Lars and the Real Girl

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/22/08 w/ Additional Edits.

Directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Nancy Oliver, Lars & the Real Girl is the story of a shy man named Lars who is comes out of his introverted personality when he falls for a life-sized doll named Bianca. While his brother and sister-in-law worry about this strange behavior, they play along with him as Lars finds himself attracted to a co-worker as Lars is played by Ryan Gosling. Also starring Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner, and Patricia Clarkson. Lars & the Real Girl is a sweet, charming, and quirky comedy-drama from Craig Gillespie.

Living in the garage near his late parents' home, Lars is a young man who keeps to himself. Shy and often very secretive, he rarely has contact with people as he goes to work and on Sundays, go to church. Yet, his sister-in-law Karin (Emily Mortimer) is concerned as she often invites him to dinner at his parents' home where Lars' older brother Gus (Paul Schneider) lives. Lars has caught the attention of a new co-worker named Margo (Kelli Garner) who often asks him if they would like to hang out but Lars politely refuses. Then one day, a co-worker shows Lars some sex dolls that he's looking at where Lars suddenly gets an idea. Six weeks later, a big package arrives for Lars as he walks up to Gus' home and asks if he can come for dinner with his new friend. Karin and Gus are excited until they see that Lars' new friend is a sex doll named Bianca.

Gus is convinced that his brother has lost his mind as Karin is trying to figure out how to deal with it. They all go to meet the town's doctor Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson) who suggests to Gus and Karin to play along with what Lars is doing and treat Bianca as if she's real. Karin gives in but Gus is extremely reluctant. Yet with Lars starting to become more communicative, Karin begins to treat Bianca like a real person with Gus still trying to deal with Lars' state of mind. With the town also reluctant to play along, they immediately take a liking to Bianca while Dagmar tries to explore Lars' psyche. Lars takes Bianca to a party as she meets Margo who also takes a liking to Bianca. With Gus now playing along, everyone takes a shine where things seem to go well though Gus and Karin still question whether it will help Lars' state of mind.

When Margo starts to date a co-worker, Lars begins to notice her as his relationship with Bianca starts to crumble due to her activity for the town. Lars gets a little upset as Karin reminds him that Bianca has his own life. When Margo asks Lars if he would like to go out somewhere, he does as he starts to notice her more. Yet, confused over his feelings for both Margo and Bianca, Lars suddenly finds himself in what he's really dealing with.

Thematically, the film is in some ways is about death. Yet, writer Nancy Oliver and director Craig Gillespie chose to cover up that theme a bit by exploring the unique character that is Lars. Essentially the film is a character study about a young man, still haunted over the death of his parents trying desperately not to connect with anyone until he decides to enter the real world through a sex doll. Nancy Oliver's script is filled with wondrous characters who seem to care for Lars while also presenting this unique world of small town Middle America where everyone seems to know everyone and interact with each other as a community. Yet, Oliver's script explores the fragile mind of Lars and how an object like Bianca can make him interact with people while breathing life into a character like Bianca.

Director Craig Gillespie does superb work in the film by creating funny moments in the film with such subtlety in the film's first act when Karin and Gus are introduced to Bianca. The way Gillespie presents their reaction is done with a lot of humor where the actors had to do so little. The second act is also wonderfully told as Gillespie explores the world of small town Middle America with Ontario as the location. For the third act, it does become a bit dramatic but Gillespie's direction and the actors wisely underplay it as Gillespie's restrained, subtle tone works for the film as an entirety. With the way Gillespie presents the scenes and compositions while letting other characters get an idea of what they think. The result is truly a marvelous film thanks to Craig Gillespie's heartfelt direction.

Cinematographer Adam Kimmel does an amazing job with the film's photography where Kimmel captures the wintery look of small town America with dabbles of color as the interior shots are wonderfully lit to capture an intimacy and tone for each scene. Kimmel's work is truly superb as his look is authentic and beautiful as it's one of the film's technical highlights. Editor Tatiana S. Riegel is excellent for its transitional cutting, use of fade-outs and its methodical yet smooth pacing as it carries the film with such ease through Gillespie's sensitive tone.

