Set 16 months after events in which Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) became Spider-Man, the film follows the character who deals with a new enemy in Spot who holds a grudge towards Morales as he discovers new powers that threatens the entire multiverse with Morales and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) going on a mission to save the multiverse where some revelations occur as it relates to Morales. It is a film that doesn’t just play into Morales dealing with this threat that would destroy many different universes involving variations of Spider-Man but also so much more including the narrative of Spider-Man. Notably as Morales is still trying to find himself as he is trying to be the new Spider-Man but also a kid living in a prestigious high school in Brooklyn who is trying to do good for his parents. The film’s screenplay by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and David Callaham doesn’t just explore Morales’ struggle in his identity but also this new threat in Spot who is revealed to be someone that Morales had unknowingly met in the past who has the power to create portals through black spots as it allows him to go into the multiverse.
The film’s script doesn’t begin with Morales’ story and his connection with Spot but rather Gwen Stacy who not only misses Morales but also is still coping with the loss of her variation of Peter Parker as her Spider-Woman persona remains on the hunt by her father Captain George Stacy (Shea Whigham) who believes Spider-Woman killed Parker whom he cared about. It is during a mission where Gwen is being confronted by her father who would learn about her identity while also meeting other Spider-Man variants in Jessica Drew (Issa Rae) and Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac) as the latter is the leader of the Spider-Society that the former is a member of as she invites Gwen into the fold after capturing a variation of Vulture (Jorma Taccone) from a Renaissance-inspired multiverse. Gwen’s return to Morales’ universe has her trying to capture the Spot as she would briefly visit Morales who is struggling on whether to tell his parents that he’s Spider-Man as revelations about the Spot as well as the fact that it was his spider that bit Morales.
Morales would follow Gwen who reluctantly invites him to her mission to stop the Spot as they travel to a multiverse known as Mumbattan where its Spider-Man in Pavtir Prabhakar (Karan Soni) is dealing with the Spot as they’re aided by another Spider-Man variation in Hobie Brown (Daniel Kaluuya). Despite not capturing the Spot, the Spider-People would save Mumbattan with Morales invited to the Spider-Society where he reunites with Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and meets O’Hara where revelations about Morales’ role comes into play. Notably in his actions and a narrative that all versions of Spider-Man have to follow in order for them to become who they are.
The direction of Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson is wild not just in the many different animated styles they put in but also in creating something that raises the bar of what animated films could do. Aided by a team of supervising animators in David Han, Nick Kondo, Jeff Panko, Mikaela Pfeifer, Daniel Pozo, Philip Rudolph, and Siggi Orri Thorhannesson in creating different worlds and animation styles ranging from comic-book inspired animation, hand-drawn 2D animation, and computer-based 3D animation. Dos Santos, Powers, and Thompson would also maintain this glitch-based style as it plays into the multiverse breaking apart while doing a lot in playing up these different locations that all of these characters go into. The direction also infuse a lot of unique compositions along with shots that play into the drama and suspense such as the scene where Captain Stacy walks into a rubble where he finds Spider-Woman where he would learn of her identity.
With the aid of production designer Patrick O’Keefe, along with art directors Dean Gordon and Araiz Khalid, and visual effects supervisor Mike Lasker in creating the backdrops for the many worlds. The direction also does a lot to establish the stakes as well as what their respective Spider-Man variations have to endure as part of a grand narrative that all of these variations follow. It is something that Gwen is dealing with knowing as being forced to reveal her own identity to him as it creates a lot of conflict for her when it comes to Morales and his role as a Spider-Man. Even as his own father in Jefferson Morales (Brian Tyree Henry) is about to become a police captain with Morales dealing with the fact that his father could be part of an on-going narrative that he’s not ready to deal with. Its third act that is filled with these dazzling visuals and set pieces as well as many Spider-Man variants with a lot of attention to detail on its look with costume designer Brooklyn El-Omar helping to create a different look for all of these variants. Even as they venture into these alternate universes with the Spot being this major threat who will destroy everything as Morales is forced to confront realities he isn’t prepared for. Overall, the trio of Dos Santos, Kemp, and Thompson craft a visually-grand and audacious film about young superhero dealing with new realities and a new foe who threatens to destroy the multiverse.
Editor Mike Andrews does amazing work with the editing in creating some unique fast-cuts for some of the action but also knowing when to slow things down in the dramatic scene and suspenseful moments with some split-screen shots to help play into the drama. Sound designers Alec Rubay and Kip Smedley do brilliant work with the sound as its creation of sound effects and sparse sound textures add to the sense of urgency into the action and suspense. The film’s music by Daniel Pemberton is incredible for its mixture of electronic music, hip-hop rhythms, and orchestral flourishes that help play into the suspense and action as well as some themes including using Indian-based instruments for the scenes in Mumbattan while music supervisor Kier Lehman creates a fun music soundtrack that features contributions from Coi Leray, Nas, Swae Lee, Future, Don Toliver, James Blake, Offset, Wiz Kid, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Lil Wayne, A$AP Rocky, and 2 Chainz.
The casting by Mary Hidalgo is great as it features a massive ensemble voice cast along with a few live-action appearances such as Peggy Lu as the convenience store owner from the Venom films who has a brief encounter with Spot. Other voice cameos including J.K. Simmons as various versions of J. Jonah Jameson, Peter Sohn as Morales’ school roommate Ganke Lee, Melissa Strum as Peter B. Parker’s wife Mary Jane Parker, Elizabeth Perkins as a variation of Aunt May and the Quippy Spider-Person, Josh Keaton as Spectacular Spider-Man from the late 2000s TV series, Ziggy Marley as a Jamaican convenience store owner, Rachel Dratch as Morales’ school principal, Amandla Stenberg as Margo Kess/Spider-Byte who is a Spider-Person from a virtual reality, Jack Quaid as Gwen’s version of Peter Parker, Greta Lee as the Spider Society AI assistant Lyla, Andy Samberg as a variation of Spider-Man in Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider, and Jorma Taccone as a variation of Vulture from a Renaissance-based universe whom Gwen tried to capture with help from Miguel O’Hara and Jessica Drew.
Shea Whigham is superb as Gwen’s father George Stacy as a police captain who is trying to hunt Spider-Woman over the death of Peter Parker as he copes with Spider-Woman’s identity. Brian Tyree Henry and Luna Lauren Velez are fantastic in their respective roles as Morales’ parents in Jefferson and Rio Morales who both deal with their son’s absences as well as his struggles in school with the former pondering his faults as a father just as he is about to become a police captain. Daniel Kaluuya and Karan Soni are excellent in their respective roles as Spider-Man variants in Hobart “Hobie” Brown/Spider-Punk and Pavtir Prabhakar/Spider-Man India with the former as this British punk rocker with a Cockney accent who is rebellious while the latter is this Indian-based figure who got his powers through magic while wearing Indian-inspired clothing for his own costume. Issa Rae is brilliant as Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman as a pregnant Spider-Woman variant who mentors Gwen and rides a motorcycle that she uses as a weapon where she brings a lot of humor but also is the second-in-command to Miguel.
Jake Johnson is amazing as Peter B. Parker as Morales’ former mentor who has managed to get his life together while being accompanied with a baby girl in Mayday Parker who also has powers of her own where he tries to help Morales over dealing with the Spot. Oscar Isaac is great as Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 as a ninja-like, muscular version of Spider-Man who doesn’t have a sense of humor as he is someone who takes the security of the multiverse very seriously as he sees Morales as someone that could ruin things despite the fact that the Spot is an even bigger threat. Jason Schwartzman is incredible as Dr. Jonathan Ohnn/the Spot as a former scientist whose creation makes him into a villain that can travel through holes until he gains new powers that would allow him to destroy the multiverse as he has a grudge towards Morales.
