The film follows a man who is set to meet his mother as he constantly encounters all sorts of chaos where he is often afraid as his journey to return home to his mother becomes this journey filled with lots of misunderstandings and other strange incidents that has him running away. It is mainly a character study of this man who lives in an apartment where a lot of shit happens as he often attends therapy sessions as he is reluctant to visit his mother Mona (Patti LuPone & Zoe Lister-Jones as both the present and younger versions, respectively) whom he’s had a chaotic relationship with. Especially as they plan to meet on the anniversary of his father’s death as he had never known his father since he died before he was even born which makes the journey more difficult while a series of circumstances would delay his departure as he is hit by a truck where he is taken to a house by this couple who are nursing him despite the protests of their teenage daughter.
Ari Aster’s screenplay is sprawling in terms of the journey that Beau Wassermann takes as it also has some flashbacks relating to his life with mother including a moment as a teenager (Armen Nahapetian) when they’re vacationing on a cruise where meets a young girl named Elaine (Julia Antonelli) where they make a vow to lose their virginity to one another as he wouldn’t see her for years as he later learns that she works for her mother as an adult (Parker Posey). Throughout the course of the film, Aster’s script has Beau going through these encounters with people and other things as he is trying to go home as it relates to a Jewish custom but also is forced to confront things in his life had been braver. Yet, Beau is often someone who had a choice to take action or to make a decision but often never stands up for himself which often puts him into danger and all sorts of trouble. Especially in his relationship with his mother where he always does whatever she tells him to do and allows people to step over him.
Aster’s direction is definitely grand in terms of its overall presentation as it is shot largely on location in Montreal as New York City with areas in and around the city in its forests and suburbs as the places that Beau would go to. Yet, it opens with a childbirth scene shot from the perspective of the baby coming out of its mother’s womb as it sets the tone for the chaos that Beau would endure as an adult. Aster would create some unique compositions that play into Beau’s own sense of paranoia and fear such as a man hiding on the ceiling in his bathroom while Beau is in the tub as the close-up of Beau’s face and the man’s face is a key moment. Even as it would be this moment leading to the second act where Beau would be hit by a car while being stabbed by a crazed naked man as it is one of several moments of surrealism that is present throughout the film. The scenes at the home of this couple in Grace and Roger (Amy Ryan and Nathan Lane, respectively) does seem like this sense of normalcy until their daughter Toni (Kylie Rogers) comes in as it adds to this sense is discord where something is going to happen to Beau either through his own decisions or his refusal to take action.
The wide and medium shots don’t just add to the visual look of the film including a scene where Beau is in the forest where he meets an acting troupe putting on a play. It is a scene near its third act where Beau sees himself as this character in a play as it is this surreal moment that play into the kind of future Beau would’ve had if he had been braver. It should’ve been this moment of serious development but given the fact that he is someone that carries a lot of guilt where Aster constantly has Beau in situations where there are moments that go on for too long in a film with an almost three-hour running time. The film’s third act and climax that relates to a supposed flashback or traumatic event has him just take not just the abuse from people who blame him for something he didn’t do but also keeps apologizing as if he was the one that has done something. Its ending is also strange as it plays into a man that doesn’t just have serious parental issues but is also someone without a spine who rarely has a moment of anger as he is driven by fear of not just being unloved but also being someone who never had anyone to tell him to stand up for himself. Overall, Aster crafts a wondrous yet bloated film about a man who is afraid of everything and everyone as he tries to get home to his mother.
Cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it has these amazing visuals for many of the daytime exterior scenes with its natural lighting along with some unique lighting for some of the scenes at night including scenes in the forest and at Mona’s home. Editor Lucian Johnston does nice work with the editing in allowing shots to linger a bit along with rhythmic cuts to play into the action and some of the film’s dark humor though it has moments where it lags due to its bloated presentation. Production designer Fiona Crombie, with key set decorator Paul Hotte and supervising art director David Gaucher, does amazing work with the look of the small apartment that Beau lives in to the home of Roger and Grace as well as the home where Mona lives along with the look of the stage play that Beau watches. Costume designer Alice Babidge does excellent work with the costumes in the different array of clothes including some pajamas that Beau wears along with the costumes that the acting troupe wears.
Hair designer Felix Lariviere and prosthetics makeup effects designer Steve Newburn do incredible work with not just the look of Beau with his bruises and such but also in the play scene where he dreams of being the main character in the play with all of its prosthetics as well as a key scene late in the film as it play into some revelations about himself. Special effects supervisor Louis Craig, along with visual effects supervisors Yuval Levy and Louis Morin, does fantastic work with the look of the play fantasy scene with some of its animation as well as some effects for a key scene late in the film. Sound editor Paul Hsu does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as how music is presented next to Beau’s apartment as well as other things that are played on location. The film’s music by Bobby Krlic is phenomenal for its haunting mixture of woodwinds, percussions, and string instruments to add to the suspense and offbeat humor of the film while music supervisor Jemma Burns creates a soundtrack that is filled with an array of music from various genres ranging from pop and electronic music including songs from Bread and Mariah Carey.
The casting by Julie Breton and Jim Carnahan is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Richard Kind as Mona’s attorney Dr. Cohen, Julian Richings as a strange man Beau meets at the play who claims to know Beau’s father, the trio of Michael Gandolfini, Theodore Pellerin, and Mike Taylor as Beau’s sons in the fantasy play sequence, Alicia Rosario as Toni’s friend Liz, Bradley Fisher as a naked man stabbing people, James Cvetkovski as Beau as a young boy, Hayley Squires as a pregnant woman named Penelope who takes Beau to the forest where she’s part of an acting troupe, Julia Antonelli as a teenager Elaine whom the young Beau would fall for, and Armen Nahapetian as the teenager Beau who would fall for the young Elaine as he deals with his father’s absence and other issues relating to his mother. Stephen McKinley Henderson is superb as Beau’s therapist who observes and takes notes over Beau’s anxieties while also recommending him to take some serious prescriptions with water.
Denis Menochet is terrific as a PTSD soldier named Jeeves who is unstable comrade of Grace and Roger’s son whom they let stay at a trailer at their home as he would be this insane figure that would scare Beau. Kylie Rogers is good as Grace and Roger’s daughter Toni as this troubled and antagonistic teenager who hates Beau as she gets him to do things as a way to humiliate him as well as do whatever she can to get him in trouble. Amy Ryan and Nathan Lane are excellent in their respective roles as Grace and Roger as a couple who hit Beau with their car as they take him in to heal as they are this weird couple who offer to help him yet are offbeat though they come off as cartoonish at times. Parker Posey is brilliant in her small role as the adult Elaine as Beau’s soulmate whom he hadn’t seen in years as she reveals to work for his mother in her business while her reunion with Beau is a joyful moment leading to something hilarious in their meeting.
The duo of Patti LuPone and Zoe Lister-Jones are great in their respective roles as the older and younger version of Beau’s mother Mona Wassermann with LuPone as this domineering woman who has become tired of her son’s anxiety issues though it is clear that she is a toxic woman with little care about his issues. Lister-Jones’ performance is more subdued as she isn’t this sweeter version of Mona but also reveals to be someone who is also toxic. Finally, there’s Joaquin Phoenix in an incredible performance as the titular character as this man who is constantly afraid of everything as he’s filled with a lot of anxieties and fears where he often apologizes for everything. It is a performance that has Phoenix do a lot of physicality as well as display emotions though he is hampered by the script as well as the fact that this character he’s playing doesn’t grow a spine and never stands up for himself as it has these moments of greatness but it is also frustrating at times.