Production designer Arvinder Grewal and art director Joshu de Cartier do a fine job in the look of the homes of Karin and Gus as well as the place that Lars works and other locations. Costume designers Gerri Gillian and Kirston Leigh Mann do a wonderful job with the film's wintery look from the sweaters and shirts that Lars wear to the colorful clothing that the women including Bianca wears.

Sound editors Barney Carbal and Perry Robertson do a nice job in capturing the atmosphere of the film's interior scenes and outdoor exterior scenes to show the world of the small town that Lars lives in. Music composer David Torn create a wonderfully melodic, bouncy soundtrack for the film's quirky yet heartfelt vibe that features melodic chimes and uplifting string arrangements while the film's third act is more somber as Torn's music wonderfully under plays the film. The soundtrack consists of artists that are mostly unknown with the exception of the Talking Heads and its side project Tom Tom Club.

The casting by Richard Hicks and David Rubin is wonderful for its small but memorable performances from R.D. Reid as the local reverend, Nancy Beatty as Mrs. Gruner, Karen Robinson as Lars' co-worker Cindy, Maxwell McCabe-Lokos as another of Lars' co-worker Kurt who introduces him to the dolls, and Billy Parrott as Margo's boyfriend Erik. Patricia Clarkson is brilliant in her role as Dagmar, a doctor who tries to go into Lars psyche while sharing her own feelings of loneliness as she tries to help Lars cope through establishing a relationship with Bianca.

Kelli Garner is excellent in her role as the sweet, quirky Margo who has a crush on Lars while befriending Bianca as she becomes one of the few people who help Lars interact with the world. Paul Schneider is great as Lars' older brother Gus who is concerned for Lars' mental health while admitting to the guilt that it could be his fault as he tries to cope with his mistakes. Emily Mortimer is superb in her role as Karin, Lars' sister-in-law whose maternal concerns for Lars comes to the test when she deals with Bianca to help Lars overcome his introverted personality.

Then there's Ryan Gosling in an amazing and tender performance as Lars. Gosling's restrained, soft-spoken performance is definitely a testament to his talents where he can delve into a character whether it's someone extroverted or troubled. In the role of Lars, Gosling's subtlety and melancholic approach to the characters makes Lars as unique and likeable despite his own mental state. Yet, it's a great follow-up performance to the one Gosling gave in his Oscar-nominated performance in Half Nelson. The film's most surprising performance goes to the sex-doll named Bianca. The half-Danish, half-Brazilian doll with brunette hair is definitely a character full of life and wonder as she brings out the best in the actors she acts with.

The Region 1 DVD from MGM and 20th Century Fox presents the film in its 1:85:1 widescreen aspect ratio with 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound in English and Dolby Surround Sound in Spanish. Featuring English and Spanish subtitles, the DVD includes three special features. First is a brief, deleted scene where Lars in a bathtub with Bianca where the director, through text, reveals that the scene reveals Lars' struggle over his feelings for both Bianca and Margo. The 10-minute featurette entitled The Real Story of Lars & the Real Girl explores the film and its story featuring interviews with the cast and crew as Patricia Clarkson took the part because Ryan Gosling was going to be in whom she had admired. Gosling talks about his rehearsal approach where he actually spent time with the Bianca doll to understand his character.

The six-minute featurette A Real Leading Lady explores Bianca who is given more make-up than most of the cast as they talk about her while Gosling talks about a Walter Salles film she did only to get into an argument about their interview. It's a funny, sweet featurette that goes behind the character who steals the show including a couple of quotes from Richard Burton and Federico Fellini. Along with the film's theatrical trailer, the DVD also includes trailers for films like Music Within, Bonneville, Frank Oz's Death at a Funeral, Tamara Jenkins' The Savages, and the hit film from Jason Reitman, Juno.

