The Sparks Brothers

 

Directed by Edgar Wright, The Sparks Brothers is a documentary film about the legendary pop group Sparks lead by the brothers Russell and Ron Mael. The film showcases the career of this band that mainly consist of the Mael brothers as well as how they’ve continued to reinvent themselves while maintaining a cult status in various parts of the world. The film features not just interview with the Mael brothers but also fans ranging from musicians, filmmakers, TV writers, and many others who praise the work of this duo who continuously redefine the ideas of what pop music could be. The result is a tremendously witty, engaging, and exuberant film from Edgar Wright.

From 1971 to 2020, the duo of Russell and Ron Mael known largely as Sparks have released 23 studio albums with another album set to come out in 2021 have amassed a varying degree of success and acclaim throughout their career while continuously reinventing themselves to follow their own muse. The film isn’t just a love letter to the band but also dissecting the mystique of these two brothers from Pacific Palisades, California who are considered icons in Britain, parts of Europe, Latin America, and Japan yet are a cult band in America. Director Edgar Wright, who is a life-long fan, doesn’t just tell the story of the band’s origins and their rollercoaster career but also what keeps them going and why they never stuck to one certain sound in favor of just doing other things.

Featuring interviews with the Mael brothers plus some of the musicians that played with them from bassists Ian Hampton, Sal Maida, and Leslie Bohem, guitarists Earle Mankey and Dean Menta, drummers Hilly Boy Michaels, Harley Feinstein, Steve Nistor, Christi Haydon, and Tammy Glover, and producers such as Tony Visconti, Giorgio Moroder, and Muff Winwood as well as many others. Among them include musicians Beck, Alex Karpanos of Franz Ferdinand, Vince Clarke and Andy Bell of Erasure, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor of Duran Duran, Roddy Bottum of Faith No More, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, producer, Jack Antonoff, Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, “Weird” Al Yankovic, legendary rock groupie Pamela des Barres, Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert of New Order, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Martyn Ware of the Human League/Heaven 17, and Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go’s also talk about the band’s influence with Wiedlin having collaborated with the group in the early 80s as well as having a brief romance with Russell.

Yet, musicians and collaborators aren’t just those who have been influenced by Sparks as actors and comedians in Jason Schwartzman, Mike Myers, Patton Oswalt, Mark Gatiss, Adam Buxton, Fred Armisen, April Richardson, and Scott Aukerman as well as writer Neil Gaiman, TV show host Jonathan Ross, and TV show runners Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino all talk about their love for Sparks. The interviews with these individuals doesn’t just showcase the band’s reach and influence on their respective arts but also what their music means so much to them as Wright does go into brief tidbits of the band’s respective studio albums and how they’ve evolved but also go into where some of that music might’ve come from. The Mael brothers do talk about their childhood that included the death of their father Meyer when they were young as the film is dedicated to their parents including their mother Miriam whom they both felt was the best mom they ever had as they were around when rock n’ roll had just arrived and had seen the Beatles live twice in their lifetime.

Throughout the group’s evolution as they would be part of one phenomenon yet the two often would prefer to follow their own muse as they had no interest in being part of a trend or do something commercial as the band would also admit to having a contentious relationship with the music industry. Most notably in the six-year gap between 1988’s Interior Design and 1994’s Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins where the band had no record deal yet they continued to make music. The film also go into discussions into their failed film collaborations with Jacques Tati in the 1970s and Tim Burton in the early 1990s as the former in Confusion with Tati was mean to be a film with Tati’s Monsieur Hulot character set in a futuristic society. The latter in an adaptation of the manga Mai, the Psychic Girl into a musical with songs by Sparks and directed by Burton but it fell apart.

Wright’s approach to the interviews are straightforward with the Maels and many others are shot in black-and-white by cinematographer Jake Polonsky with a backdrop by art director Ves Philippi. Wright and Polonsky would also shoot footage of some of the band’s shows in 2018 and 2019 including shows in Europe and Latin America as it would be shot in color while much of the material Wright would use with editors Paul Trewartha and Tobias Zaldua as well as sound editor Jamie Allen would be from many interviews and TV appearances. Even as Wright interviews a couple of fans about those interviews where one of them is revealed to be in a concert footage as she hugged Ron when she was only 14. Another thing that makes the film more compelling is the usage of hand-drawn animation as well as stop-motion animation from Joseph Wallace that featured a legendary story of John Lennon talking on the phone with Ringo Starr about discovering Sparks as they’re voiced respectively by longtime Wright collaborators in Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

Wright also goes into the band’s work ritual as Russell has a home studio where the duo have their own routine with Ron often taking walks on a park and the two would go to a coffee shop in Los Angeles in the afternoon and return to work. Many of the people who are interviewed also discuss why Sparks has continued to endure and many say that they never take their music seriously nor do the Mael brothers take themselves seriously right up to the end of the film including the post-credits. It all play into who these two men are and why they continue to be interesting and refusing to compromise their idea of what art is. Even as they’ve finally ventured into the world of film with the upcoming Annette from director Leos Carax.