Beau is Afraid is a stellar yet highly-flawed film from Ari Aster despite an incredible leading performance from Joaquin Phoenix. While it is a film that does feature a great ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, and a killer music score by Bobby Krlic, it is a film that is ambitious in its approach to surrealism but falls flat due to a protagonist that rarely takes action for himself as he continuously gets stepped on over and over again. In the end, Beau is Afraid is a good but bloated film from Ari Aster.
Ari Aster Films: Hereditary - Midsommar
© thevoid99 2023
Written and directed by Michael Dunaway and Tara Wood, 21 Years: Richard Linklater is a documentary film about the career of filmmaker Richard Linklater from his 1990 breakthrough release Slacker to the impending release of his 2014 film Boyhood told through interviews with many of the actors who had worked with him as well as animated segments where the actors describe Linklater’s approach through filmmaking. The result is an enjoyable and witty film from Michael Dunaway and Tara Wood.
Since the release of his 1990 film Slacker, Richard Linklater was considered one of the forefathers of new wave of American Independent Cinema in the 1990s yet he would continuously evolve through many films through the 2000s and beyond whether it would be experimental films, Hollywood studio films, sci-fi, period films, or whatever. All of which were films that had unique touches as the documentary film features interviews with not just the many actors he collaborated but also filmmakers such as Kevin Smith and Jason Reitman who both see him as a major influence in their work. Actors such as Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Parker Posey, Jack Black, Anthony Rapp, Nicky Katt, Billy Bob Thornton, Zac Efron, Keanu Reeves, and several others talk about Linklater’s approach to improv and make things feel natural.
With the aid of animation directors Adam Conarroe, Megan Kluck, and Shane Minshew, many of the stories the actors talk about in their experience with Linklater is told through animation where Hawke and Delpy talk about the writing process for Before Sunset and Before Midnight where much of it had the two of them laughing a lot in the writing with Linklater. Black talks about Linklater’s approach to make things feel genuine in order to get the story feel real to an audience as Black is proud of the work he’s done with Linklater as does McConaughey who would put in his own family into the films such as one of his brothers in an appearance in The Newton Boys and his mother in Bernie. Much of the direction that Michael Dunaway and Tara Wood does is straightforward in terms of the way the interviews are presented as well as delving a lot into Linklater’s work with the Austin Film Society that had become an important society for the city of Austin.
The film does have flaws as not all of Linklater’s films are discussed heavily like Waking Life, Tape, Fast Food Nation, and subUrbia while there is no mention of his first film It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books. It still cover a lot of what Linklater does as many of the interviews are shot in a straightforward manner with the aid of cinematographer Aaron Brown. Editor Jeremy Ward and sound editor Evan Dunivan do excellent work in compiling the footage as well as putting the audio interview excerpts from the actors over the film. The film’s music by Graham Reynolds is pretty good as it is a mixture of rock and jazz to play into the different flavors of all of Linklater’s films.
21 Years: Richard Linklater is a pretty good film from Michael Dunaway and Tara Wood. While fans of Linklater’s work will enjoy the interviews, they would definitely feel like the film deserves more to say as well as talk about all of other films he did as well as comments from the man himself. In the end, 21 Years: Richard Linklater is a stellar film from Michael Dunaway and Tara Wood.
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by Richard Linklater, Dazed & Confused is the story of a group of high school kids celebrating the last day of school in the summer of 1976 as they deal with what is ahead in the course of an entire day. The film is an exploration of kids getting ready for the summer where some are ready to embark their final year in high school with some ready to become freshmen and deal with the hell that is high school. Starring Jason London, Matthew McConaughey, Joey Lauren Adams, Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Cole Hauser, Nicky Katt, Parker Posey, Wiley Wiggins, Rory Cochrane, and Adam Goldberg. Dazed & Confused is a wild and rapturous film from Richard Linklater.
Set on the last day of school in a small Texan town in 1976, the film is a simple story about the day in the life of a group of kids who are about to become seniors later in the fall as some would take part in hazing kids who would become freshman as they spend the entire day partying and thinking about what will happen. It’s a film that has a simple story with a lot of subplots where kids who are to become freshman deal with not just hazing but also what will happen in high school. Some would deal with partying and seeing what will happen while one of them in a high school quarterback finds himself needing to sign a piece of paper to prohibit him from using drugs and alcohol from his coach.
For that character in Randall “Pink” Floyd (Jason London), he refuses to as he just wants to live freely while some friends wonder why he won’t do it while some say he should stand up for his own beliefs. He would also help out a freshman in Mitch Kramer (Wiley Wiggins) whose sister Jodi (Michelle Burke) is about to become a senior as she would help out a freshman in Sabrina (Christin Hinojosa) in understanding what would happen in high school. Mitch and Sabrina would endure brutal forms of hazing with the former being targeted by this asshole senior in O’Bannion (Ben Affleck) who has failed to graduate as he takes pleasure in hazing seniors by beating them in the ass with a paddle. The film’s third act would be set in a keg party as it involves a lot of characters where there’s some fights but also discussions on what will happen after high school.
Richard Linklater’s direction is quite simple for the way he presents 1976 Texas as it is shot in areas near Austin, Texas to express a world that is quite vibrant but also not do too much to make it feel like a period film. Much of the compositions are simple but also has this sense of energy in how they’re shot and the scenes that are created. Notably the way the young girls are being hazed by these older girls as they would be humiliated in such a way that is comical but also horrific. The usage of close-ups and medium shots help play into some of the intimacy but also in some of these raucous moments that happen in the film as it’s presented with some humor. The direction does have a few wide shots but it is mostly about the parties and characters just talking with one another. Even as there’s a few fights and moments that play into the world of youth as they all deal with the emergence of adulthood. Overall, Linklater creates an exhilarating and heartfelt film about a group of kids getting ready for the summer on their last day of school.
Cinematographer Lee Daniel does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it‘s largely straightforward with some naturalistic shots for much of the film‘s daytime scenes with some lighting to play into the interior/exterior scenes set at night. Editor Sandra Adair does amazing work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the humor as well as some of the action with a few slow-motion cuts. Production designer John Frick, with set decorator Deborah Pastor and art director Jenny C. Patrick, do fantastic work with the look of the pool hall some of the people hang out at as well as the school halls and some of the props that are created to recreate the world of the 1970s.
Costume designer Katherine Dover does brilliant work with the film‘s costumes as it plays into the look of the 70s from the ragged look of the stoners to more stylish look of the shirts and bellbottoms some of the characters wear as well as the nightmare that was the leisure suit. Sound editors Sandy Gendler and Val Kuklowsky do nice work with the sound as it is very natural and straightforward while providing some mixing and edits in some of the parties that happen throughout the film. Music supervisor Harry Garfield does superb work with film’s music soundtrack as it features a lot of the music that was playing during that time from acts such as Aerosmith, Sweet, KISS, Alice Cooper, the Runaways, Dr. John, Black Oak Arkansas, Seals & Croft, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Sabbath, War, Nazareth, Ted Nugent, ZZ Top, Edgar Winter Group, the Steve Miller Band, Bob Dylan, and Peter Frampton.