Lars & the Real Girl is a sensitive, touching, and light-hearted film from Craig Gillespie featuring a superb performance from Ryan Gosling. Fans of Gosling will no doubt consider this film as essential featuring great supporting work from Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner, Patricia Clarkson, and of course, Bianca. While the idea of a man falling in love with a love-doll might seem crazy, the film's light-hearted tone and themes makes this film into a gem worth watching. In the end, Lars & the Real Girl is a remarkable film from Craig Gillespie.

Craig Gillespie Films: (Mr. Woodcock) - (Fright Night (2011 film)) - (Million Dollar Arm) - (The Finest Hours) - I, Tonya - Cruella

© thevoid99 2014

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/4/08 w/ Additional Edits.

Based on Ron Hansen's novel, the film is about Jesse James' final years as an outlaw while planning a new robbery with his gang. Part of his gang is a man named Robert Ford who would become his assassin. Adapted into script and directed by Andrew Dominik of Chopper fame, the film is an eerie, sensitive portrait of not just James but also Ford. Playing the two leading roles are Brad Pitt as Jesse James and Casey Affleck as Robert Ford. With a cast that includes Sam Shepard, Paul Schneider, Sam Rockwell, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeremy Renner, and Zooey Deschanel. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a harrowing yet enchanting film from Andrew Dominik and company.

It's September 1881 as Jesse James and his older brother Frank (Sam Shepard) are about to do another train heist which would be Frank's final heist. Joining them in the Missouri forest are Ed Miller (Garrett Dillahunt), Dick Liddil (Paul Schneider), Jesse's cousin Wood Hite (Jeremy Renner), Charley Ford (Sam Shepard), and his 19-year old little brother Robert. Robert is enamored by the presence of the James brothers as he grew up reading stories about Jesse as he idolized the outlaw. While the heist was a modest success, Frank seemed to have had enough as he's surrounded by young men and his relationship with Jesse has become temperamental. With Jesse hiding in Kansas City with his wife Zee (Mary Louise-Parker) and their children Mary (Brooklynn Proux) and Tim (Dustin Bollinger). Frank has now decided to depart not knowing it would be the last time he would see his younger brother.

With Charley and Wood sent to hide at the home of Martha Bolton (Alison Elliott), Robert was asked to stay to help Jesse with a few things before being sent to Martha's home where he meets with his older brother along with Wood and Dick. Dick and Wood leave to live with Wood's father (Tom Aldredge) and young wife Sarah (Kailin See) whom Dick seduces. One day, Ed gets a visit from Jesse about some rumors including the men who had been captured from the previous train heist. Meanwhile, tension between Hite and Liddil came ahead as Robert found himself involved. Following that confrontation, Jesse arrives as he has dinner with Wilbur Ford (Pat Healey), Martha, Charley, and Robert as Charley tells stories about Robert's childhood where Robert was taunted by Jesse. Then all of a sudden, Robert makes a move to reveal the whereabouts of Dick Liddil to Sheriff Timberlake (Ted Levine).

Robert Ford suddenly becomes a private investigator for Timberlake as he and Liddil have a private meeting with Governor Crittenden (James Carvell). With Charley now riding along with Jesse, talks about possible robberies where in the works as Robert joins Charley and Jesse. Things become filled with tension as if Robert is believing that Jesse is aware that he's going to die at age 34. Then on April 3, 1882, Robert Ford becomes famous as he kills Jesse James at his family home. A year later, Robert Ford is known to the world but to some, he's branded as a coward. With Charley regretting about his involvement, Robert Ford finds himself troubled with this name as coward. Ten years later in Colorado, he meets Dorothy Evans (Zooey Deschanel) as he tries to come to terms on what he had done as a man named Edward O'Kelly (Michael Copeman) hunts for him.