Hailee Steinfeld is phenomenal as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman as a teenager still coping with not just the death of her version of Peter Parker but also what is at stake where Steinfeld brings a lot of emotional angst as well as someone filled with a lot of conflict about her friendship with Morales and saving the multiverse. Finally, there’s Shameik Moore in a tremendous voice performance as Miles Morales/Spider-Man as a teenager who is still dealing with growing pains in both as a regular kid and as Spider-Man while dealing with this new villain in the Spot as he also becomes aware of what is at stake where it is this great voice performance that allows Moore bring a lot of nuances to Morales as someone that is just still trying to find himself.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is an outstanding film from the trio of Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson that features a phenomenal ensemble voice cast. Along with a strong and gripping story, visuals that takes animation to new heights, grand set pieces, and an exhilarating music score. The film isn’t just this enthralling superhero film but it is also a film that really raises the bar of what animated films could be as well as how to present something with a story that plays into all sorts of issues such as identity, growing pains, and what it means to be a hero. In the end, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a magnificent film from Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson.
Spider-Man Films: Spider-Man - Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man 3 - The Amazing Spider-Man - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Spider-Man: Far from Home - Spider-Man: No Way Home - (Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse)
© thevoid99 2023
It’s the winter of 1981 during one of its tumultuous years as an immigrant businessman is trying to buy a refinery as he finds himself being targeted by competitors where many of his trucks are stolen as it leads to harrowing acts of violence. It is a film that explore a moment in time just as this man who had worked his way to become an American citizen as he owns a small heating oil company as he’s managed to become successful and with a wife and family but he is also an idealist who wants to do things the right way. J.C. Chandor’s screenplay follows a month in the life of Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) who is about to embark on a major deal that would expand his empire but the theft of trucks by hoodlums threaten this deal as well as questions about his business dealings where an assistant district attorney in Lawrence (David Oyelowo) believes Abel is hiding something.
While Abel’s wife Anna (Jessica Chastain) is looking into their books and their attorney Andrew Walsh (Albert Brooks) is trying to handle all of the legal issues. Both Anna and Andrew urge Abel to fight fire with fire as they suspect their competitors are involved as it lead to the assault of one of their drivers in Julian (Elyes Gabel) and one of their young salesman in Alex (Ben Rosenfield). Abel however is convinced that violence isn’t the answer as he knows Lawrence is after him while he is trying to ask his competitors to stop the violence unaware that these hired thugs are just trying to hurt his business. Then there’s Julian who would have another encounter with thugs that lead to trouble where Abel asks Julian’s wife Luisa (Catalina Sandino Moreno) about his whereabouts as his activities would threaten everything Abel is hoping to have.
Chandor’s direction definitely echoes a lot of the films of the 1970s in terms of the crime drama as it play into this man trying to expand his small business empire into something bigger but without trouble and violence during a period of violence in New York City. Shot on location in New York City and areas around the city, the film does play into this cold winter where there is a lot of chaos that include these trucks being stopped either during traffic jams or coming out of a toll booth. Chandor’s usage of wide and medium shots do play into the scope of the city as well as an intense chase scene during the third act through a tunnel and later into a subway is among these moments in the film where there is a lot of suspense. The film also has these small moments that do play into the drama as it relates to a handgun that one of Abel and Anna’s daughters had found following an attempted attack on Abel that got botched. Chandor also play into the stakes of what Abel is trying to do as this piece of property he acquired and his intentions for it yet he has 30 days to make the down payment or else the owners will sell the property to one of Abel’s competitors.
Chandor also play into this underworld that Abel refuses to be a part of but it is a world that Anna’s father used to be in and it’s a world that Walsh is aware of as he talks to a teamster chief in Bill O’Leary (Peter Gerety) about the need to bear arms which Walsh agrees with but Abel refuses to go into that route. Even as he has to deal with Lawrence where Chandor definitely uses some unique camera angles and medium shots to play into their conversations where it is about power play as Lawrence is just someone that wants to uphold the law but he too is a man of ambition like Abel. The film’s ending is about this idea of what to do to achieve that goal but for someone like Abel who wants to maintain some morals and ideals about doing things without illegal means. There is no such thing as morals and ideals when it comes to running a business and dealing with other competitors as it is also about having it all or having nothing at all. Overall, Chandor crafts an astonishingly eerie yet intense film about an immigrant businessman trying to expand his empire in 1981 New York City amidst an era of violence.
Cinematographer Bradford Young does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of natural lighting for some scenes in the day to bits of sepia for a few interior/exterior scenes at night including some eerie low-key lighting for the tunnel chase scene. Editor Ron Patane does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense as well as a few intense moments of violence. Production designer John P. Goldsmith, with set decorator Melanie J. Baker and art director Doug Huszti, does amazing work with the look of the lavish home that Abel and Anna live in with their family as well as the offices and places they go to as it play into the early 80s aesthetics. Costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone does fantastic work with the costumes from the designer clothes that Anna wears as well as the suits and expensive winter coat that Abel wears.
Makeup artist Stephanie Pasicov does nice work with the look of Anna from her hairstyle and the makeup that she wears at times to play into the period of the times. Visual effects supervisors Luke DiTommaso, Jason Forster, and Mark Russell do terrific work with the visual effects as it is largely set-dressing for some of the exteriors to play into the period that is 1981 New York City. Sound designer Steve Boeddeker does superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere as well as add to the suspense including scenes such as the chases and the tunnel scene. The film’s music by Alex Ebert is wonderful for its low-key music score with some orchestral flourishes that play into the drama and bits of suspense while music supervisor Linda Cohen creates a soundtrack that is largely low-key that includes a song from Marvin Gaye early in the film and a classical piece.
The casting by Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Jerry Adler and Quinn Meyers as a couple of Hasidic businessmen who are making a deal with Abel, Ashley Williams as Lawrence’s deputy Lange, the trio of Daisy Tahan, Taylor Richardson, and Giselle Eisenberg as Abel and Anna’s daughters, Nick Bailey and Jenilyn Rodriguez as a couple of sales recruits, Linda Marie Larson as Abel’s secretary Debbie, David Margulies and Annie Funke as a couple of business people whom Abel asks for a loan, Ben Rosenfeld as a young sales recruit who gets mugged by a thug, Pico Alexander as Abel’s younger brother Elias, Peter Gerety as a teamster manager in Bill O’Leary, Elizabeth Marvel as a party guest at a birthday party for one of Abel and Anna’s daughters, Christopher Abbott as a thug that Abel confronts late in the film, Glenn Flesher as a competitor that Abel sees at a barbershop, and Catalina Sandino Moreno in a fantastic one-scene performance as Julian’s wife Luisa who is aware of what her husband has done but also the stakes of how it will affect Abel’s business.
Elyes Gabel is superb as the truck driver Julian who gets mugged by muggers and later gets himself in trouble following another confrontation that puts himself and Abel in serious trouble. Alessandro Nivola is excellent as Peter Forente as a competitor of Abel who also has connections with organized crime as he is aware of what is happening to Abel though is cagey about his involvement where he tries to make a deal with Abel that is in his favor. David Oyelowo is brilliant as Lawrence as the assistant DA who is investigating Abel’s activities though he knows that Abel is a good man but has a job to do while he is also an idealist of sorts but is aware of what needs to be done. Albert Brooks is amazing as Abel’s attorney Andrew Walsh as a man who is trying to handle all sorts of business but is also aware of what needs to be done as he is someone who had seen a lot and knows that not everything is clean.
Jessica Chastain is incredible as Anna Morales as Abel’s wife who has been supportive in his ambitions but is also aware that her husband needs to play dirty as she is annoyed by his idealism as she also watches over their books and finances as it’s something she’s done in working with her father. Finally, there’s Oscar Isaac in a phenomenal performance as Abel Morales as an immigrant businessman who owns a heating oil business as he hopes to expand his business only to deal with the chaos and violence that is looming around him as it is this fierce yet calm performance of a man that is just trying to do the right thing only to learn that there is no straight arrow when it comes to ambition.
A Most Violent Year is a tremendous film from J.C. Chandor that features phenomenal leading performances from Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. Along with its ensemble cast, eerie visuals, and its study of ambition along with its dangers and complexities. It is a film that explores a period in time in New York City that showcases what some will do to get ahead in business and how an immigrant businessman is trying to maintain some morality in a world that is immoral. In the end, A Most Violent Year is a magnificent film from J.C. Chandor.