The casting by Don Phillips is incredible for the large ensemble that is created for the film as it would include many actors who would later become big stars in their own right. Notable small roles include Kim Krizan as a history teacher, Mark Vandermeulen and Jeremy Fox as a couple of freshmen kids who are trying to avoid being hazed, Deena Martin and Christine Harnos as a couple of senior friends of Jodi, Catherine Avril Morris as a sophomore who takes a liking to Mitch, Esteban Powell as a freshman friend of Mitch who has been targeted by O’Bannion, and Jason O. Smith as a friend of Pink who also takes part in the hazing but is kinder to the freshmen. Other noteworthy small roles include Joey Lauren Adams as Pink’s girlfriend Simone, Nicky Katt as a tough guy in Clint, Cole Hauser as fellow football player Benny O’Donnell, Sasha Jenson as the comical football player Don Dawson, Shawn Andrews as a stoner friend of Pink in Kevin whose plan for a house party falters, and Milla Jovovich as Kevin’s girlfriend Michelle who is kind of the silent hanger-on.
Ben Affleck and Parker Posey are fantastic in their respective roles as the bullies O’Bannion and Darla with the former being a complete asshole who takes pleasure in beating up boys while the latter is on a power trip to humiliate young freshmen girls. Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, and Marissa Ribisi are excellent in their respective roles as the intellectuals Mike, Tony, and Cynthia as they often observe everything around them while daring to ask big questions about their future. Christin Hinojosa and Wiley Wiggins are brilliant in their roles as the freshmen Sabrina and Mitch as two young kids who are about to enter high school as they encounter partying but also some of the dark aspects of high school.
Michelle Burke is wonderful as Jodi as Mitch’s older sister who has some feelings for Pink while trying to help Sabrina get ready for the realities of high school. Rory Cochrane is superb as the stoner Ron Slater as this comic relief that likes to smoke weed and do some funny shit. Jason London is amazing as Randall “Pink” Floyd as a football star who finds himself compromised by his coach about his lifestyle as he begins to think about his own life. Finally, there’s Matthew McConaughey in a phenomenal performance as Wooderson as a guy in his early 20s who hangs out with the guys as he is kind of a philosopher while being the coolest motherfucker in the room.
Dazed & Confused is a spectacular film from Richard Linklater. Featuring a great cast, a fun soundtrack, and many different stories set in the span of an entire day. It’s a film that isn’t just funny but also allow to ask big questions about growing up and living in the moment. In the end, Dazed & Confused is a magnificent film from Richard Linklater.
Richard Linklater Films: It's Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books - Slacker - Before Sunrise - subUrbia - The Newton Boys - Waking Life - Tape - School of Rock - Before Sunset - The Bad News Bears (2005 film) - A Scanner Darkly - Fast Food Nation - Me and Orson Welles - Bernie - Before Midnight - Boyhood - Everybody Wants Some!! - The Auteurs #57: Richard Linklater Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by Woody Allen, Irrational Man is the story of a philosophy professor who goes through an existential crisis where he goes into a relationship with one of his students. The film is mystery-drama that has Allen explore the world of existentialism where a man copes with the meaning of life as well as the ways of the world where he ponders what one do by a single act. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Jamie Blackley, and Parker Posey. Irrational Man is a compelling and witty film from Woody Allen.
Set in a small college campus and town in Rhode Island, the film is a simple story of a troubled philosophy professor who is going through depression and an existential crisis where he befriends a student as they discuss the complexities of life. Yet, when they overhear a conversation about a woman’s custody battle and how unlikely she would get her children back due to a corrupt judge. Professor Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix) is suddenly urged to do something as the result would mark a change in his life and his relationship with student Jill Pollard (Emma Stone) where it becomes romantic. Yet, questions would emerge as it relates to his act but also many questions about morality and the way life works. Woody Allen’s screenplay doesn’t just explore Lucas’ own moral and existential dilemma but also the fact that he has become numb and sort of indifferent about what he’s doing.
With Pollard being one of his students in his summer tenure in philosophy, he is intrigued by her views where they would engage a lot in conversations. Pollard would fall for him, much to the chagrin of her boyfriend Roy (Jamie Blackley), though is aware of Lucas’ own reputation as well as the fact that teachers and students can’t go out with each other in the school. While Lucas would have an affair with another professor in Rita Richards (Parker Posey), he is drawn by Pollard as the film‘s narrative is told from their different perspective with the usage of voice-over narration to display their views and what are they thinking. Especially in the second act where Lucas do something as it relates to this woman he doesn’t even know as the result would give him meaning again. Even as Pollard is taken aback at first by his change in mood until news about what is going on in this small town emerges where Pollard learns some truth as she goes into a moral dilemma of her own. All of which plays into a third act that is about morality and what it means to live but also the fact that action can also have consequences.
Allen’s direction is quite simple in terms of not just the compositions but also in the fact that he creates a film that bears little ideas of style. Shot on location in Newport, Rhode Island, the film does have this ravishing tone in the way it presents this small New England college town where it is quite middle class but also very vibrant. While Allen uses some wide and medium shots to capture the beauty of the locations, he also in maintain some intimacy in the latter along with the close-ups in the way characters interact with one another. Allen also would create different shifts in tones where it starts off a little lighthearted despite Lucas’ dark mood and then have the second act be even more upbeat despite the act that Lucas would do that eventually gave him meaning. The tone would once again shift in the third act where it does become more of a drama but a drama that says a lot about morality and the ways of the world. Especially where Pollard who begins to question herself as she is confused on the ways of the world and where true happiness comes from. Allen reveals that there is a lot of flaws in that argument but also says a lot into the ways of the world and how people live no matter how complicated things can be. Overall, Allen creates an engaging yet whimsical film about existentialism and morality.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the look of the exteriors to the way some of the interiors are lit in day and night to play into its low-key yet colorful look. Editor Alisa Lepselter does nice work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward with few bits of style as it plays into the drama and some of the mystery aspects in the film. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorator Jennifer Engel and art director Carl Sprague, does fantastic work with the look of the homes that the characters live in as well as the campus and the hall of mirrors where Lucas and Pollard go to.
Costume designer Suzy Benzinger does terrific work with the costumes as it is mostly casual in the way the characters look as it includes some of the stylish clothes that Pollard and Richards wear. Sound editor Robert Hein does superb work with the sound as it is mostly natural to play into the places that all of the characters go to. The film’s music soundtrack largely consists of playful jazz pieces along with a few classical cuts and a couple of contemporary pop pieces at a party that Lucas goes to.
The casting by Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto and Juliet Taylor is great as it include some notably small roles from Susan Poufar as a woman fighting for custody of her children that Lucas and Pollard would eavesdrop on, Sophie Von Haselberg as one of Pollard’s classmate in April, Ethan Phillips and Betsey Aidem as Jill’s parents, Kate McGonigle as another of Pollard’s friends in Ellie, and Tom Kemp as a custody case judge that Lucas would target. Jamie Blackley is superb as Pollard’s boyfriend Roy who doesn’t like hearing about Lucas as he feels neglected as well unappreciated for what he is trying to do for Pollard.