The story about Jesse James and his infamy is known to the world for his reckless killings of innocent people and robberies. While some might enjoy his infamy for the fact that he was a Southern who hated the politics of the time as well as rich people, he was a complex individual that some said was a modern-day Robin Hood. Yet, this film about Jesse James' final days reveal a much harrowing tale as a man who is aware that he knows that he's going to die but the question is, who will kill him? That answer comes in the form of a young man named Robert Ford. Here is a man who starts out as a young kid who worshiped the altar of Jesse James only until James' bullying and taunts get to him as he becomes this obsessed, laconic killer only to be called a coward as James' name lives on through infamy.

Andrew Dominik deserves credit for his eerie character study of the two individuals as well as the people who surround him. Jesse's elder brother Frank who seems tired of robberies as well as the young men that idolize Jesse. The members of Jesse's gang like Dick Liddil, Wood Hite, and Ed Miller who are trying to figure out Jesse's state of mind while Charley Ford is also part of that gang as he also watches Jesse's descent into madness and then seeing his brother become a public figure. The film is really a tale of madness and disintegration in the eyes of both an outlaw and his assassin. While his script unveils layers of characters and their paranoia around Jesse James, it's through his dream-like direction that is more startling.

The film's obvious influence is Terrence Malick, the brilliant yet reclusive filmmaker whose films often include naturalistic, epic images of nature, epic elliptical pacing, a narration, and poetic dialogue. Dominik clearly uses Malick's unique filmmaking style to tell this haunting story of Jesse James' final days and his encounter with Robert Ford. The film features a third-person narration by Hugh Ross that reveals part of Jesse James' state of mind in his final days and legends along with additional back story. While the narration might seem to act as spoiler of sorts, it lets the story flow easily as Dominik through his observant camera let the acting unfold. The film in a lot of ways looks and feels like a Malick film, notably his 1978 film Days of Heaven. Shot on location in Canada, the film doesn't look or feel like a Western since it's set in the American mid-west.

Dominik creates a crystalline portrait of James with very few colors and the camera sometimes being a bit blurry to convey the dream-like tone of the film. While audiences might seem to be put off by its slow pace, it is deliberate to tell its study of madness while being a film that is a revisionist western of sorts told dramatically. This is a film that clearly reveals that the western genre is starting to come back and engaging itself into new territory. The film's 160-minute running time might seem overwhelming but the result is a strong film. Yet, it should be noted that the film went through various running times and test screening meaning that Dominik didn't have final cut since it was produced by Ridley Scott and Brad Pitt. Still, the final cut of this film is superb without delving into pretentiousness as its dreamlike, laconic, haunting approach through Dominik's direction is truly one of the best films of 2007.

Cinematographer Roger Deakins creates an exquisite look to the film that isn't just similar to the wondrous, natural, dream-like cinematography of the late Nestor Almendros and Haskell Wexler in their work in Days of Heaven. The film also recalls the work of Vilmos Zsigmond for such films as Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Michael Cimino's film Heaven's Gate. Deakins' look of the exteriors with shots of nature and skylines are jaw-droppingly beautiful. Even the scenes in the woods and snow are shot with amazing colors and shades to convey the different moods of Jesse James and later on, Robert Ford. The interior sequences, notably the train scene are wonderfully shot with intimacy swept with sepia-like colors and tones to help convey a dream-like look. If the film has a technical highlight that is worth noting, it's the cinematography of Roger Deakins.

Editors Dylan Tichenor, Curtiss Clayton, and Michael Kahn (who did additional editing following its test screening) is superb for its sense of transitional cuts, dissolves, fade-outs, and jump-cuts to convey the film's sense of action as well as living up to its elliptical, pacing style with its 160-minute running time. Art director Troy Sizemore and set decorator Janice Blackie-Goodine do an amazing job in creating the period look of the late 19th Century mid-west with its look of towns and homes to create an American, mid-western look and feel. Costume designer Patricia Norris, who was also the costume designer in Days of Heaven, does an exquisite job in the look of the cowboys and women in 19th Century period dresses that matches the film's dark, dream-like look with very little colors. Sound designers Christopher S. Aud and Richard King do a brilliant job in capturing the atmosphere of the landscapes and shootouts as well as the land to convey the mood of Jesse James.