J.C. Chandor Films: Margin Call - All is Lost - (Triple Frontier) – (Kraven the Hunter) – (The Auteurs #73: J.C. Chandor)
© thevoid99 2021
Set in a futuristic universe in the year 10,191, the film revolves around a noble family who is asked by an emperor to watch over the harvesting of a mysterious mélange on a planet unaware that they’re being set-up by a rivaling house who had been waging war on the planet’s inhabitants. It is a film that may have a simple premise on paper but it is filled with layers on its themes on power, idealism, colonialism, and politics. The film’s screenplay by Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth, and Jon Spaihts definitely play into a lot of the conflicts that goes on where the actions of the House of Harkkonen led by its baron (Stellan Skarskard) in going to war with the inhabitants of the planet of Arrakis in the Fremen forces its emperor to end the conflict by having the Harkkonens leave the planet and ask the House of Atrides led by Duke Leto Atrides (Oscar Isaac) to watch over the planet and its production of its resource in this mélange that makes interstellar traveling possible.
Traveling with his concubine Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) and their son Paul (Timothee Chalamet) along with several officials, Duke Atrides hopes to make peace with the Fremen and continue production of the spice yet Paul, the weapons master Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin), and sword master Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa) believe something is off. Especially as Idaho had been learning about the Fremen as he was able to get its chieftain in Stilgar (Javier Bardem) to have discussions with Duke Leto leading to the first steps of a peaceful resolution while planetologist Dr. Liet-Kynes (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) reveal much about the planet as she is aware that Paul is having dreams and visions that is increased by his contact with mélange. Even as Paul had been taught in the teachings of his mother who is a disciple of the Bene Gessirit sisterhood, who are powerful in both they’re physical and mental abilities, as her mentor in Gaius Helen Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) realizes that Paul is a threat as she asks Baron Harkkonen to spare Paul and Jessica which he agrees to unaware that he plans on killing them all.
The screenplay does a lot in not just fleshing out these characters but also play into the stakes of what the House of Atrides is dealing with as they begin to ask questions about why they’re in Arrakis. Even as Paul becomes a target with some believing he is a prophet that will help the Fremen rebel against the emperor though Paul himself is unsure while a lot of the dreams he has features a young woman he would meet in Chani (Zendaya). There are also a lot of political maneuvering in the hand of the Harkkonens as they are intent on having control of the mélange in an act of greed and domination as they treat the Fremen as vermin. There is a structure to the script as it does play into the development of Paul Atrides but also in this journey of the role he has to play as he has to cope with loss as well as things he has to do for the greater good.
Villeneuve’s direction is definitely vast in its presentation as it plays into the different worlds of the universe as it has a physicality that isn’t seen often in sci-fi films. Shot on various locations in the Liwa Oasis at United Arab Emirates as parts of Arrakis along with the deserts of Jordan and Stadlandet as the House of Atrides’ home planet of Caladan plus studios in Budapest for some of the interiors including the home planet of the Harkkonens. Villeneuve maintains a world that grand where the future is this massive universe and Arrakis is at the center where Villeneuve uses a lot of wide and medium shots to capture the look of this desert world with the sand being this mélange that has mystical quality that does more than provide a resource for interstellar traveling during a scene where Duke Atrides, Paul, Gurney, and Dr. Liet-Kynes are saving harvesters where Paul gets close into contact with the mélange.
Villeneuve also uses close-ups to play into Paul’s interaction with the mélange as well as the dreams he have that often feature Chani as well as images possibly relating to future events and such. There is a physicality to Villeneuve’s presentation in the dragonfly-planes that the House of Atrides uses as well as other spaceships along with some of the designs of the sandworms who move around the desert. Villeneuve emphasizes more on this air of physicality as well as the presentation of other planets including a planet where the emperor’s soldiers as it this desolate and rainy world while the Harkkonens’ home planet is just as dark in comparison to the desert beauty of Arrakis. Even in the film’s second act where Paul and Lady Jessica hide from the Harkkonens and the emperor’s army with the aid of Dr. Liet-Kynes and Idaho, there is this air of realism into the locations and places where Villeneuve’s usage of tracking shots play into the suspense.
Villeneuve also play up into this world of politics such as scene of Duke Atrides being confronted by Baron Harkkonen as the compositions that Villeneuve create is filled with this dramatic tension while the third act plays into the aftermath of the threat that is Paul Atrides. Notably as Atrides and Lady Jessica deal with the world they’re in but also revelations about why their house was sent to Arrakis. The final moments of the film is more of setting up of what is to come since the film basically sets up a lot of what happens in the first half of the book. Yet, Villeneuve is able to do more than just establish the world and these characters but also the stakes itself in what Paul has to do for Arrakis and the universe itself. Overall, Villeneuve crafts a ravishing yet intoxicating film about a young man taking his steps into finding himself amidst a troubling intergalactic conflict on a repressed planet.
Cinematographer Greig Fraser does incredible work with the film’s cinematography in its emphasis on natural lighting for many of the daytime exterior scenes on Arrakis along with some of its interior scenes in the caves and tunnels along with the usage of low-key lighting for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Joe Walker does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into some of the action and drama while also knowing when to have shots linger for a bit to play up the suspense. Production designer Patrice Vermette, with supervising art director Tom Brown and senior art director Karl Probert plus set decorators Richard Roberts and Zsuzsanna Sipos, does phenomenal work with the look of the city and spice refinery on Arrakis as well as the space ships and the way the home of the Harkkonens look as it play into their personality. Costume designers Bob Morgan and Jacqueline West do amazing work with the design of the refined suits of the House of Atrides as well as the gowns of the Bene Gessirit and the clothes of the Harkkonens.
Hair/makeup/prosthetics makeup designer Donald Mowat does brilliant work with some of the prosthetics that include some of the makeup of the characters such as Gaius Helen Mohiam and some of the Harkkonens including Baron Harkkonen in his obese yet larger-than-life persona. Special effects supervisor Gerd Nefzer and visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert do superb work with the effects from the usage of prosthetics in the look of some of the space ships along with digital effects into the look of the giant sand worms including the detail in its mouth. Sound editors Theo Green and Mark A. Mangini do tremendous work with the sound as it adds to the film’s atmosphere in the way the sand worms emerge along with the thumpers to attract their attention as well as the way the space ships and such sound as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer is sensational for its bombastic score that features elements of bass-heavy electronics and orchestral bits along with vocal choirs and such, with vocal contributions from Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance, to play into the scale of the film as it is a highlight while music supervisors Peter Afterman and Alison Litton cultivate a soundtrack that features some folk-like pieces and other electronic pieces to play into the world that the characters are in.
The casting by Jina Jay and Francine Maisler is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Roger Yuan as Gurney’s right-hand man Lt. Lanville, Golda Rosheuvel as the Fremen maid Shadout Mapes who assists Lady Jessica in Arrakis, Benjamin Clementine as an imperial delegate who brings an order to Duke Atrides early in the film, Babs Olusanmokun as a Fremen in Jamis who challenges Paul’s allegiance late in the film, Chang Chen as Suk physician Dr. Wellington Yueh who works for the House of Atrides as he is a man dealing with conflict of his own, David Dastmalchian as the Harkkonen official who aids in political dealings and matters of torture, Stephen McKinley Henderson as the House of Atrides’ official Thufir Hawat who also deals in political matters and the handling of security, and Zendaya in a fantastic small role as the Fremen Chani who appears in Paul’s dreams as a symbol of hope as well as someone who is part of a rebellion against the Harkkonens and the emperor. Dave Bautista is superb as Baron Harkkonen’s brutish nephew Glossu Rabban as a figure who kills people and does whatever his uncle asks him to while also realizing the big threat this is Paul Atrides.
Javier Bardem is terrific as the Fremen chieftain Stilgar as a man who is suspicious of the House of Atrides’ arrival only to realize their motives as he would play a bigger role late in the film. Sharon Brewster-Duncan is excellent as Dr. Liet-Kynes in a role that was originally as a man where Brewster-Duncan brings a lot of gravitas and charisma to the role as a planetologist who works for the emperor yet realizes that something isn’t right where she would help out the House of Atrides as she knows a lot about life on Arrakis. Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin are amazing in their respective roles as Paul’s mentors in the sword master Duncan Idaho and the weapons master Gurney Halleck as two men who teach Paul on the ideas of combat with Momoa as someone who got to know the Fremen as he is also aware that something is off while Brolin’s performance as Gurney is more reserved as someone who isn’t as trusting as Idaho but is loyal to the House of Atrides. Charlotte Rampling is brilliant in her small role as Gaius Helen Mohiam as the Bene Gessirit Reverend Mother who tests Paul on his skills and realizes that he is powerful where she sees him as a threat.