Parker Posey is fantastic as Rita Richards as a professor who is dealing with her own issues in her marriage as she would have an affair with Lucas only to feel slighted when he begins his relationship with Pollard. Emma Stone is brilliant as Jill Pollard as a philosophy student who would challenge Lucas about his views on the world while they would find similar ground and passions until she realizes the action he has done where she is confused as well as questioning about her own morality. Finally, there’s Joaquin Phoenix in an incredible performance as Abe Lucas as a philosophy professor who is filled with despair and indifference as he tries to find meaning in his life where he tries to find fulfillment until a moment where he listens to a conversation about a woman where he feels the need to act as it would give him a new lease on life.
Irrational Man is a marvelous film from Woody Allen that features top-notch performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, and Parker Posey. While it is a film that bears a lot of familiar territory that Allen has explored in other films, it does manage to say a lot about the way people are in the world as well as how they respond to certain things and their actions. In the end, Irrational Man is a remarkable film from Woody Allen.
Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money and Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows and Fog - Husbands and Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Bullets Over Broadway - Don't Drink the Water - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet and Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra's Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - (Café Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by Julian Schnabel from various stories by Michael Thomas Holman, Lech J. Majewski and John F. Bowe, Basquiat is the story on the life of the famed post-modernist painter Jean-Michel Basquiat who rose to fame in the 1980s with his take on painting and art. The film is an exploration into Basquiat’s desire to make art as well as growing disdain towards the middle class as he is played by Jeffrey Wright. Also starring Dennis Hopper, Claire Forlani, Gary Oldman, Benicio del Toro, Michael Wincott, Parker Posey, and David Bowie as Andy Warhol. Basquiat is a mesmerizing yet exhilarating film from Julian Schnabel.
The film is a bio-pic of sorts about the famed street artist Jean-Michel Basquiat who came from the world of graffiti art in the late 1970s to become one of the most revered post-modernist painters of the 1980s New York City art scene until his death at the age of 27 of a drug overdose in 1988. Yet, what writer/director Julian Schnabel does is create a film where a young man rises up from the streets to the get attention of many only to struggle with fame as well as the need to rise above many including the middle class who saw him as a sellout. It’s a film that does play into that rise and fall scenario but it’s more about the idea of being an artist and having to struggle with all of the temptations of fame.
Even as there are those who are exploiting him while there are others who are just drawn to him like Andy Warhol who becomes a mentor of sorts for Basquiat. While the script does use that scenario, it is also a character study of sorts in how Basquiat does things as an artist as an act of rebellion only to lose himself in a world of commerce and admiration. It all plays into this high-octane world of art as everyone wants a piece of him yet there are those like the esteemed art critic Rene Ricard (Michael Wincott) who felt betrayed by Basquiat as well as old friends of him who aren’t interested in that high-class world of New York City art.
Schnabel’s direction is quite simple in terms of compositions but it has elements of style in the way it plays into the world of New York City art with its galleries and presentation which is exciting at times but also has this air of elitism. There are elements of styles that includes footage of a surfer on a wave that Basquiat often sees in the sky as it plays into Ricard’s article as he talks about Van Gogh and how a new generation of art enthusiasts must not have another one since Van Gogh in his lifetime only sold one painting. Yet, what would happen if Van Gogh was discovered in his prime and would gain fame as these are some of the questions that Schnabel asks. Even as he uses art to help tell the story where it would emphasize many of Basquiat’s struggles with it as he isn’t just seen as a major African-American who breaks into the art world but someone who is redefining the idea of what art is.
While the film doesn’t feature any actual art of Basquiat due to rights issues, Schnabel and artist Greg Bogin do create paintings and such that play into the style that Basquiat would define. Since the film is shot on location in New York City, it does play as a character in the film where it has this mixture of high-society and high culture where everyone who is anyone can participate but there’s also an element of street culture that Basquiat is from. It adds to the dramatic conflict that is prevalent in the film as it’s third act plays into Basquiat’s own descent as he tries to find answers through many including Warhol who is convinced that Basquiat is a much better artist. Yet, it’s not enough to help the young artist who would cope with drug addiction as Schnabel brings in elements of surrealism as well as a story that plays into everything that Basquiat would endure as a famous artist. Overall, Schnabel creates a very stylish yet captivating film about the young life of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Cinematographer Ron Fortunato does excellent work with the film‘s very naturalistic photography for the exterior scenes in New York as well as some unique lighting for some interior scenes as well as scenes set at night. Editor Michael Berenbaum does brilliant work with the editing with its stylish usages of dissolves and jump-cuts to play into Basquiat‘s unconventional approach towards art. Production designer Dan Leigh, set decorator Susan Bode and art director C.J. Simpson, do superb work with the look of the apartments and studios that Basquiat would live and work at as well as the galleries where his art is often in display.
Costume John A. Dunn does nice work with the costumes from the posh clothes of some of the people in the world of art to the dresses that some of the women wear. Sound editor Ira Spiegel does terrific work with the sound as it‘s mostly low-key to play into the sense of silence in how some create paintings as well as scenes where Basquiat tries to play music with his band. The film’s music by John Cale and Julian Schnabel is wonderful as it‘s very low-key with its emphasis on piano and guitar-based music while music supervisor Susan Jacobs creates a dazzling soundtrack that features music by the Rolling Stones, Public Image Ltd., David Bowie, Tom Waits, the Pogues, Bill Laswell, Them, Iggy Pop, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, and many others.
The casting by Sheila Jaffe and Georgianna Walken is fantastic as it features some notable appearances from Vincent Gallo as an artist, Sam Rockwell as a street thug, Michael Badalucco as a deli counterman, Willem Dafoe as an electrician early in the film, Courtney Love as a woman Basquiat would have a tryst with, Tatum O’Neal as a rich woman looking to buy one of Basquiat’s paintings, and Christopher Walken as a journalist who interviews Basquiat as he tries to understand the meaning of his work. Elina Lowensohn is terrific as the art enthusiast Annina Nosei who wants to expose Basquiat to the art world while Parker Posey is wonderful as the art gallery director who would help expose Basquiat to the public. Dennis Hopper is excellent as the art dealer Bruno Bischofberger who would become the agent that would make Basquiat rich as he is also friend of Andy Warhol. Benicio del Toro is amazing as Basquiat’s friend Benny who is part of Basquiat’s circle early on as he tries to cope with his friend’s success and how it’s changed him.
Gary Oldman is superb as the artist Milo who is a friend of Basquiat as he tries to help him cope with fame. Claire Forlani is brilliant as Gina as Basquiat’s girlfriend from the early 80s who also desires to be an artist as she also tries to cope with his sudden fame and changing attitude. Michael Wincott is incredible as Rene Ricard as the famed art critic/poet who discovers Basquiat as he presents him to the world only to feel betrayed. David Bowie is phenomenal as Andy Warhol as Bowie manages to convey many of the quirks and voice mannerisms of the famed pop artist as it is definitely Warhol coming back to life. Finally, there’s Jeffrey Wright in a remarkable performance as Jean-Michel Basquiat as this brilliant artist who would change the landscape of art as he copes with fame and later being admired as Wright bring a charisma and energy to the character.