Another of the film's amazing technical achievements goes to the film's haunting score by alt-rock icon Nick Cave and Warren Ellis of Cave's band the Bad Seeds. The music features chime-like themes to convey its dreamlike mood while using broken pianos and instruments to help play true to the period. The score is filled with sweeping arrangements as well as pieces of music that is haunting as Cave makes an appearance singing a traditional song about Jesse James. The music of Cave and Ellis is truly superb in capturing the mood of the film and its characters.

The casting by Mali Finn is superb as the various small roles from Sarah Lind as a girlfriend of Robert Ford, Jesse Freschette as Robert and Charley's young cousin Albert, Joel McNichol as a train messenger, Lauren Calvert as Martha's daughter Ida, and Michael Parks as Henry Craig. Other memorable small parts that include Brooklynn Proux and Dustin Bollinger as Jesse's two kids, Michael Copeman as a man hunting for Robert Ford, Tom Aldredge as Major Hite, Sarah Kailin as Major Hite's young wife, Ted Levine as Sheriff Timberlake, Pat Healey as Wilbur Ford, and an appearance from political analyst James Carvell as Governor Crittenden. While the parts of women don't seem to play any big roles for a film that's mainly about men. Allison Elliott, Zooey Deschanel, and Mary Louise-Parker do fill their roles with grace. Elliott as the maternal-like Martha Bolton, Zooey Deschanel as Robert Ford's girlfriend in his final years, and Mary Louise-Parker as Jesse James' wife Zee who doesn't care about Jesse's antics only until after his death.

Garrett Dillahunt is great as paranoid Ed Miller whose alliance with Liddil about going to another gang gets him in trouble as he fears for Jesse. Jeremy Renner is also great in his role as Jesse's cousin Wood Hite who begins a feud with Liddil following Liddil's encounter with Wood's stepmother. Paul Schneider is brilliant as the laconic, poetic Dick Liddil whose love for women and the world around him makes him a fascinating character who likes to seduce women while providing the catalyst for Ford's assassination of James. Sam Shepard is great as the grizzled, tired Frank James who seems to feel tired being around young men as well as Jesse's reckless behavior. The film's best supporting performance goes to Sam Rockwell as Charley Ford. Rockwell plays a man who joins Jesse's gang as he brings his younger brother along. Watching Jesse's state of mind go nuts while watching himself in paranoia believing he was killed. Rockwell's performance is superb as he plays the film's observer watching both James and his own brother disintegrate.

Brad Pitt is in fantastic form as Jesse James. Pitt's performance is very layered with a sense of recklessness, melancholia, and a troubling state of mind. Pitt carries a presence and charisma that is perfect for the character of Jesse James as he uses his smile and unpredictable mood swings to play a character as complex as Jesse James in what is clearly one of his best performances. While Pitt is in great form, he is not the best performance of the film that really goes to his co-star Casey Affleck as his assassin, Robert Ford. Affleck's wild-eyed performance is wonderfully layered as an innocent, childlike young man who idolizes James in ever way as brings an innocence to the role. When the character starts to develop, Affleck's performance becomes much darker and more subtle as he becomes this laconic figure who starts to resent his idol as he becomes his assassin. Affleck's performance is brilliant in every scene up to the last frame when he seems weathered and troubled. While Pitt may have top billing, it's Affleck who is really the film's star.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is an enchanting, eye-wielding, and stunning film from Andrew Dominik and company led by a great cast that includes Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, Paul Schneider, Jeremy Renner, Mary-Louise Parker, Garrett Dillahunt, Zooey Deschanel, and Sam Rockwell. Fans of the western genre will no doubt be amazed by this dream-like interpretation of the outlaw Jesse James and his assassin Robert Ford. While some audiences might be put off by its dream-like approach and elliptical pacing, it's a film fans of bio-pics and the western genre might enjoy with additional commendation to cinematographer Roger Deakins and music composers Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. In the end, for a dream-like western that gives the genre a new twist, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is the film to go see.