The Sparks Brothers is a spectacular film from Edgar Wright. It’s a film that fans of the group will enjoy as they see how appreciated they are from many corners in the world of art while those new to the group will get an understanding of why they’re so revered despite their refusal to become commercial and stick to one sound. It is also a film that doesn’t play by the rules that captures the spirits of who Ron and Russell Mael are and isn’t afraid to be odd or irreverent. In the end, The Sparks Brothers is a sensational film from Edgar Wright.

Related: Annette (2021 film)

Edgar Wright Films: (A Fistful of Fingers) – Shaun of the Dead - Hot Fuzz - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - The World's End - Baby Driver - Last Night in Soho

© thevoid99 2021

Young Adult

Directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody, Young Adult is the story of a 30-something ghost-writer for teen novels who learns that her old high school boyfriend has a new life as a family man. Returning to her hometown to reclaim her ex-boyfriend, she befriends a man whom she tormented back in high school. The film marks a reunion between Reitman and Cody following their 2007 collaboration with Juno as their new film explores a woman on the verge of a meltdown. Starring Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser, and the voice of Reitman regular J.K. Simmons. Young Adult is a biting yet witty character-study from Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody.

Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) has just received news about her former high school boyfriend Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) as he just became a father for the first time. For Mavis, she decides to return to her hometown of Mercury, Minnesota with her dog Dolce and a mixtape that Buddy made years ago hoping to reclaim him from his new life. Staying at a hotel, she goes to a local bar where she meets an old schoolmate in Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt) who wonders why she’s back. The two start to befriend each other despite Matt’s unpleasant memories about high school as she reveals why she’s back though Matt doesn’t think Mavis’ plan to reclaim Buddy is a good idea.

After finally contacting Buddy, the two meet as she later meets Buddy’s wife Beth (Elizabeth Reaser) where Mavis is surprised by Buddy’s new domestic lifestyle. Still thinking that Buddy is unhappy where the two later met at a sports bar that Matt works at where Beth’s band played a song that Mavis had in her mixtape. Things get worse when Mavis encounters her parents whom she hadn’t bothered to contact as she ends up having a meal with them as she is reminded about her recent divorce. With news about her teen novel series that she’s ghost-written being cancelled, though she is currently writing another one, she hangs out with Matt as she reveals another plan to win Buddy over. Instead, she is forced to face the realities around her as well as the issues that she’s dealing with.

For anyone that thinks that high school were the best years of their life because they were popular and were able to have great skin and such would often face tribulations where it becomes harder for them to grow up. For a woman as delusional and immature like Mavis Gray, it’s only part of who she is as she uses her immaturity and high school memories to ghost-write a very popular series of teen novels. Still, she is a mess as she faces the cancellation of her series while just going through a divorce and lead a life that isn’t very exciting. She watches bad reality TV and drinks big liter bottles of Diet Coke to maintain her figure while only having her small dog Dolce to keep her company. When she receives news about her ex-boyfriend’s family life, she has this fantasy that she can save him from that dull world and reclaim him.

The Mavis Gray character is something that is very different from some of the character that director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody had previous explored. Mavis is a really un-likeable person for the fact that she’s very immature and has no grasp in reality for what she is about to do this guy who has definitely moved on. Returning to the home that she despises, she would befriend an old schoolmate in whom she remembered for being beaten up in school because he was accused of being gay when he really wasn’t. For the Matt Freehauf character, he sees something in Mavis where the two share their common bond for their hatred of their hometown as well as into why people seem so content into living a town where it’s pretty boring.

Diablo Cody’s screenplay is, so far, the best thing she’s done as there’s a new maturity to her writing in the way she explores the banality of American suburbia as well as this woman who is definitely on the verge of collapse. While Mavis does do a lot of despicable things and doesn’t really seem to care about anyone except herself. There is something about her that makes her pitiful for the fact that people do want to help her though they don’t seem to do it in the right way. Only that Matt Freehauf character seems to get her despite the fact that he doesn’t really like as he knows she is having a hard time trying to move on even though she doesn’t treat him well either.