Basquiat is a tremendously rich film from Julian Schnabel that features a marvelous performance from Jeffrey Wright as the late street artist. Featuring a brilliant soundtrack, compelling ideas on art and commerce, and a supporting cast that includes David Bowie as Andy Warhol. It’s a film that explores the life of one of the finest artists of the 20th Century and the dichotomy he would fact that became the source of his work as an artist. In the end, Basquiat is a majestic and evocative film from Julian Schnabel.
Julian Schnabel Films: Before Night Falls - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Berlin: Live at St. Ann’s Warehouse - Miral - At Eternity's Gate - The Auteurs #43: Julian Schnabel
© thevoid99 2014
Written and directed by Gregg Araki, The Doom Generation is the story of two teenagers who go into a road trip with a drifter as they encounter all sorts of strange things in their journey as well as moments of violence. The second part in Araki’s Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy, the film explores a world where two teens and a young drifter deal with their existence and the world around them. Starring Rose McGowan, James Duval, and Jonathan Schaech. The Doom Generation is a thrilling yet stylish film from Gregg Araki.
The film is an unconventional road film where two teen lovers find themselves in all sorts of strange and violent situations where they’re joined by this young drifter who would save them from these situations as he is attracted to the young teens. Yet, it’s a film that doesn’t play towards any kind of conventions since the young woman Amy Blue (Rose McGowan) is a biting cynic who really despises everything and often says “fuck” while her boyfriend Jordan White (James Duval) is more easy-going about everything as well as being very open about new experiences. Upon meeting Xavier Red (Jonathan Schaech) who was being beaten by a gang, the three go in this road trip where Amy despises Xavier yet doesn’t mind having sex with him while an attraction between Xavier and Jordan also appear in this strange love triangle that emerges. Still, they would encounter all sorts of strange individuals in their journey as Amy is mistaken for another person while everything they buy in various places always cost a total of $6.66.
Gregg Araki’s screenplay doesn’t play into any kind of conventional structure in the course of the film yet it does have a lot of stylized dialogue that often features a lot of profanity as well as some obscenities that would often irk Amy. At the same time, there’s a sense of melancholia and despair that looms into the three as they all come from dysfunctional homes and feel like they don’t really belong anywhere. Especially as they have no idea where they’re going or how to cope with the realities of the world they’re in while being baffled by some of the stranger things that surrounds them. Some of which involve people who are oddballs or those that feels like they come from another world that Amy, Jordan, and Xavier have no clue about.
Araki’s direction is quite stylish in terms of the compositions he creates as well as his approach to the film’s humor. Much of the humor is very offbeat as it wouldn’t just feature celebrity cameos but also into the world of pop culture that the characters are at. Much of it shot in Southern California where it does feel like a world that has a sense of the unknown while being meshed with an alternative culture that is quite removed from the mainstream. Araki would also do things to play into the discovery of sex as Amy and Jordan start the film off trying to lose their virginity as they would later discover through its powers while there’s some scenes that will definitely provoke reactions. One scene which includes elements of voyeurism and bodily fluids as it is Araki just wanting to gross people out yet also showcase that sense of fascination as far as sex is concerned. It is balanced by some of the darker elements of the film where the violence is quite gruesome as it would play into the film’s very intense climax where the trio deal with a group of sadistic Neo-Nazis. Overall, Araki crafts a very sensational and provocative film about three lonely people going on a road trip to nowhere.
Cinematographer Jim Fealy does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography with its use of colorful lights for some of the film‘s nighttime interior/exterior scenes as well as some low-key look of the daytime exterior scenes . Editors Gregg Araki and Kate McGowan do amazing work with the film‘s editing with its stylish approach to jump-cuts and montages while creating offbeat rhythms in the cutting as it adds to the film‘s unconventional tone. Production designer Therese DePrez, with set decorator Jennifer M. Gentile and art director Michael Krantz, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of the motel rooms the characters stay in to a bar where they get themselves into trouble as it has this offbeat tone to the strange reality the characters are in.
Costume designer Catherine Cooper-Thoman does terrific work with the costumes as it is quite stylish in the clothes that the characters wear as well as the people they meet. Sound mixer Mark Weingarten does superb work with the film‘s sound to capture some of the moments that goes on in many of the film‘s locations and such. The film’s excellent soundtrack is supervised by Peter Coquillard who brings in a wide mix of music ranging from electronic music, shoe gaze, industrial, and noise-rock from such acts as Nine Inch Nails, Ride, Slowdive, the Jesus & Mary Chain, Meat Beat Manifesto, Lush, Front 242, God Lives Underwater, Medicine, Cocteau Twins, Aphex Twin, Porno for Pyros, Coil, Curve, and many others plus some ambient music pieces by Dan Gatto that often appears in a few of the locations that the characters encounter.
The casting by Joseph Middleton is incredible as it features cameo appearances from Perry Farrell and Heidi Fleiss as a couple of store clerks, Amanda Bearse as a barmaid, Lauren Tewes and Christopher Knight as a couple of news reporters, the industrial band Skinny Puppy as a bunch of guys trying to beat up Xavier early in the film, Dustin Nguyen as a convenience store clerk, Margaret Cho as the clerk’s wife, and Don Galloway as a FBI agent leading the manhunt to find Amy and Jordan. Other notable appearances in the film include Nicky Katt as a fast-food cashier and Parker Posey as a mysterious woman who would both mistake Amy as someone else as it adds to the film’s offbeat tone.
Jonathan Schaech is great as Xavier Red as this very off-the-wall and antagonistic individual who is full of charm and wit as he also proves to be resourceful to the group. James Duval is fantastic as Jordan White as the sensitive and very open teen who finds himself attracted to Xavier while dealing with the situations in a calm way. Finally, there’s Rose McGowan in a brilliant performance as Amy Blue as this young woman who is quite fiery and often cynical as she feels like the world has nothing to offer as it’s a role full of energy and charisma.
The Doom Generation is a remarkable film from Gregg Araki. Armed with superb performances from Rose McGowan, James Duval, and Jonathan Schaech as well as some stylish cinematography and a kick-ass soundtrack. The film is definitely one of Araki’s most abrasive films but also one of his most compelling in the way he explores the sense of despair that looms around teenagers during the mid-1990s. In the end, The Doom Generation is a phenomenal film from Gregg Araki.
Gregg Araki Films: (Three Bewildered People in the Night) - (Long Weekend (0’ Despair)) - The Living End - Totally Fucked Up - Nowhere - (Splendor) - (This is How the World Ends (TV)) - Mysterious Skin - Smiley Face - Kaboom! - (White Bird in a Blizzard)
© thevoid99 2014
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/29/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Written and directed by Zoe Cassavetes, Broken English tells the story of a thirty-something woman living in Manhattan who tries to find love in all the wrong places. After meeting a Frenchman, her life changes as she looks back at her own love life and her own role. The film is an exploration of a young woman trying to find herself and deal with loneliness as well as the possibilities of true love. Starring Parker Posey, Melvil Poupaud, Drea de Matteo, Justin Theroux, Josh Hamilton, Peter Bogdonavich and Rowlands. Broken English is a sweet and charming film from Zoe Cassavetes.