Andrew Dominik Films: Chopper - Killing Them Softly - One More Time with Feeling - This Much I Know to Be True - Blonde (2022 film)

© thevoid99 2012

2011 Cannes Marathon: Bright Star

(Premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival in Competition for the Palme D’or)

When The Piano came out in 1993 and co-won the Palme D’or w/ Chen Kaige’s Farewell, My Concubine. Jane Campion received international attention after helming two feature films as she also became the second woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director. Since then, Campion’s follow-up films to The Piano has divided audiences and critics that included an adaptation of Henry James’ Portrait of a Lady, the spiritual searching Holy Smoke!, and the 2003 erotic drama In the Cut. Campion took a break from feature-film making to do a couple of shorts for anthology films as she made her return in 2009 for a film about John Keats’ final years entitled Bright Star.

Written and directed by Jane Campion, Bright Star tells the story of John Keats’ final years as he finds a muse in a woman named Fanny Brawne. During these final years, Brawne would become more than his muse as the two would embark in a relationship that would shape Keats’ writing. Based on Andrew Morton’s biography on Keats, it’s a film that explores a man finding his muse in a woman who is different from many others. Starring Abbie Cornish, Ben Whishaw, Paul Schneider, Thomas Sangster, and Kerry Fox. Bright Star is a poignant yet mesmerizing romantic drama from Jane Campion.

It’s 1818 in London as Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) is a woman who creates her own clothes and actually makes a living off of it. While she lives with her mother (Kerry Fox) and her two younger siblings in Samuel (Thomas Sangster) and Toots (Edie Martin). During a visit to meet Mrs. Dilke (Claudie Blakley), they meet a man who shares a house with Dilkes in Charles Brown (Paul Schneider). It is there that Fanny meets John Keats (Ben Whishaw) who is trying to write some new poems. Fanny is intrigued by Keats as Keats is amazed by Fanny’s sense of individuality and her ability to create her own clothes. While Fanny admits to not really understanding about poetry, Keats helps her as he decides to give her poetry lessons.

Despite having written a book of poems, Keats hasn’t been able to gain any financial success as Brown tries to help fund their lifestyle as they keep working. Keats and Fanny’s attraction increases though her mother isn’t so sure about this friendship until Brown writes a Valentine to Fanny as a joke. The joke upsets Keats as does Fanny as she ends their poetry lessons. When Fanny’s mother learns that the Dilkes are giving them the house they share with Brown as Fanny sees Keats again. The two renew their relationship as it blossoms into a romantic one until Keats had to leave with Brown to work in other places leaving Fanny upset. Though Keats and Fanny would write letters to each other, the longing for contact proves to be painful.

Keats eventually returns in the fall as he and Fanny renew their relationship once again as they decide to be secretly engaged. Keats suddenly becomes ill during the winter as friends try to help create funds for his new work and for his health. With suggestions for Keats to go to Italy for his health, Brown reveals that he couldn’t go because he needed to be with the Brawne’s new maid Abigail (Antonia Campbell-Hughes) whom he impregnated. Fanny wants to go to Italy to be with Keats as she helps him find a place to live. Instead, his illness worsens with Fanny taking care of him before he leaves for Italy as she hopes that they would marry upon his return.