While the script has a lot of humor that is witty and sarcastic in the style of Cody’s writing including the word “Ken-Taco-Hut”. There is a more cerebral element to the writing as Cody also gets a chance to tackle the world of teen novels where she creates a narration of Mavis writing the next novel that pretty much delve into the material that Mavis writes. There’s a true complexity to the writing as well as a shock value to what Cody brings as the film’s screenplay is definitely the major highlight of the film.

Jason Reitman’s direction is definitely engaging for the way he presents the film with lots of wide shots of the small towns shown in the film as it’s shot on location in parts of upstate New York. While there’s not a lot of big technical moments as Reitman chooses to go for a very straightforward approach to framing scenes in humorous and dramatic moments. Still, he does create some surprises as he opens the film with this 10-minute sequence of what Mavis’ life is like before she returns home. Then the credits appears as Mavis drives home to the tune of Teenage Fanclub’s The Concept from their 1991 landmark album Bandwagonesque.

The film has a very playful feel to it throughout the entirety of the first two acts though it does get more dramatic by the time the third act rolls around. Still, Reitman chooses to underplay the drama while its big moment where Mavis just loses it at a party is more restrained than it is expected despite Mavis’ uncontrollable behavior. The film also has this sense of intended blandness to the way a suburban place like Mercury, Minnesota looks like as it looks like every other small town in America. The locations do play as a character there’s a wonderful quaintness to it but also a place where anyone that’s lived there long enough might want to leave. Overall, Reitman creates a truly solid and witty film that explores a woman’s meltdown as she returns to the place that she had left a long time ago.

Cinematographer Eric Steelberg does a nice job with the film’s photography where a lot of the film’s look is straightforward though the coloring does get a little de-saturated as it progresses to emphasize Mavis’ troubled state of mind as she would unravel in the course of the film. Editor Dana E. Glauberman does an excellent job with the editing to play up Mavis’ unraveling in the course of the film as it features some great montages of her fixing her hair or the opening credits scene while a lot of the editing is very straightforward.

Production designer Kevin Thompson, along with set decorator Carrie Stewart and art director Michael Ahern, do some very good work with the set pieces created such as the bar where Mavis meets Matt along with the sports bar and Buddy‘s home to emphasize the suburban world that Mavis dislikes yet gravitates towards to. Costume designer David C. Robinson does a terrific job with the costumes from the sweatpants and t-shirt to emphasize the drab look of Mavis along with the glamorous dresses that she later wears to try and win over Buddy. Sound editors Perry Robertson, Scott Sanders, and Warren Shaw do some fine work with the sound from the raucous atmosphere of the bars that Mavis and Matt hang out to the way music sounds and is cut off at through her Mavis’ car.

The score work of Rolfe Kent is superb for the jazz-folk music pieces created for the film to emphasize its quirky tone as well as Mavis‘ unique behavior while also providing low-key yet somber pieces for its dramatic moments. Music supervisor Linda Cohen does a fantastic job with assembling the soundtrack that includes lots of 90s alternative rock cuts from acts like Cracker, the Lemonheads, Teenage Fanclub, 4 Non Blondes, and many covers performed by Mateo Massina of songs by Pearl Jam and other 90s acts. The only song not from the 90s is played is an obscure Diana Ross song in the closing credits that emphasize the trouble of growing up which is suitable for what the film is about.

The casting by Jessica Kelly and Suzanne Smith is outstanding as they create what is truly a very memorable ensemble cast filled with people in some very standout roles. Among them is Mary Beth Hurt as Buddy’s mother, Richard Bekins and Jill Eikenberry as Mavis’ parents, Hettienne Park as a Minneapolis friend of Mavis, Louisa Krause as the hotel front desk girl, John Forest as Mavis’ wheelchair-bound cousin who annoys both Mavis and Matt, and J.K. Simmons in a voice cameo as Mavis’ boss. Collette Wolfe is excellent in a small but very crucial performance as Matt’s sister Sandra who idolizes Mavis despite her flaws. Elizabeth Reaser is great as Buddy’s wife Beth who tries to be very kind to Mavis while being very content as a mom and drummer for a 90s cover band. Patrick Wilson is pretty good as Buddy where even though it’s a bland kind of role, Wilson makes Buddy into a likeable, normal kind of guy.