Nora Wilder (Parker Posey) is a thirty-something hotel relations manager living in New York City. While her best friend Audrey (Drea de Matteo) is happily married to Mark (Tim Guinee), Nora however still hasn't had a long-lasting relationship as her mother Vivien (Gena Rowlands) and step-father Irving (Peter Bogdonavich) are worried. Then one day while working at her hotel, she meets an actor named Nick Gabel (Justin Theroux) who asked her out on a date. She says yes but immediately, it becomes another first date that ends with her sleeping with a man and then, that is it with nothing continuing. Even after she learns that he has a girlfriend. When her mother sets her up to date Charlie (Justin Hamilton), the son of her mother's friend, it starts off well until his ex-girlfriend Jennifer (Caitlin Keats) showed up and the date becomes a disaster.
Finally deciding to swear off all of these bad relationships and one-night stands, Nora reluctantly attends the party of her of workers at the hotel named Glen (Michael Panes). There, she meets a charming Frenchman named Julien (Melvil Poupaud) who flirts with her while not wanting to leave her side. The shy, despondent Nora is amazed by the quirky, charming Julien who is more upbeat than her where for the next three days, they enjoy a long date that broke all of the rules. Though an encounter with an ex-boyfriend occurred, it nearly shatters this relationship that starts to build things up as Julien has to return to Paris since he's only in New York City to work on a film. On their final day, he leaves her his number as she returns to her depressed state of mind. While starting to miss Julien, Audrey's marriage is starting to crumble with Mark's work as a film director has become busy.
Deciding to go to Paris to send packages to a couple of friends of Nora's mother, Nora and Audrey take the Paris trip as an escape from their problems. Nora hopes to find Julien while Audrey realizes her crumbling marriage after a lunch with a man (Thierry Hancisse) who was waiting for one of the packages. The two ponder their own roles as Nora decides to look at Paris for herself while continuing her desperate search for Julien.
While the film is essentially a romantic comedy on some aspects, it's really a fresh take on the genre since it's based from the perspective of a woman. Writer/director Zoe Cassavetes really goes for study of this woman whose life is at a turning point while realizing her own failures into relationship until she meets this charming Frenchman. While some audiences might compare this to Sex & the City, the HBO TV series, it lacks the show's humor and charm where Cassavetes instead just goes for a study of romance and loneliness. While the story and character development is strong, it does have a few flaws where it starts off a bit slow and does lack a bit of originality. Particularly the ending that is similar to an ending from another romantic film a few years ago.
Still, Cassavetes observant direction that very stylized works to convey the story while the humor is subtle. The film that is shot both on location in NYC and Paris show the film's different atmospheres and its similarities. Cassavetes goes for that improvisational, verite style that her father's made famous for with some great compositions and scenery of both cities. Cassavetes uses close-ups and movements to convey what the characters are going through and such without any kind of overly-dramatic style that would've ruined the film. Overall, Cassavetes creates a charming, witty little romantic comedy that has style and passion.
Cinematographer John Pirozzi does some fantastic work with the film's exterior shots while the interiors are wonderful to convey the sense of intimacy that Nora and Julien are in during their dates and such. Editor Andrew Weisblum does some fine, cutting style that is more in tradition with French New Wave style that is energetic while not being too fast as it helps the film's pacing for the second and third act. Production designer Happy Massee and art director Peter Zumba does a great look of posh New York City as well as upper-middle class NYC residents with its beds, furniture, and such including the stuff in Paris. Costume designer Stacey Battat costumes are wonderfully stylish with vintage clothing, Fedora hats, and such to convey the world that is New York and Paris. Sound editor Stephen Barden does excellent work in creating the differing atmospheres of both NYC and Paris where the former is a bit chaotic that contrasts with the latter's calmness.
The music by Scratch Massive is very electronic-driven with old-school synthesizers to convey the world of both NYC and Paris in all of its artistry. The soundtrack also includes cuts by Pharcyde and Scratch Massive doing a cover of Marianne Faithful's classic song Broken English from that seminal 1979 of the same name.
The film's casting is wonderful with notable small appearances from Dana Ivey as a friend of Vivien, Michael Panes, Caitlin Keats, Bernadette Lafont as a woman Nora meets in Paris, Thierry Hancisse, Tim Guinee Josh Hamilton, and iconic director Peter Bogdonavich in small, memorable performances. Justin Theroux is great as Nick Gable, an actor who has charms and such while is a bit of an egomaniac as he's a caricature of a lot of actors. Gena Rowlands is excellent as Nora's mother Vivien who ponders what is going on with today's women while trying to help Nora find love in times that she thinks is much tougher. Drea de Matteo is great as Audrey, Nora's best friend who is trying to deal with her crumbling marriage while looking for some escape from her problems in Paris.
Melvil Poupaud is brilliant as Julien, the quirky, charming good man who is passionate about life while trying to help Nora get out of her funk as he guides her into something more lively. Poupaud's performance is fun to watch as he and Posey have great chemistry while speaking English very well as the French actor is still a marvel to watch following his recent appearance in Francois Ozon's 2005 film Time to Leave. Parker Posey is radiant as Nora Wilder. The iconic indie actress definitely gives a performance that reminds her fans of her brilliance in mixing drama as well as her sharp humor that is quintessential Posey. Posey not only brings sympathy to a woman that probably some 30-year old women could relate to while developing from this melancholic person to a woman wanting to break out of her funk. It's Posey at her finest.
Broken English is a fantastic film from film Zoe Cassavetes that features incredible performances from performances of Parker Posey and Melvil Poupaud. Fans of romantic comedies will find something refreshing to this gem while fans of Parker Posey will no doubt enjoy Posey in one of her finest performances. In the end, Broken English is a superb film from Zoe Cassavetes.
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Richard Linklater and written by Eric Bogosian from his own play, subUrbia is the story about a group of young adults hanging around in a corner to meet with an old friend who has become famous as they deal with their own issues and resentments toward their old friend. The film is about growing up as individuals in their 20s are dealing with their own lack of progress while some are eager to leave the dreary town they live in. Starring Giovanni Ribisi, Steve Zahn, Nicky Katt, Parker Posey, Jayce Bartok, Amie Carey, Dina Spybey, and Ajay Naidu. subUrbia is a riveting yet compelling drama from Richard Linklater.
The film takes place in the span of an entire night at the corner of a convenience store where a group of people in their 20s are set to meet an old friend who has become a famous musician yet not everyone is eager to bask in over their friend’s success. The film is really about a group of people stuck in a Texan suburb where some of them haven’t done much with their lives as some aspire to do things while there are those who aren’t sure what to do. Once their famous friend arrives to hang out with them, resentments and jealousy occur where some think they know more but are really just fooling themselves. Most of the story takes place in the corner of a convenience store where its owner is annoyed the presence of these people as he is already set to have a college degree in engineering.
