daughter is suddenly gone. Turning to Barb for help, a whole town tries to find something. What happens would change things forcing Glenn to become insane while a distraught, angry Arthur leans closer towards Lila. Then comes a day when the lives of an entire town would change forever.

The film is about disconnection and connections into the lives of various individuals in a small, Northern town in America. While small-town life isn't new to what screenwriter/director David Gordon Green has explored. The location and setting is very different from his three previous films as he goes into the north during a winter season. While Green's script definitely delves into the lives of the three main individuals of Arthur, Glenn, and Annie. He does create a faithful version of Stewart O'Nan's novel though the story overall is uneven. While there's enough work that's put into the coming-of-age story of Arthur, it's overshadowed by the drama of Glenn and Annie which reaches tragic proportions. Yet, it's setting and study of characters is what definitely attracted Green to this story as he puts enough attention towards major characters and supporting ones as he delves into a small town setting.

Green's direction is truly majestic in its setting though the film is shot mostly in Canada. Green's rich compositions and dramatic staging is what keeps this film compelling as he goes deep into the drama but knows when to pull away. While there's not much humor, Green knows when to use it when it's necessary. The drama is more theatrical in its performance but Green knows when to have his actors not delve into melodrama or high theatrics. It's all restrained except in parts for high drama as he knows when to place his camera to capture all that is going on. Even in getting shots from a character's perspective or a scenery that is enchanting with shots of nature that is reminiscent of the work of his mentor Terrence Malick. Overall, Green's direction shows a maturity in the young director who takes some of his old tricks and refine them for better dramatic effect.

Green's longtime cinematographer Tim Orr does brilliant work with the usage of snow and sunlight for the film's exterior, daytime scenes. Orr's photography maintains the richness that Green wanted for the film as there's a beauty to the look of small town life. Even the nighttime exteriors are well shot with low-lights and an intimacy for the drama with a beautiful shot one of the film's final scenes involving falling snow and a football field. Orr's camera work in the interiors is intimate as in a couple of bar scenes, it's low-lit to emphasize the dark mood of one of its major characters. The overall work of Tim Orr is truly phenomenal as he's one of the best young cinematographers working in the field.

Editor William M. Anderson does excellent work with the film's stylish editing with the use of fade-outs, jump-cuts, and rhythmic cutting to create transitions that seems abrupt yet energetic for the story. Green's longtime production designer Richard A. Wright, along with set decorator Ian Greig and art director Terry Quennell, does some fine work with the look of the high schools, Annie's home, and other locations that has a nice, quaint small-town feel. Costume designer Kate Rose does good work with the costumes in creating casual clothing for the actors with Olivia Thirlby's Lila character standing out the most with a yellow coat and hat along with cat-like glasses to create a unique look for her. Sound editor Larry Blake does brilliant work with the sound in capturing the quaint feel of the small town with layering of noises as well as the sounds of instruments and such for the film. Notably its opening sequence with the thundering sounds that would set the film's dramatic tone in place.

Green's longtime music composer David Wingo along with Jeff McIlwain brings a quiet yet plaintive score with acoustic guitars and ambient textures to play to the film's somber, small-town feel. The soundtrack consists of material ranging from blues to country with songs by Gene Autry, Shane Hartman, Tony Berg, Josh Crocker, Benji Hughes, indie-rock stalwarts Explosions in the Sky, and a soft-rock song from Bread. Another song that is used for humor and dramatic effect is Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer which is performed by a marching band.

The casting by Kerry Barden, Billy Hopkins, Paul Schnee, and Suzanne Smith is wonderfully assembled for its usage of big and small characters. Memorable small roles include Connor Paolo as Arthur's friend Warren, Deborah Allen as Annie's mom, Brian Downey and Carroll Godsman as Glenn's parents, Leah Ostry as Lila's sister, Daniel Lillford as Glenn's boss, Lita Llewellyn as a cop, Hugh Thompson as a police investigator, Angela Vemeir as Don's new girlfriend, and Tom Noonan in a funny role as the band leader. Gracie Hudson is good as Glenn and Annie's wild, energetic 4-year old girl Tara while Jeanetta Arnette is excellent as Arthur's mother Louise who is trying to deal with the split from her husband. Griffin Dunne is very good as Arthur's dad Don, a man confused about his role while trying to communicate with Arthur about the flaws of being a man.

Amy Sedaris is great as Barb, Annie's friend and co-worker who feels betrayed when she learns that her husband Nate is having an affair with Annie only to realize something more troubling. Nicky Katt is very good as Nate, a womanizer who is bored by his own marriage while his affair with Annie is also running out of steam. Olivia Thirlby is wonderful as Lila, the girl who would be a shining light to Arthur. Thirlby, known to audiences for her role as the best friend in Juno, is full of charm and wit while displaying an innocence to her that is insatiable to watch. Michael Angarano is excellent as Arthur, the young teen dealing with all that's going on around him as he comes of age in finding his first girlfriend and coping with the stuff that goes on his own. Angarano's performance is very realistic in the hang-ups of being a teenager while he has great chemistry with both Olivia Thirlby and Kate Beckinsale.

Kate Beckinsale, whose acting career in recent years has been spotty with action films and light drama, gives a performance that is describe as a return to form of sorts following her mid-90s breakout period. Stripping away the glamour for something more realistic and homegrown, Beckinsale's role as a stressed-out mother dealing with her child while juggling an affair and the presence of her ex-husband shows Beckinsale in playing a character that is realistic but also flawed. Along with a legitimate American accent, the British beauty displays grace and despair into her role as it's a phenomenal role for the actress. Finally, there's Sam Rockwell in a tour-de-force performance as Glenn. A man who is trying to improve himself though is often forgetful and pushy. Rockwell has some great scenes with Beckinsale as he displays a man who loses control while convinced he's doing what God asks him to do. It's a brilliant role for the actor who always gives a lot into his roles whether it's doing humor or drama as he's one of the best actors of his generation.

While it doesn't have the dreamy quality of George Washington, the romanticism of All the Real Girls, or the flat-out humor and entertainment factor of 2008's Pineapple Express. Snow Angels is still a harrowing yet intriguing drama from David Gordon Green featuring a superb ensemble led by Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Angarano, and Olivia Thirlby. Fans of Green's films will enjoy the richness and intimate small-town setting he creates while seeing that the Southern director is becoming more mature in his work. In the end, Snow Angels is an entrancing, dark, yet touching drama from David Gordon Green.

David Gordon Green Films: George Washington - All the Real Girls - Undertow - Pineapple Express - (Your Highness) - (The Sitter) - (Prince Avalanche) - Joe (2013 film) - (Manglehorn) - (Our Brand is Crisis) - (Stronger (2017 film)) - Halloween (2018 film) - (Halloween Kills) - (Halloween Ends)

© thevoid99 2011