Stellan Skarsgard is incredible as Baron Vladimir Harkkonen as this evil and greedy figure who is obese and creepy in his look while displays a chilling tone to his character as someone that wants it all and to destroy everyone in his path. Oscar Isaac is remarkable as Duke Leto Atrides as the head of House of Atrides who is hoping to bring peace and prosperity to Arrakis while learning that he’s become a political target where he copes with not just the expectations for his son but also the fate of his family. Rebecca Ferguson is phenomenal as Lady Jessica as Duke Atrides’ concubine and a Bene Gessirit priestess who taught Paul special vocal powers as she deals with her role as a Bene Gessirit but also the big role that Paul might have to play. Finally, there’s Timothee Chalamet in a tremendous performance as Paul Atrides as the son of Duke Atrides who is a young man trying to learn about the universe as he has visions that could be about the future while dealing with the role he has to play where Chalamet brings a lot of that air of uncertainty but also someone who knows he has to grow as it is a career-defining performance for Chalamet.
Dune-Part One is a magnificent film from Denis Villeneuve. Featuring an incredible ensemble cast, rapturous visuals, astonishing set pieces, its emphasis on themes of politics and colonialism, and Hans Zimmer’s phenomenal score. The film is definitely a grand piece of art that doesn’t just live up to the vision of Frank Herbert but also be a sci-fi film that does a lot more than just be action in favor of characters, motivations, and the stakes. In the end, Dune-Part One is an outstanding film from Denis Villeneuve.
Denis Villeneuve Films: August 32nd on Earth - Maelstrom - Polytechnique - Incendies - Prisoners (2013 film) - Enemy (2013 film) - Sicario - Arrival (2016 film) - Blade Runner 2049 - Dune-Part Two - (Dune: Messiah)
Related: Dune (1984 film) - Jodorowsky's Dune - The Auteurs #68: Denis Villeneuve
© thevoid99 2021
Directed by Julian Schnabel and written by Schnabel, Jean-Claude Carriere, and Louise Kugelberg, At Eternity’s Gate is the story about the final years of painter Vincent van Gogh. Based on theories by van Gogh biographers Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, the film dramatizes the events of van Gogh’s final years as well as his eventual death as the painter struggles to get attention and recognition for his work as van Gogh is portrayed by Willem Dafoe. Also starring Mads Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Mathieu Almaric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Oscar Isaac, and Niels Arestrup. At Eternity’s Gate is a rapturous and riveting film from Julian Schnabel.
Set during the final two years of the life of Vincent van Gogh, the film follows the painter as he struggles to make a name for himself while wanting to express himself artistically as well as questioning himself about his art and the divine. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it doesn’t play into a straightforward approach expected in films about real figures. Instead, it is a study of a man trying to find himself through his art as he also begins to question his being and worth as an artist and as a man while he would meet various people in his journey. The film’s script by Julian Schnabel, Louise Kugelberg, and Jean-Claude Carriere follows van Gogh in that journey where he often walks around landscapes in France as he would often paint what he sees as those who would see his paintings are convinced that he’s no good. Upon meeting the artist Paul Gauguin (Oscar Isaac) in Paris as they both share their thoughts on art, van Gogh goes to Arles in the South of France to find inspiration in the landscape but is ridiculed by some locals for his aesthetics while a visit from Gauguin only adds to his emotional turmoil.
The film’s second half revolves around the events in which van Gogh had cut off his left ear as the narrative also feature voiceover narration from van Gogh through letters he would write to his brother Theo (Rupert Friend) who would fund his art. It is at this time that van Gogh would be sent to an asylum as he ponders about his art and such but also the beauty of nature and the divine. Even as he would continue to paint to the day he dies as the script also showcases the man’s delusions and episodes of mental illness as well as ideas of what might’ve happened on the day of his death.
Schnabel’s direction is definitely dream-like in some of the imagery he creates as he would also shoot the film on actual locations in Arles as well as additional locations in Bouches-du-Rhone, and Auvers-sur-Oise in France. Schnabel’s usage of the wide and medium shots add to the beauty that van Gogh was seeking but also something that is almost indescribable in trying to find the actual look of it which is why he paints fast. The attention to detail in the painting as well as what van Gogh sees adds to the beauty while some of the framing that Schnabel creates in the medium shots do match up to some of the paintings that van Gogh has created. Even in the close-ups as it help play into the sense of despair and torment that van Gogh endures with Schnabel often shooting scenes with hand-held cameras where the camera often glides or gets a point-of-view shot of van Gogh walking. The usage of the hand-held cameras would also play into the wonders of nature and the surroundings that van Gogh would encounter.
Also serving as editor with co-writer Louise Kugelberg, Schnabel’s usage of jump-cuts and dissolves add to some of the film’s emotional moments as well as play into van Gogh’s troubled mental state. Notably in scenes during the third act where van Gogh is in an asylum as it returns to the film’s opening scene where it is shown in a different context. It adds to this sense of despair and uncertainty in van Gogh where he meets a sympathetic priest (Mads Mikkelsen) who gets a look at one of his paintings and does express his opinion yet doesn’t think that van Gogh is a terrible painter. The third act also has Schnabel play into things that play into events relating to his work including a sketchbook that would be lost until 2016 and what happened to him on the day he died. Yet, Schnabel showcases a man that is driven by the beauty of his surroundings and hoping to capture it the way he and possibly God sees it. Overall, Schnabel crafts an intoxicating and enchanting film about the final years in the life of Vincent van Gogh.
Cinematographer Benoit Delhomme does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of lush colors and dream-like photography add to the films’ beauty as well as its usage of blurry lenses and some black-and-white shots that showcases the depths of van Gogh’s psyche. Production designer Stephane Cressend, with set decorators Sonia Gloaguen and Cecile Vatelot plus art director Loic Chavanon, does brilliant work with the look of the places that van Gogh would go to and stay at as well as a tavern he would frequent at and the asylum where he spent some time during his illness. Costume designer Karen Muller Serreau does fantastic work with the ragged clothes that van Gogh wears as well as some of the clothes the other characters wear.
Special makeup effects artist Jean-Christophe Spadaccini and special effects makeup designer Mark Wotton do terrific work with the look of a few characters including van Gogh after he had cut off his left ear. Visual effects supervisor Arthur Lemaitre does nice work with the visual effects as it is largely minimal in presenting van Gogh without his left ear and a few bits of set dressing. Sound editor Thomas Desjonqueres does excellent work with the film’s sound in the way it repeats lines of dialogues to play into van Gogh’s delusions as well as capturing natural sounds as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Tatiana Lisovskaya is amazing for its lush and somber piano sonatas and low-key orchestral touches that play into the film’s melancholic tone as well as the sense of wonderment that van Gogh endures.
The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Anne Consigny as a schoolteacher who is disgusted by what van Gogh is painting, Louis Garrel as the voice of an article by an art critic, Lolita Chammah as a young woman van Gogh meets at the film’s beginning, Vincent Perez as an art gallery director, Amira Casar as Theo’s wife Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, Vladimir Consigny as an asylum doctor, and Niels Arestrup as a madman van Gogh converses with at the asylum about insanity. Mads Mikkelsen is superb in his one-scene performance as a priest who converses with Van Gogh about art and the divine as it is a low-key performance from Mikkelsen who provides a sense of warmth to the character. Mathieu Almaric is fantastic in his small role as Dr. Paul Gachet as a man who is a subject of one of van Gogh’s paintings as well as be someone who would be with him on the last day of van Gogh’s life.
Emmanuelle Seigner is excellent in a dual role as the woman from Arles who becomes a subject of one of Van Gogh’s paintings as she would give him a place to stay while other role as Madam Ginoux is brief as the woman who would unknowingly have van Gogh’s sketchbook and put in a place that she would forget about. Oscar Isaac is brilliant as Paul Gauguin as an artist who shares van Gogh’s ideas about aesthetics yet becomes baffled by what van Gogh is trying to find through art believing that van Gogh would never get any attention. Rupert Friend is amazing as van Gogh’s brother Theo as a man who is also funds van Gogh’s work as he becomes concerned about his brother’s emotional and mental well-being. Finally, there’s Willem Dafoe in a performance for the ages as Vincent van Gogh as this tormented artist who is trying to create art that means something while dealing with rejection, criticism, and himself as Dafoe play into this man’s struggle as well as wanting to create something that he believes is closer to what God would see as it is a towering performance from Dafoe.