Eric Bogosian’s screenplay takes it time to introduce many characters and their aspirations while it is set mostly in the night where all these characters come together at this convenience store corner. Leading the pack is Jeff (Giovanni Ribisi) who is this man who is very intelligent but is unsure about what to do with his life as he’s become very cynical as he is always talking about whatever as his bitterness is already troubling his relationship with his performance artist girlfriend Sooze (Amie Carey) who wants to leave her small town to go to New York City. Among their small circle of friends includes the hyperactive pizza boy Buff (Steve Zahn), the recovering alcoholic Bee-Bee (Dina Spybey), and the depressed and bitter Tim (Nicky Katt) who just got kicked out of the Air Force.
When the film’s second act features the character of Pony (Jayce Bartok) who arrives with his publicist Erica (Parker Posey), it creates this sense of humor and sadness where some are happy to see Pony while others aren’t. Jeff and Tim are among those who have some resentment towards Pony while the latter is also taking his anger out towards the convenience store owner Nazeer (Ajay Naidu) who is annoyed by the presence of these kids. Yet, Tim would do something in the third act that would drive some of the drama that would prompt Jeff to see if he needs to be loyal to Tim or tell the truth but what happens only have him confused while Nazeer is aware of Jeff’s worth in life but the film’s ending would play into Jeff’s failing as a person.
The direction of Richard Linklater is quite simplistic as he sets the film largely in this Texan suburb near Austin where it’s a place that looks like any small town in America. Yet, there is an intimacy to the direction where Linklater creates a feel that is quite theatrical where it largely takes place at this convenience store corner. The direction is often very loose in its compositions with some wide shots and close-ups while the drama while putting his actors into the frame to create a sense of theatricality in the setting. There also some wild moments in the film including some serious ones such as the ending which revolves around Jeff’s friendship with Tim and everything he’s been through in the course of the day. Particularly as it would also involve the sense of wasted opportunity that Jeff has presented himself with his life. Overall, Linklater creates a very engaging yet brash film about uncertainty and ambition.
Cinematographer Lee Daniel does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with the use of lights to create a mood for many of the film‘s nighttime exterior scenes as well as a few moments in its interior settings. Editor Sandra Adair does nice work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward with a few rhythmic cuts to play out the intensity of the drama. Production designer Catherine Hardwicke, with set decorator Keith Fletcher and art director Seth Reed, does terrific work with the minimal set pieces from the look of the convenience store to Tim‘s van nearby.
Costume designer Melanie Armstrong Fletcher does good work with the clothes as it‘s mostly casual to play up the sense of small town life. Sound editor Tom Hammond does wonderful work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the locations including some of the intimacy in the van and inside the convenience store. Music supervisor Randall Poster creates a fantastic soundtrack that largely consists of alternative music from the 90s from bands like Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Sonic Youth, the Flaming Lips, Girls Against Boys, Beck, Elastica with Stephen Malkmus, and Boss Hog along with Gene Pitney’s Town with Pity that opens the film.
The casting by Alycia Aumuller and Judy Henderson is superb for the ensemble that is created that features an appearance from Samia Shoaib as Nazeer’s wife who carries a gun early in the film during one of Tim’s drunken threats. Parker Posey is excellent as Pony’s publicist Erica who is intrigued by Pony’s friends while Jayce Bartok is terrific as Pony as a guy who’s made it but admits that it’s not all that fun. Dina Spybey is great as Bee-Bee as a friend of Sooze who is currently going through withdrawal from alcohol as she is unsure about what to do next as drawn to Jeff’s cynicism. Ajay Naidu is brilliant as Nazeer as a man who calmly deals with the presence of Jeff and his friends while he takes some time to get to know Jeff though he’s more annoyed by Jeff’s lack of progress and the antics of Buff.
Steve Zahn is excellent as Buff as this hyperactive pizza boy who seems to be a dimwitted individual yet is someone with some aspirations to become a filmmaker. Amie Carey is wonderful as Sooze as a woman who is very ambitious about her work as an artist as she wants to get out of small town much to the dismay of Jeff. Nicky Katt is amazing as the troubled Tim who deals with being kicked out of the Air Force as he vents on everything he’s been through while doesn’t seem to have a care in the world for anything or anyone. Finally, there’s Giovanni Ribisi in a marvelous performance as Jeff as a young cynic who is unsure about where he’s going with his life as he is someone with brains and talents but is often too insecure about his gifts making him bitter towards those around him.
subUrbia is a remarkable film from Richard Linklater and its writer Eric Bogosian about the trials and tribulations of growing up. Thanks to its ensemble cast as well as superb soundtrack, it’s a film that plays into the sense of uncertainty that was prevalent in the 1990s that still resonates with people who are unsure about themselves. It’s also a film that explores those who are unwilling to take the next step as they often lose the chance to seize the moment that could get them what they want. In the end, subUrbia is a brilliant film from Richard Linklater.
Richard Linklater Films: It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books - Slacker - Dazed & Confused - Before Sunrise - The Newton Boys - Waking Life - Tape - School of Rock - Before Sunset - Bad News Bears (2005 film) - A Scanner Darkly - Fast Food Nation - Me and Orson Welles - Bernie (2011 film) - Before Midnight - Boyhood - Everybody Want Some!! - The Auteurs #57: Richard Linklater Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2013
.preview.jpg)
Written and directed by Noah Baumbach and from a story by Baumbach and Oliver Berkman, Kicking and Screaming is the story of a group of young people who deal with post-college life as they are unsure of what to do afterwards. The film explores several characters who are on the verge of adulthood as they also deal with life without education and college parties. Starring Josh Hamilton, Carlos Jacott, Chris Eigeman, Olivia d’Abo, Parker Posey, Elliott Gould, and Eric Stoltz. Kicking and Screaming is a delightful yet engaging film from Noah Baumbach.
The film is essentially the story of a group of post-college graduates dealing with life after college as they all figure out what to do while reminiscing their life as students. Leading the pack is Grover (Josh Hamilton) who had just broken up with his girlfriend Jane (Olivia d’Abo) after she decides to take post-graduate study to Prague. Grover spends most of his time with his friends Max (Chris Eigeman), Otis (Carlos Jacott), Skippy (Jason Wiles), and a bartender/student named Chet (Eric Stoltz) as they all go through their own personal odyssey into finding life after school. While Skippy chooses to remain a student with his girlfriend Miami (Parker Posey), Otis becomes unsure of what to do as he eventually takes a job at a video store. Max meanwhile, comments on everything as he is the most unsure of what to do as he and Grover hang around the campus.
Noah Baumbach’s screenplay explores the fear of emerging into adulthood as well as the fear of failure as many of the characters in the film have no idea where they’re going. Throughout the film, Grover reflects on his relationship with Jane as he deals with her phone messages where he would fill his heartbreak by having sex with younger students. Whenever Grover is with his buddies, they do trivia and such while discussing about what to do next in life as Otis is anxious about failure as he forms a friendship with Chet. Chet is a man in his early 30s who often hangs around campus as he is also a bartender where he reveals why he’s still a student in a notable scene between him and Grover. The script also explores the world of relationships as it involves Max dealing with loneliness as he would eventually hook up with an underage student in Kate (Cara Buono).