Patton Oswalt is magnificent as Matt Freehauf, an old schoolmate of Mavis who hasn’t gotten over high school as he reluctantly becomes Mavis’ ally despite warning her that will backfire on her. It’s a dramatic but light-humored performance from Oswalt as he also has to walk with a cane as he becomes this one guy that really understands Mavis and pities her. Finally, there’s Charlize Theron in a tremendous yet fearless performance as Mavis Gray. Theron brings a lot of humor to her character as a woman that is obviously immature in the way she speaks and how she often picks at her hair. Yet, there’s also a sadness to this woman who can’t really get herself together as Theron makes this very un-likeable character human as it’s definitely one of the best performances Theron has given.

Young Adult is a brilliant yet jabbing comedy-drama from Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody. Featuring fantastic performances from Charlize Theron and Patton Oswalt, the film definitely serves as a real turning point for both Reitman and Cody as they take an un-likeable character and make her into someone real and sympathetic. While it may not have the quirky humor of Juno or the heavy-drama of Up in the Air, the film does have a confrontational tone without being too grand. In the end, Young Adult is a remarkable film from Jason Reitman and company.

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

© thevoid99 2011

Ratatouille

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 7/9/07 w/ Additional Edits.

Known for his work in animation for such films as The Iron Giant and 2004's Pixar-animated film The Incredibles. Brad Bird is considered to be one of the best film animators for Pixar and Disney. In 2007, Bird returns with his third directorial feature about a rat who dreams of becoming a chef entitled Ratatouille. Directed by Bird and Jan Pinkava based on Bird's script with additional story credits to Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Emily Cook, and Kathy Greenberg. Ratatouille is about a rat in Paris who wants to be a chef. Helping a garbage boy to become a chef with the help of his late idol, they must contend with the changes of the restaurant as its head chef sells out to make Gusteau's name profitable with frozen foods. With a voice cast that includes Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofalo, Ian Holm, Will Arnett, James Remar, Brian Dennehy, Pixar regular John Ratzenberger, and the legendary Peter O'Toole. Ratatouille is a marvelous yet imaginative film from Brad Bird and Pixar Studios.

For all of his life as a rat from the French countryside, Remy (Patton Oswalt) longs to be a chef as he has a gift of smelling exotic foods and herbs. While he lives with a colony of rats including his older brother Emile (Peter Sohn) and their father Django (Brian Dennehy). Remy wants to cook as his hero is the legendary Chef Gusteau (Brad Garrett) who has been inspirational in the art of cooking. During an attempt to steal food, the house owner discovers rats as the colony flee while Remy gets lost during his run. Landing in Paris and with Gusteau's spirit revolving around him, Remy arrives at Gusteau's famed restaurant that is now run by his former sous-chef Skinner (Ian Holm).

Arriving at Gusteau's restaurant is a young man named Linguini (Lou Romano) who becomes the cleaning boy for the restaurant. During a mess-up, he tries to fix the soup forcing Remy to take control as he finally gets the soup to be good as he's discovered by Linguini. Realizing that this little rat was the one who fixed the soup and had cooking talent, Linguini takes him in while Skinner is wondering about Linguini as Gusteau's restaurant is getting excellent reviews again. Skinner has Linguini to be taught by one of the restaurant's chefs in Colette (Janeane Garafalo) who teaches him how to act like a chef as Remy pulls Linguini's hair to control his movements. With Remy taking control of Linguini, they help restore some of the lost acclaim of Gusteau's restaurant as it reaches the attention of the notorious food critic Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole).

After finding his old colony, Remy reluctantly leaves to help Linguini though he gets visits from Emile and other rats for food. Yet, Linguini becomes infatuated with Colette as his family secret comes out much to the delight of the press and Skinner's dismay. When Ego wants to return to Gusteau's to see if the restaurant's hype is true, Linguini feels intimidated. With Skinner discovering about Remy, it takes a few people and a colony of rats to help out Remy and Linguini to win over Ego.

The concept of a rat wanting to become a great chef in Paris restaurants is one that is definitely universal to all audiences. It's a concept that the film's original director Jan Pinkava had been trying to create for years until being replaced by Brad Bird who uses Pinkava's core story to create a film that is unique. Bird's script and direction is truly a marvel about a dreamer who wants to prove that his gift for smelling great food and cooking talents shouldn't be limited because he's a rat. While it's clear that being a rat, especially in a restaurant is a bad thing to chefs. Yet, it's the story about a chef that wants to cook that really shows the heart of the film.

Bird's knack for drama and comedy is wonderful, especially physical comedy concerning not just Linguini but also Skinner during a chase scene he has with Remy. It's humor that isn't dirty or too clean but one that is universal to all kinds of audiences. Through his direction, the film has a unique look through its animation that it has a nice balance of drama and comedy. The drama is told with subtlety in themes of family and loyalty. Yet, the film is really about dreamers as there is no character that is loveable as Remy.