At Eternity’s Gate is an outstanding film from Julian Schnabel that features a career-defining performance from Willem Dafoe as Vincent van Gogh. Along with its ensemble cast, Benoit Delhomme’s ravishing cinematography, Tatiana Lisovskaya’s somber score, and its exploration of an artist trying to create art that is divine. The film is an unconventional yet enthralling film that doesn’t play into the traditional schematics of a bio-pic in favor of studying a man trying to capture nature at its most pure. In the end, At Eternity’s Gate is a magnificent film from Julian Schnabel.
Julian Schnabel Films: Basquiat - Before Night Falls - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Lou Reed-Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse - Miral
Related: (Lust for Life) – (Vincent & Theo) – (Dreams (1990 film)) – (Loving Vincent) - The Auteurs #43: Julian Schnabel
© thevoid99 2020
Based on the works and characters of George Lucas, The Rise of Skywalker (Star Wars Episode IX) is the final film series of the Skywalker saga as it follows the conclusion of the conflict between the Resistance and the First Order with ties to their respective allegiances in the Jedi and the Sith. Directed by J.J. Abrams with a screenplay by Abrams and Chris Terrio from a story by Abrams, Terrio, Derek Connolly, and Colin Trevorrow, the film follows the Resistance rebuilding itself to go into a final stand with the First Order while Rey deals with Kylo Ren for the final time. Starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Anthony Daniels, Kelly Marie Tran, Billy Dee Williams, Ian McDiarmid, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher in her final film appearance as Leia Organa. The Rise of Skywalker is an exhilarating yet clunky film from J.J. Abrams.
The film follows events after the previous encounter as the remaining forces of the Resistance learn about the dark secret that Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is alive as Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) finds Palpatine learning what he’s created prompting Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega), and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) to find out where Palpatine is and why he’s alive. That the film’s main plot as it focuses on Rey making a discovery about her own identity but also what Ren discovered as it relates to Palpatine. The film’s screenplay by J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio is largely straightforward in its narrative but considering the risks that the previous story had done with its narrative. It feels more of a step backwards by going back to something that calls back to other narratives of previous films as well as rely on exposition at times that does hinder the narrative.
The revelation about Palpatine and how he survived the events that led to his supposed death reveal a secret cult that relates to the Sith and the Empire along with other revelations about the First Order’s leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). Ren at first wants to destroy Palpatine but realizes that Palpatine is too powerful and influential to destroy as one of the film’s main plot points involves finding an object that reveals the location of where Palpatine is and his big secret as it’s part of the narrative that involves Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewbacca, and the droids in BB-8 and C-3P0 (Anthony Daniels) as they also go in the search for another mysterious object that Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) had been trying to find many years ago. It is in that narrative where Rey makes some discovers about herself while still finds herself connected with Ren who had discovered her true identity. Though the narrative does manage to flesh out some of the characters but at the disservice of others in favor of playing into a formula of emphasizing on action scene to another action scene with little time for characterization.
J.J. Abrams’ direction is sprawling in terms of its set pieces, action scenes, and in the many different locations the film is set with much of the film shot at Pinewood Studios in London and some of the desert locations in Jordan. Abrams’ direction does use a lot of wide and medium shots to get a scope of these locations that include a celebration on a planet that happens every 42 years while establishing the rule of the First Order as they venture into many planets of the galaxy to find Rey, Finn, and Poe who have become major targets for the First Order prompting Ren to send the Knights of Ren to find them. Abrams does at least establish what is going on while many of the action sequences and lightsaber battles are thrilling. Those scenes are fun to watch including the film’s climax between the Resistance and the First Order in a massive final battle scene that does have a lot of callbacks to the films of the past including a few notable characters from those past films.
There are some intimate moments that have elements of humor and drama in some of the scenes that Abrams creates with the usage of close-ups and medium shots yet it is hampered by the film’s script and narrative where it never does enough to get the characters to figure out what to do next. Though there are scenes that do play into revelations about Poe’s own background as well as Finn meeting a woman in Jannah (Naomi Ackie) who shares a similar background that Finn had endured. Abrams unfortunately underwhelms when it comes to the scenes involving Palpatine in its third act as there are also a few moments in the third act that are cheesy. Still, Abrams does succeed in creating a fitting conclusion to the series as it is about a young woman understanding who she is but show she chooses to be in the end. Overall, Abrams crafts a thrilling although derivative film about a conflict that reaches its breaking point.
Cinematographer Dan Mindel does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of dark-bluish light for some of the scenes on the planet of Exegol along with scenes on a planet where Poe meets an old friend along with some colorful lighting for some of the daytime exterior scenes including some gorgeous work in the film’s ending. Editors Maryann Brandon and Stefan Grube do nice work with the editing as it is does play into the thrill of the action and the rhythm of the lightsaber battles along with some straightforward cuts for some of the non-action scenes. Production designers Rick Carter and Kevin Jenkins, along with set decorator Rosemary Brandenburg and supervising art director Paul Inglis, do amazing work with the look of the planet that Palpatine lives in as well as the design of a few ships and the home base of the Resistance. Costume designer Michael Kaplan does fantastic work with costume designs in the look of Poe’s old ally Zorri Bliss (Keri Russell) as well as the ragged look of the Resistance.
Creature designer Neal Scanlan does excellent work with the look of some of the creatures Rey, Poe, and Finn encounter including a tiny hacker named Babu Frik (voice of Shirley Henderson) who would decode something relating to ancient Sith translation. Special effects supervisor Dominic Tuohy and visual effects supervisor Roger Guyett do incredible work with the special effects in the usage of practical effects along with computer-based effects for some scenes including a flashback scene of Luke training Leia as it play into a major plot-point for Rey in the film’s third act. Sound editors David Acord and Matthew Wood do superb work with the sound in creating many sound effects and textures into the sound including a collage of voices during Rey’s confrontation with Palpatine. The film’s music by John Williams is phenomenal for its orchestral-based score that feature some familiar themes relating to his work from the past but also some thrilling pieces in the string arrangements and bombastic moments that play into the sense of adventure and drama.
The casting by Nina Gold, April Webster, and Alyssa Weisberg is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Jamie Comer and Billy Howle as a couple protecting a young Rey, Mike Quinn and Kipsang Rotich in their respective work as performer and voice of Nien Nunb, music composer John Williams as a bartender, Dominic Monaghan as a Resistance trooper, Greg Grunberg as Resistance pilot Snap Wexley, Shirley Henderson as the voice of hacker Babu Frik, and Billie Lourd as Lt. Connix. The performances of Hassan Taj and Lee Towersey as R2-D2 and the duo of Dave Chapman and Brian Herring as BB-8 are terrific in providing the puppeteer work of the droids with J.J. Abrams as the voice of a droid BB-8 befriends in D-O. Kelly Marie Tran is good as Resistance mechanic/fighter Rose Tico though she doesn’t really much to do while Naomi Ackie is superb as Jannah as a Resistance ally who is part of a group of people that shared similar experiences that Finn went through as a Stormtrooper.
Joonas Suotomo, Anthony Daniels. and Billy Dee Williams are fantastic in their respective roles as Chewbacca, the droid C-3P0 and Lando Calrissian as two war veterans with Chewbacca helping Rey, Poe, and Finn in their mission with C-3P0 joining along as he also provides key information that would help them find their destination while Calrissian appears to give them advice as well as some inspirational words before he rejoins the fight. Richard E. Grant is brilliant as General Pryde as a First Order leader who was also part of the Empire while Domnhall Gleeson is alright as General Hux as a First Order leader who tries to find ways not to get into Ren’s bad side. Keri Russell and Lupita Nyong’o are amazing in their respective roles as an old friend of Poe in Zorri Bliss and the space pirate Maz Kanata with former having some issues with Poe over things from the past while the latter is aware of what is going on as she tries to reach out to other allies. Ian McDiarmid is remarkable as Palpatine as he doesn’t appear much in the film except in the opening sequence and in the third act as the former Sith lord and leader of the Empire who is trying to manipulate and mastermind everything around him while carrying a major secret of his own.