While it is a love story about John Keats and his muse Fanny Brawne, it’s really about a relationship between two different artists and personalities that grows into something far more powerful. Brawne is a woman who is a bit flirtatious though is really an individual who finds her talents in creating her clothes with fashions that are quite ahead of its time. Yet, she has managed to make a living for herself while helping her mother and two siblings. Keats meanwhile, is a writer who has the talents but couldn’t gain any success as he tries to make a living while living off funds of others. He’s also a character that is a bit unaware of his surroundings while being a bit naïve at times.

When he and Fanny are together, there is a side to them that is innocent but also a bit chaotic due to their personalities. Even as there’s a few people wary about the relationship such as Mr. Brown and Fanny’s mother. Brown is someone who’s had a very testy relationship with Fanny whom he’s known for some time while often thinks he’s not good enough for a man as introspective as Keats. Fanny’s mother is more cautious as she sees how Fanny reacts to Keats even to the point where she is bewildered by Fanny’s attempt to kill herself because she hadn’t heard from Keats.

Jane Campion’s screenplay succeeds in studying the behaviors and personalities of its main characters while not delving into a lot of heavy drama that often hinders most films about famous figures. Yet, Campion isn’t interested in historical context or facts but rather explore the relationship between Keats and Brawne. Even as characters like Fanny’s mother and Mr. Brown get some development since they’re watching the relationship from afar. Campion’s script also uses Keats’ poems and letters to help emphasize the emotional longing for both Keats and Brawne. Notably the poem Bright Star that is recited in the film a couple of times. While the ending is obvious since it is about Keats’ final years, her approach is more about showing it from Brawne’s perspective.

Campion’s direction is truly mesmerizing in the way she tells the story by shooting largely on location near where Keats and Brawne spent their time together along with a small scene in Rome, Italy where Keats died. Campion creates compositions that allows the audience to see what Keats and Brawne are making in their respective trades. Notably in moments where she has the camera shooting close-ups on Fanny’s hands sewing or Keats’ writing. For a large portion of the Keats-Brawne scenes, it’s always about the dramatic elements yet it is approached with a sense of restraint with some anguish used. One notable scene that allows Campion to present humor is when Keats and Brawne are walking behind Brawne’s sister Toots as Toots looks back and they freeze.

The subtle moments such as that scene along with scenes where Fanny and Toots surrounded themselves in a room full of butterflies or a scene where Keats is just having a lovely time with the Brawne family. Part of Campion’s brilliance is a director is to just soak up the world that the characters live in as there are many scenes where the characters surround themselves with nature. There are some gorgeous compositions that include a shot of Keats lying on top of a tree. It’s shots like that along with its broad presentation that does give the film a poetic tone which isn’t surprising since the film is about a poet’s final years. Overall, this is Campion at her best as she creates a solid yet engaging romantic drama.

Cinematographer Grieg Fraser does a superb job with the cinematography from the naturalistic yet lush look of the scenes of trees and flowers in the spring/summer periods to the rainy/winter looks that play to the dreary mood of the characters. Fraser’s work for many of the exteriors along that the interiors of the home that Keats lived in with Brown and the Brawnes is truly exquisite for its intimacy and dark look against its wooden walls. Editor Alexandre de Franceschi does an excellent job with the editing as it’s mostly straightforward while using fade-to-black for many transitions. Particularly in creating a pace that, while slow, is methodical to build the burgeoning relationship between Keats and Brawne.

Production/costume designer Janet Patterson, along with set decorator Charlotte Watts and art director Christian Huband do a great job with the set decorations in the look of early 19th Century housing and objects while Patterson‘s costumes are the real technical highlight of the film. Particularly with the dresses made and worn by Fanny to reflect her personality. Sound editors John Dennison and Tony Vaccher do a wonderful job in capturing the broad world of 19th Century London with its horse trots and homes along with the sparse yet intimate world of the natural surroundings the characters encounter.