The animation is unique, largely due to the original sculptures and concept of Jan Pinkava. Each character has a unique look to their personalities from the human characters including Anton Ego who looks very cold and such or Skinner, a small man with a devilish face. The animation and visual effects is very wonderful without having the audience recognize whose face is the voice. Something that some computer-animated films make the mistake of like in Shark Tale. The animation is also brilliant in the way it captures the look of Paris.

Cinematographers Robert Anderson and Sharon Calahan along with production designer Harley Jessup create a wonderful look to Paris where it has a feel and look to the city that is imaginative. While it's more colorful to the some of the more live-action films that show Paris, it just has a look that will make anyone want to visit the place. Even the look of the food including the dishes look delicious. Editor Darren T. Holmes brings a wonderfully rhythmic feel to the film to create an energy and style that brings excitement to the film's humor and drama. It also has moments of intensity through moments of action that is not seen much in most animated films. Sound editor Michael Silvers also does fantastic work for the film's sound with the sounds of pots, fires, and everything that is expected in a kitchen.

Then there's the amazing film score of Michael Giacchino. Easily one of the best film scores this year, Giacchino's score definitely has variety. Whether it's the serene sounds of Paris through accordions to more comical scores that has jazz notes and rhythms. Even the original song he wrote for French pop singer Camille is memorable for the atmosphere that is Paris. Giacchino's score is filled with flourishes of orchestral arrangements to convey the drama while mixing it with jazz for the film's more intense action sequences.

The film's cast is wonderfully assembled with memorable characters along with cast of actors for the voices that are unique. Smaller roles ranging from Pixar regular John Ratzenberger as head waiter Mustafa, Will Arnett as sous-chef Horst, James Remar as appetizer chef Larousse, and Teddy Newton as Skinner's lawyer are all memorable with their witty humor. Notably Ratzenberger as the nervous Mustafa and Arnett as Horst who has extravagant claims about his behavior. Dual performances from Julius Callahan and Tony Fucile are great with Callahan playing fish chef Lalo and Skinner's businessman Francois. Fucile does double duty in playing pastry chef Pompidou and the health inspector called upon by Skinner. Another dual performance but for smaller parts come from director Brad Bird as a narrator of cheese and as Ego's assistant. Jake Steinfeld also has a wonderful small part as Git, a beefed up rat who is one of Emile's friends.

Brad Garrett is great as the voice of Gusteau with all of his witty charm and inspirational wisdom with an accent that fits the personality of Gusteau. Ian Holm is wonderful for the devilish Skinner who sells out the name of Gusteau to make money when his own plans are derailed. Holm just brings a lot of humor to the villainous character. Janeane Garafalo also goes French as the tough Colette who believes in perfection and everything that lives up to the Gusteau name. Garafalo is funny and sweet in her voice portrayal. Lou Romano is great in voicing the young, clumsy Linguini who knows he doesn't have talents while trying to find his niche in the restaurant he's working for. Peter Sohn is very funny as the rat Emile who pretty much likes to eat anything while causing trouble for Remy.

Brian Dennehy is excellent as Django, Remy's father who tries to understand his son's gift while revealing his own mistrust towards humans and stuff. Dennehy brings the right sense of fraternal comfort and realism to that character. The legendary Peter O'Toole shines in what has to be one of his best voice roles as Anton Ego. While his voice might be recognizable to cinephiles and adult audiences, O'Toole truly brings a coldness and humorless that is the character of Anton Ego as a man who loves food, but like isn't good enough for him. It's a fantastic performance from the legendary actor. Patton Oswalt is great in the voice of Remy bringing a great mix of humor, drama, and sensitivity to a character dreamers can relate to. Oswalt's voice-over narration also works in how he observes the situations and everything including how he interacts with the spirit of Gusteau.

While it's definitely superior to some of the Disney/Pixar releases like last year's Cars, Ratatouille is definitely not just one of the best Disney/Pixar films but also the year's best family film. Brad Bird and company truly made a film that kids will definitely enjoy as well as older audiences. It's funny, it's got a great look, it's got some nice drama, wonderful action, and everything that guarantees its entertainment value. In the end, Ratatouille is a superb yet gorgeous film from Brad Bird and Pixar.

Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters, Inc.) - (Finding Nemo) - The Incredibles - Cars - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) - (Cars 3) - Coco - Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)

© thevoid9 2011