Oscar Isaac and John Boyega are marvelous in their respective roles as Poe Dameron and Finn with the former as a Resistance pilot who becomes concerned with what to do and how to be a leader while the latter becomes more confident in his role yet expresses his own concern for Rey who admits to feeling troubled by her own visions. Mark Hamill is incredible in his brief appearance as Luke Skywalker as the former Jedi master who appears in one key scene to give Rey guidance as well as admit to his own failures. Through a series of archival appearances from previous films, Carrie Fisher is phenomenal as Leia Organa as the Resistance leader who helps Rey in her Jedi training but also is aware of what is happening where she makes a major decision to reach out to Kylo. Daisy Ridley is sensational as Rey as a young scavenger turned Jedi who becomes troubled by her visions and her past leading questions about her true identity as she becomes conflicted and lost. Finally, there’s Adam Driver in a tremendous performance as Kylo Ren as the First Order’s leader who finds Palpatine hoping to end him only to align with him as he struggles with his own issues concerning Rey and her true identity along with the need to prove to himself to the dark side of the Force.
The Rise of Skywalker is a superb though flawed film from J.J. Abrams. Despite its shortcomings in its script and emphasis to play it safe rather than take risks, the film still manages to be exciting and adventurous. Notably as it features great performances from its ensemble cast as well as dazzling visuals. In the end, The Rise of Skywalker is a stellar film from J.J. Abrams.
Star Wars Films: Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back - Return of the Jedi - The Phantom Menace - Attack of the Clones - Revenge of the Sith - The Force Awakens - The Last Jedi
Anthology Series: Rogue One - Solo
Related: The Star Wars Holiday Special - Caravan of Courage - The Battle for Endor - The Clone Wars - Fanboys - The People vs. George Lucas
George Lucas Films: THX 1138 – (American Graffiti)
© thevoid99 2019
Based on the novel by Jeff VanderMeer, Annihilation is the story of a group of military scientists who enter a mysterious zone where landscapes change as they also encounter creatures that transform. Written for the screen and directed by Alex Garland, the film is a sci-fi horror film that follow a group of women who travel to this quarantined zone as one of them tries to understand what her husband had encountered. Starring Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, Tuva Novotny, Oscar Isaac, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Annihilation is an eerie yet evocative film from Alex Garland.
The film revolves a biologist who volunteers to join a group of military scientists into a mysterious zone where its surroundings change as it include mysterious creatures and things that are indescribable with the biologist wondering why her husband was the only one to return from that area. It’s a film that has a compelling premise yet it is largely told in a reflective manner by its protagonist Lena (Natalie Portman) to a scientist in quarantine as Alex Garland’s script uses Lena to explain what she and her team saw in the zone with questions about what happened to her husband Kane (Oscar Isaac) who had returned from the zone but isn’t the same person. Even as the army has taken him and Lena believing that there is something wrong with them yet it is Kane that is ill with Lena wondering what really did happen to him.
The screenplay has Lena tell her story to this scientist as she also thinks about her life with Kane but also the anguish she faced when he wasn’t around. While she was approached by army psychologist Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who revealed what Kane and his team were at the zone known as the Shimmer. Lena eventually decides to volunteer with Dr. Ventress and a team that includes two military scientists in Josie (Tessa Thompson), Cassie (Tuva Novotny), and the paramedic Anya (Gina Rodriguez). Much of the film’s second and third act occur in the Shimmer as it is a world that is unlike anything where mutation is common while there’s a lot of complexities into the environment that these women are all trying to understand as they all try to reach the lighthouse where the source of everything that happened is.
Garland’s direction is definitely intoxicating for the way he creates a world that is strange and surreal but also filled with wonders that play into the complexities of humanity and nature. Shot largely on location at Windsor Great Park as well as Holkham Pines in North Norfolk in Britain, the film does play into this strange mix of sci-fi and horror as Garland does maintain this air of suspense. While the film does have conventional elements relating to horror in what these women encounter, there is this conflict about what these women want to do with their mission as it intensifies during its second half. The scenes set at the Shimmer definitely echoes a lot of the visual compositions of Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky in terms of the attention to detail in the images as well as in some of the surreal elements. The usage of wide and medium shots play into that sense of wonderment that include some of the creatures that Lena and her team would encounter throughout the course of the film.
Garland would also use surrealism to play into the landscape and things that the characters would find at the Shimmer. Even as it play into idea of science where Lena, Dr. Ventress, Cassie, Josie, and Anya each give their own take of what they find. The third act isn’t just about going into the lighthouse which is where the source of the Shimmer comes from but also what happened to those who went to the Shimmer and never came back. The land surrounding the lighthouse is just as unique where there is something that is beautiful and enchanting but also filled with a sense of terror into what is the source of all of these things. Even as Lena has to deal with what she discovered and cope with what happened to her husband and how he was able to return home. Overall, Garland crafts a ravishing yet haunting film about a group of scientists entering into a mysterious world where the laws of nature is different and ever-changing.
Cinematographer Rob Hardy does brilliant work with the cinematography to play into the low-key yet stylish lighting for the scenes at the lab and military compound as well as a more natural look at Lena’s home with something dream-like in the scenes set at the Shimmer. Editor Barney Pilling does excellent work with the editing as it does have some style in a few flashback montages of Lena thinking about her life with Kane as well as some rhythmic cuts that play into the suspense. Production designer Mark Digby, with set decorator Michelle Day and supervising art director Denis Schnegg, does amazing work with the look of the military bases as well as some of the places inside the Shimmer including the lighthouse. Costume designer Sammy Sheldon does nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual including the army uniforms that almost everyone wears in the film.
Hair/makeup designer Sian Grigg does terrific work with the look of the characters to play into their personalities including how Kane looked before his mission and what he looked like afterwards. Visual effects supervisor Andrew Whitehurst does incredible work with the visual effects in the design of the creatures as well as the landscapes and such inside the Shimmer. Sound designer Glenn Freemantle does fantastic work with the sound as it is a highlight of the film as it play into the atmosphere of the Shimmer as well as sound textures into what the creatures sound like. The film’s music by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow is superb for its mixture of ambient and folk in the music as it help play into the drama and suspense while the soundtrack mainly features a song from Crosby, Stills, and Nash.
The casting by Francine Maisler is wonderful as it include a few notable small roles from Sonoya Mizuno in a dual role as a student of Lena in Katie and a mysterious being at the Shimmer, David Gyasi as a colleague of Lena in Daniel who also works at the university where she’s a professor, and Benedict Wong as the scientist Lomax who interrogates Lena following the events of what she encountered at the Shimmer. Oscar Isaac is terrific in his role as Kane as Lena’s husband who returns from the Shimmer a different man where he is restrained and uncertain of where he is in comparison to who he is in the flashbacks as someone lively and animated. Tuva Novotny is fantastic as Cass as a military scientist who takes part in the mission as she is tough but also friendly as she befriends Lena as they both share stories of loss. Gina Rodriguez is excellent as Anya as a military paramedic who is a tough woman that is baffled by what she discovers as well as coping with the harsh environment of the Shimmer that allows her to act out.
Tessa Thompson is brilliant as Josie as a scientist who would make some discoveries about the landscapes and organisms at the Shimmer as well as provide some ideas of what is happening. Jennifer Jason Leigh is amazing as Dr. Ventress as military psychiatrist who leads the team as she wants to know what is out there while knowing why Lena chose to volunteer as she is also dealing with a secret of her own. Finally, there’s Natalie Portman in an incredible performance as Lena as a biologist who is trying to understand what happened to her husband while carrying elements of guilt as a way to redeem herself for him where she would make some unsettling discoveries but also make sense of the world that she is in as it’s one of Portman’s finest performances.
Annihilation is a phenomenal film from Alex Garland that features great performances from Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tessa Thompson. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, compelling story of nature, and an eerie music score. It’s a film that blends all sorts of genres while exploring the ideas of people dealing with surroundings that are complex and breaking the laws of nature. In the end, Annihilation is a sensational film from Alex Garland.