The script features a unique structure that begins on graduation day and then ends the film during finals. The structure helps unveil how these characters deal with their sense of no direction as it progresses to the point where they begin to learn more about each other and what they really at this stage in life. While there’s a looseness to the story, it still plays to the fact that these people are wandering around just trying to see where they can go or what they need to do to fill their time.
Baumbach’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of the compositions that Baumbach creates as he doesn’t aim for any sense of style. Instead, he chooses to focus on the world of college life as realistic as it is through the perspective of this small ensemble. Not wanting to make something that reveled in sentimentality, Baumbach wanted to make sure that film felt loose in the way he has his actors be present at a location. Whether it’s in the campus, a club, or in the dorms, Baumbach find ways to create some sense of atmosphere in the film where the characters would comment on something or ponder what are they doing here. Baumbach also uses flashback to help tell Grover’s storyline as he pines for Jane by creating scenes where it’s shot in monochrome colors to introduce the flashback. Overall, Baumbach creates a very compelling yet witty film about the world of post-college life.
Cinematographer Steven Bernstein does nice work with the film‘s cinematography to display the colorful world of the college campus along with some stylish lights for some of the film‘s club scenes. Editor J. Kathleen Gibson does excellent work with the editing to create some rhythmic cuts for the conversations including a scene where Kate berates a truck driver. Production designer Dan Whifler and set decorator Gail Bennett do wonderful work with the set pieces such as the house that the guys live in to some of the dorms that Grover visits.
Costume designer Mary Jane Fort does terrific work with the costumes to play out the slacker look of some of the characters along with the more stylish clothes that Miami wears. Sound mixer Ed White does superb work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the parties as well as the scenes in the bar. The film’s music by Phil Marshall is very good for its electronic score to play out Grover’s flashbacks with Jane. The soundtrack features a wide mix of music that includes Pixies, Blondie, Bob Marley, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Nick Drake, They Might Be Giants, Alex Chilton, and Freedy Johnston.
The casting by Ellie Kanner is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Perrey Reeves and Marissa Ribisi as a couple of students Grover sleeps with, Dean Cameron as a video store manager, Noah Baumbach as a student who asks a very provocative question, Christopher Reed as the Euro-trash student Friedrich, and Elliott Gould in a small but funny role as Grover’s dad. Cara Buono is a delight as the underage student Kate who deals with Parker Posey is wonderful as the outgoing Miami who deals with Skippy’s slacker lifestyle as well as the changing times of the parties. Olivia d’Abo is excellent as the aspiring writer Jane who leaves Grover as she is seen in flashback as someone who confides in Grover over their love of writing.
Jason Wile is very good as the directionless Skippy who decides to enroll again as away to figure out his life. Eric Stolz is great as the very witty and philosophical bartender/student Chet who revels in his experience as a student while basking in the fact that there’s still a lot of things to learn. Carlos Jacott is amazing as the neurotic Otis who deals with the idea that he might face rejection as well as musing on his insecurities as it’s a very funny performance. Chris Eigeman is incredible as the talkative Max who deals with his own lack of direction and social life as he ponders about what to do. Finally, there’s Josh Hamilton in a remarkable performance as Grover who deals with his break-up with Jane as well as his own lack of direction as he tries to finish his own work as a writer.
***Additional DVD Material Written from 1/6/15-1/16/15***
The 2006 Region 1 DVD from the Criterion Collection presents the film in a newly restored high-definition digital transfer under the supervision of its writer/director Noah Baumbach with a new Dolby Digital 5.1 audio remix as the film is given a richer look as well as a broader sound. The special features of the DVD all relates to its production as the first of these supplements is a 12-minute interview with Noah Baumbach. Baumbach discusses the genesis of the script as well as what he wanted to say. He also talked about how it got passed through while discussing how the script would change over the years into the final version of the film. The interview also has Baumbach talking about its production as well as some of the aspects of the marketing which he didn’t like but it did end up helping the film into becoming the cult classic that it is.
The 26-minute conversation between Baumbach and actors Josh Hamilton, Chris Eigeman, and Carlos Jacott has the four talking about the film and the production. Even as they all talk about the characters and the story itself while Baumbach also revealed some of the difficulties that went on in pre-production. The actors talk about their approach to improvisation which added to the film’s comedy as well as their experience in the New York Film Festival in 1995 where it premiered and the film’s difficulty to be marketed to a wide audience. They also talk about its cult and how it managed to endure over the years as the four men are surprised by how good it still is.
One major special feature in the DVD is a 2000 short film entitled Conrad and Butler in “Conrad and Butler Take a Vacation” that stars Carlos Jacott and John Lehr who both wrote the short with Baumbach as it included notes about the short which Baumbach made on digital video in the spring of 2000 as a part of something in the hopes that it would be a TV show and a film that never materialized. It revolves around two guys who had nothing to do as they both take a vacation in the home one of the guys’ grandparents where everything they had planned to do doesn’t happen. It’s a very funny 30-minute short due to the sense of improvisational humor and banter between Jacott and Lehr.
There’s nine minutes of three deleted scenes that is featured where Baumbach explains through text into why they got cut out. The first is a scene between Grover and Jane where Jane revealed she went out with Chet. The second scene involving Grover and Marisa Ribisi’s Charlotte character at a club as it plays to Grover’s aimlessness in sleeping with freshmen college girls as he later meets one of her roommates who is with another guy which becomes awkward. The third and final scene involve Skippy and John Lehr’s Louis character where the latter was supposed to be a bigger character but it got cut as Baumbach created Chet as it plays to Skippy meeting Louis and see what he’s become. The nine-minute brief interview segments with Baumbach and cast members Cara Buono, Chris Eigeman, Olivia d’Abo, Josh Hamilton, and Carlos Jacott for a special on the Independent Film Channel in 1995 basically has everyone talking about the film and their own interpretations of the story as well as their own experiences. The special features also include a theatrical trailer for the film.
The DVD set also features an essay from the famed Chicago-based film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum entitled Reasons for Kicking and Screaming. The essay talks about the film and Baumbach’s approach to humor as well as create something that is real about post-graduate life. Especially as it plays to the world of characters who are overly-intellectual as they would often embark on the realization that they don’t have the answers for everything as well as the fact that they say they’ve read this but haven’t. Rosenbaum talks about the connections Baumbach would have with filmmakers like Whit Stillman and Wes Anderson as the latter is a collaborator of Baumbach. Even as Rosenbaum believes that Baumbach’s greatest influence in the film is Jean Renoir in terms of creating long takes to get the actors comfortable and talk through dialogue easily. It’s a wonderful essay that really gets the film in every way and form.
***End of DVD Tidbits***
Kicking and Screaming is an extraordinary film from Noah Baumbach. Armed with an amazing ensemble cast, witty dialogue, and engaging views on post-college life. It’s a film that revels into the world of pre-adulthood that is filled with great realism and humor as it follows a group of people unsure of where to go. In the end, Kicking and Screaming is an outstanding film from Noah Baumbach.
Noah Baumbach Films: Highball - Mr. Jealousy - The Squid & the Whale - Margot at the Wedding - Greenberg - Frances Ha - While We're Young - Mistress America - De Palma - The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) - Marriage Story - (White Noise (2022 film)) - The Auteurs #41: Noah Baumbach
© thevoid99 2012
.preview.jpg)