Related: Ex-Machina
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the novel Therese Raquin by Emile Zola and its stage play by Neal Bell, In Secret is the story of a young woman who has an affair with a friend of husband as they conspire to get rid of her husband whom she is forced into marriage by her aunt. Written for the screen and directed by Charlie Stratton, the film is an exploration of a woman trying to fulfill her sexual and emotional desires in an affair as well as the actions that would occur to maintain this affair. Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Oscar Isaac, Tom Felton, Matt Lucas, Shirley Henderson, Mackenzie Crook, and Jessica Lange. In Secret is a riveting and haunting film from Charlie Stratton.
Set in 19th Century France, the film revolves around a young woman who lives with her aunt and her ailing cousin as she is forced to marry the latter upon moving to Paris where she begins an affair with her cousin’s best friend in the city. It’s a film with a simple premise as it play into a woman’s own sexual desires and feeling repressed in her family home but the move to Paris would bring a lot but also trouble when she and her lover decide to kill her cousin/husband. Charlie Stratton’s screenplay does have a straightforward narrative as it play into repression that Therese Raquin (Elizabeth Olsen) is dealing as she was sent to live with her aunt (Jessica Lange) when she was a child and had to share the room with her sickly cousin Camille (Tom Felton).
The move to Paris would mark a change for Therese except that she would be forced to marry Camille for the move to happen as she accepts the decision only to find herself falling for his friend Laurent LeClaire (Oscar Isaac). The affair would fulfill Therese sexually and emotionally but it would also lead to troubles that include the film’s second half where there isn’t just this element of guilt looming but also this air of grief that starts to loom throughout the characters.
Stratton’s direction is straightforward in terms of the compositions that are created as much of the film is shot on location in Belgrade, Serbia and some of the city locations at Budapest, Hungary. While there aren’t a lot of wide shots in the compositions, Stratton would use medium shots and close-ups to play into the drama as well as characters dealing with their environment and situations. Notably in scenes that play into Therese’s attraction with Laurent as they keep their affair a secret while they also conspire in getting rid of Camille though he’s never did anything wrong other than be dependent on due to his ailments. It would add Therese’s own anguish as even though doesn’t like Camille much, she still cares about him and his mother who would succumb to grief in the most extreme way during its third act. Stratton’s direction would create elements of surrealism as well as playing up to this idea of guilt and torment along with the possibility of the actions that Therese and Laurent have committed. Overall, Stratton creates a compelling and eerie film about a woman and her lover trying to maintain an affair by committing a horrible crime.
Cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it does play into some of the dark colors and low-key lights for some of the interior scenes at night as well as the look of some of the daytime exteriors including the scenes at the forests and rivers. Editors Celia Haining, Leslie Jones, and Paul Tothill does nice work with the editing as it is straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the drama. Production designer Uli Hanisch, with set decorator Michael Fechner and supervising art director Kai Koch, does brilliant work with the look of the shop Therese and her aunt would run as well as the clerk station that Camille and Laurent would work at and the apartment above the shop. Costume designer Pierre-Yves Gayraud does fantastic work with the costumes as it play into the period of mid-19th Century France that includes the gorgeous dresses that Therese wears.
Makeup designer Erika Okvist does amazing work with the sideburns that Laurent sports as well as the oily look of Camille. Visual effects supervisor Robert Pik does terrific work with the visual effects as it largely play into bits of set-dressing as well as a few surreal moments in the film. Sound designer Paul Carter and sound editor Michael Maroussas do superb work with the sound as it play into some of the dramatic moments that goes on at the apartment as well as at some of the film’s locations. The film’s music by Gabriel Yared is wonderful for its orchestral score that ranges from being serene for the romantic scenes to ominous themes for the dramatic and suspenseful moments in the film.
The casting by Katalin Baranyi, Deanna Brigidi, and Elaine Grainger is marvelous as it features some notable small roles from Dimitrjie Bogdanov as the young Camille, Lily Laight as the young Therese, Matt Devere as Therese’s father, John Kavanagh as Inspector Michaud who is a family friend of the Raquins that would later try to investigate matters in the film, Matt Lucas as the inspector’s son Olivier who provides some humor while he along with his wife and father and a friend would play dominoes with the Raquins, and Mackenzie Crook as Grivet as a family friend who is befuddled by the events during the film’s second half. Shirley Henderson is fantastic as Olivier’s wife Suzanne who suspects something is up between Therese and Laurent while becoming concerned for both Therese and Madame Raquin during the film’s third act.
Tom Felton is excellent as Camille as an ailing young man that at times selfish and demanding yet is also someone who wants to impress Therese and be a good man for her despite his many shortcomings as it has Felton play a role of humility. Oscar Isaacs is brilliant as Laurent LeClaire as a childhood friend of Camille who falls for Therese where he begins an affair with her only to bring dark ideas that he would share with Camille only to act out through cruel ways in its aftermath. Jessica Lange is amazing as Madame Raquin as this woman who doesn’t like the idea of being alone where she is a bit cruel but also is understanding as Lange shows her best work in the way she copes with grief but also anger through a sense of physicality as it is a master at work. Finally, there’s Elizabeth Olsen in an incredible performance as Therese Raquin as a young woman who is forced into a marriage with her cousin as she deals with being in a one-sided marriage despite her efforts to make it work while falling for Laurent that fulfills her sexual desires only to later deal with guilt and unhappiness in the aftermath of the actions she and Laurent had committed.
In Secret is a marvelous film from Charlie Stratton that features great performances from Elizabeth Olsen, Oscar Isaac, and Jessica Lange. Along with its gorgeous locations and setting as well as its emphasis on suspense and romantic drama. It’s a film that explore the idea of desire and sexual fulfillment but also what some will do to maintain that desire to great extremes. In the end, In Secret is a remarkable film from Charlie Stratton.
Related: Thirst
© thevoid99 2018
Written for the screen and directed by Rian Johnson that is based on characters created by George Lucas, The Last Jedi (Star Wars: Episode VIII) is the story of a continuing conflict between the First Order and the Resistance as a young woman finds Luke Skywalker in the hopes he can help out the Resistance while being trained in the art of the Force. The second part of a trilogy that explore the chaos of war, the film is also an exploration into the evolution of the Force in which Skywalker discovers a power that drove him away many years ago as he is played by Mark Hamill. Also starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Gwendoline Christie, Anthony Daniels, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, Benicio del Toro, Joonas Suotamo, Jimmy Vee, and Carrie Fisher in her final performance as General Leia Organa. The Last Jedi is a visceral yet rapturous film from Rian Johnson.
Picking up where the previous film left off, the film revolves around a resistance who find themselves trying to evacuate their base to find a new one as they’re forced to confront the First Order who have been tracking them. With Resistance forces dwindling and little options left, the Resistance led by General Leia Organa is on a cruiser that is damaged and running low on fuel. Meanwhile, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is trying to get Luke Skywalker back on board as he is reluctant to help the Resistance as he’s still coping with his own faults believing he failed his apprentice Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Rian Johnson’s screenplay, with contributions from Carrie Fisher, is filled with a lot of complexities as well as a lot of narrative arcs that relate to the Resistance struggling to survive as their fleet is in tatters. Rey's character arc with Luke that include Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and R2-D2 (Jimmy Vee) has her trying to find her place as well as get Luke to train her where he realizes the power that she has. Yet, Rey would find herself communicating with Ren through the Force which lead to some trouble and revelations about why he betrayed Luke.
Another narrative arc involves a leadership struggle in the Resistance following an attack on a large First Order ship where Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) has to deal with the Resistance’s deputy leader Vice Admiral Amilyn Hodo (Laura Dern) who is trying to decide what to do next knowing that the First Order can still track the Resistance through light-speed. Poe would strategize a plan to disable a tracking device from a Star Destroyer with Finn (John Boyega) and the droid BB-8 (voice of Ben Burtt and Bill Hader) teaming with a mechanic in Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) to find a hacker to disable that tracking device. It’s an arc that showcases not just Poe’s own development as someone who is very impulsive and reckless in his actions as he needs to know how to be a leader as well as Finn trying to find his place in the Resistance where he befriends Rose who is dealing with loss. Another arc play into Ren’s rivalry with First Order leader General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) in trying to win the approval of the First Order’s leader Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) who wants to destroy the Resistance while that narrative also showcases Ren’s own struggle with himself.
Johnson’s direction is definitely astronomical into not just the different worlds that the characters go to but also have half the film’s narrative set in space where the Resistance is being pursued by the First Order. With much of the film shot on Pinewood Studios in London as well as scenes shot on location in Ireland, Iceland, Mexico, and Bolivia, the film showcases a world that is starting to come apart as well as see some of the darkest aspects of war. The film begins with the Resistance in evacuation mode where it is immediate as it showcases what the Resistance tries to do but also how the First Order would retaliate. It’s a massive sequence which also has elements of character development that showcases what Poe would do to confront the First Order but it comes at a great cost as there is a lot of drama that goes on where General Leia rightfully scolds Poe for his recklessness.
Johnson’s usage of the wide shots capture not just some of the damage that goes on in war but also into the vast world of the galaxy that the characters are in that include Rose and Finn’s journey to this planet that houses a casino for the galaxy’s wealthiest people. It’s a sequence that is strange as it play into a reality about war where it’s a world of decadence and riches that Rose knows and despises where she and Finn try to find this mysterious hacker where they meet this mysterious man named DJ (Benicio del Toro). There are some close-ups and medium shots that Johnson would use as it include these unique Force conversations between Rey and Kylo who are both dealing their place in the Force. It’s told with some unique reverse shots and scenes that are surreal while Johnson would also include a flashback sequence of what really happened when Kylo betrayed Skywalker.
It’s among these chilling moments as well as the scene where Rey meets Snoke for the first time as it would lead an intense sequence that is about the ideas of the Jedi and the Sith. Johnson would also infuse some humor into the film as it include moments of humility for Poe as well as Snoke’s confrontation towards General Hux. Yet, it is all about this battle between good and evil where the latter has put the former into a corner where the film’s climax is about survival with all that is left for the Resistance. It’s a majestic sequence that has a lot happening as well as characters coming together for a moment that could be the end of everything or just the beginning. Overall, Johnson crafts a riveting and gripping film about a group of resistance fighters trying to survive against an evil empire intent on ruling the galaxy.
Cinematographer Steve Yedlin does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography from the naturalistic look of the scenes set in the planet of Ahch-To where Luke has been hiding out to the low-key and stylish lighting for the scenes in the spaceships, the casinos, and at the caves in an old Rebellion fortress. Editor Bob Ducsay does excellent work with the editing with its usage of stylish dissolves and match-cuts as well as some rhythmic cutting into the action and suspense as it add some intrigue and establishing what is at stake. Production designer Rick Heinrichs, with set decorator Richard Roberts and senior art director Phil Sims, does amazing work with the look of the cruiser and transport for the Resistance in its interiors to the look of the lavish casino that Finn and Rose go to as well as Snoke’s main room inside the large Star Destroyer.
Costume designer Michael Kaplan does fantastic work with the costumes from the dresses that General Leia and Vice Admiral Hodo wears to the clothes of the people at the casino. Hair/makeup designer Peter King does superb work with the look of Vice Admiral Hodo with her purple hair as well as the people at the casino who look very posh and decadent. Creature designer Neal Scanlan does incredible work with the look of the tiny creatures at the planet of Ahch-To known as the Porgs as well as some of the inhabitants of the planet and at the casino and the caves. Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould and visual effects supervisor Ben Morris do marvelous work with the design of some of the visual effects for the scenes in space as well as in the design of some of the creatures with its mixture of old-school practical effects and computer-created visual effects.
Sound designers Ben Burtt and Ren Klyce, with sound editor Matthew Wood, do remarkable work with the sound with the sound effects in how the droids make their sounds including an Imperial BB-unit and the sounds of some of the creatures in the film. The film’s music by John Williams is phenomenal for its bombastic orchestral score that is filled with lush string arrangements and themes that range from heavy to somber as it is one of the film’s major highlights.
The casting by Nina Gold, Milivoj Mestrovic, and Mary Vernieu is great as it feature some notable small roles from Timothy D. Rose as Admiral Ackbar, Mike Quinn as Nien Nubb, Veronica Ngo as Rose’s bomber sister Paige, Billie Lourd as Resistance lieutenant Connix, Jimmy Vee as Luke’s old droid R2-D2 who is dealing with Porgs and wanting Luke to come home, the voice of Ben Burtt and Bill Hader as the droid BB-8 who provide some funny and cool moments in the film, Justin Theroux as a big-time gambler at the casino, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca with special consultation by Peter Mayhew who deals with trying to get Luke home and the Porgs, Anthony Daniels as the protocol droid C-3PO who frets over the situation of the Resistance, Lupita Nyong’o as the famed pirate Maz Kanata who provides Poe some information while dealing with a war involving other pirates, and Gwendoline Christie as the Stormtroopers commander Captain Phasma who has a huge grudge towards Finn as she is willing to go after him anyway she can. Benicio del Toro is superb as a codebreaker/hacker named DJ as a man who is willing to help anyone all for money to display his own cynical views on war.
Domhnall Gleeson is fantastic as General Hux as a First Order military leader that is hell-bent on destroying the Resistance and wanting to win over Snoke where he’s not afraid to be a punching bag in some of the most hilarious moments. Laura Dern is amazing as Vice Admiral Amilyn Hodo as a Resistance leader that briefly takes over for an injured Leia as she spars with Poe over what to do as she is someone that knows what is at stake and what needs to be done as it’s a very graceful performance from Dern. Kelly Marie Tran is wonderful as Rose Tico as a Resistance mechanic who aids Finn and BB-8 in a mission to find a codebreaker to help the Resistance evade the First Order as she is someone who is aware of the corruption of the galaxy as well as being someone that is willing to fight for what is right. Andy Serkis is brilliant as Supreme Leader Snoke as the mysterious Sith lord and leader of the First Order who is eager to know who Rey is and what he can do for her as well as ordering Kylo to bring her in an attempt to get back in his favor.
Oscar Isaac is excellent as Poe Dameron as the Resistance pilot who copes with the leadership struggle in the Resistance as he tries to create a secret mission as he’s forced to deal with some of the reckless decisions he’s made in his need to learn how to be a leader. John Boyega is marvelous as Finn as a former Stormtroooper who decides to take part in a secret mission created by Poe as he would see exactly what is happening and what the First Order is trying to do. Adam Driver is remarkable as Kylo Ren as Luke’s former apprentice who has turned to the dark side of the Force as he copes with failures in the past as well as his own internal conflict into the role he wants to take. Daisy Ridley is incredible as Rey as a scavenger who is trying to find out who she is and her place in the galaxy while trying to get Luke back into the Resistance while dealing with all sorts of things as it’s a powerful performance from Ridley.
Mark Hamill is phenomenal as Luke Skywalker as the famed Jedi master who has distanced himself from the art of the Jedi as there’s an air of nihilism about Luke’s view on the Jedi due to the fact that he’s consumed with guilt over Kylo and his reluctance to train Rey which lead to some revelations over his failures as a Jedi master. Finally, there’s Carrie Fisher in a radiant performance as General Leia Organa as the Resistance leader who is trying to carry a sense of hope for the Resistance as she knows how grim things are as it’s a performance of grace and elegance where Fisher delivers a performance that is one for the ages as it’s a fitting finale for the late Carrie Fisher.
The Last Jedi is a tremendous film from Rian Johnson. Featuring a great cast, dazzling visual effects, a riveting script with many revelations and character arcs, John Williams’ sumptuous score, and high-octane action. It’s a film that manages to be a lot of things expected in a sci-fi epic while also taking some risks to showcase some of the dark aspects of war and the idea of failure and redemption. In the end, The Last Jedi is a spectacular film from Rian Johnson.
Star Wars Films: Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back - Return of the Jedi - The Phantom Menace - Attack of the Clones - Revenge of the Sith - The Force Awakens - The Rise of Skywalker
Anthology Series: Rogue One - Solo: A Star Wars Story – (Untitled Star Wars Anthology Film)
Related: The Star Wars Holiday Special - Caravan of Courage - The Battle for Endor - The Clone Wars - Fanboys - The People vs. George Lucas
George Lucas Films: THX 1138 – (American Graffiti)
Rian Johnson Films: Brick - The Brothers Bloom - Looper - Knives Out - Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - (Knives Out 3)
© thevoid99 2017