The film’s music by Mark Bradshaw is brilliant for its melancholic tone with an array of somber string orchestral pieces and dramatic flourishes to play to the love of Keats and Brawne. Bradshaw also helps create arrangements for a couple of pieces by Mozart including a vocal piece from Mozart that some of the actors sing in a party scene for the film.

The casting by Nina Gold is amazing for the ensemble that is assembled for the film. Notable small roles include Samuel Roukin as a critic in a party scene, Olly Alexander as John Keats’ ailing brother Tom, Gerard Monaco as Mr. Dilke, and Samuel Barnett is a friend of Keats who helps fund is trip to Italy. Other notable but memorable small supporting roles include Claudie Blakley as family friend Mrs. Dilke who wonders about Fanny’s relationship to Keats and Antonia Campbell-Hughes as the young maid Abigail whom Mr. Brown is smitten with. Edie Martin is very good as Fanny’s youngest sister Toots in whom brings her playful side while Thomas Sangster is also good as Fanny’s younger brother Samuel who enjoys the company of Keats.

Kerry Fox is excellent as Fanny’s mother who observes her daughter’s behavior while wanting her to be cautious about embarking on this relationship. Notably in scenes when she sees her daughter in despair while being very calm about what’s happening though does like Keats despite his aloof personality. Paul Schneider is brilliant as Mr. Brown, Keats’ longtime friend and colleague who tries to keep things going only to cause trouble about Keats’ relationship with Brawne. While Schneider gets to be funny in a few scenes, it’s a very surprising role for the North Carolina-based actor who proves to have a lot of range of a man who is good but does a lot of bad things while admitting his faults.

Ben Whishaw is superb as John Keats, a brilliant but introspective poet who is attracted to Fanny Brawne as he starts a relationship with her. Whishaw brings a calm yet chilling performance as a man who is very insecure while he finds inspiration in Fanny. It’s a remarkable performance for the actor as he also has a wonderful yet touching chemistry with his co-star Abbie Cornish. Abbie Cornish delivers what is definitely her most radiant performance to date as Fanny Brawne. Cornish delivers a performance that is full of grace of a woman who is definitely one-of-a-kind as she keeps things to herself while being a great artist of her own. In her scenes with Whishaw, Cornish brings a restraint to the way she reacts to him while showing anguish in her scenes of heartbreaking and longing. It’s definitely a stunning performance from the Australian actress.

Bright Star is a magnificent yet ethereal drama from Jane Campion featuring great performances from Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw. Fans of John Keats work will definitely see this as a great dramatic interpretation on his life as well as his relationship with Fanny Brawne. Fans of Jane Campion will no doubt see this as a return-to-form following the disappointing 2003 film In The Cut. It is a very poignant yet beautiful film about John Keats and Fanny Brawne as Bright Star is definitely an amazing film from Jane Campion.

Jane Campion Films: Sweetie - An Angel at My Table - The Piano - The Portrait of a Lady - Holy Smoke! - In the Cut - Top of the Lake (TV Miniseries) - (Top of the Lake-China Girl) - The Power of the Dog - The Auteurs #25: Jane Campion

© thevoid99 2011

All the Real Girls

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 4/21/04 w/ Additional Edits.

Written and directed by David Gordon Green based on a story he wrote with Paul Schneider, All the Real Girls tells the story of a North Carolina womanizer whose life changes by the arrival of his best friend's little sister from boarding school.  While friends and family aren't sure about the relationship, it would have a major impact for the young couple.  The film is a study of relationships and family as it's set entirely in the South where Green grew up.  Starring Paul Schneider, Zooey Deschanel, Patricia Clarkson, Shea Whigham, Danny McBride, Benjamin Mounton, and Heather McComb, All the Real Girls is a compelling yet hypnotic romantic-drama from David Gordon Green.

For Paul (Paul Schneider), life as a womanizer in his rural North Carolina home was fun after a while. Now, with little ambition into getting out his bleak surroundings, he has decided to give up his womanizing lifestyle and suddenly, he found the right time. While he hangs out with his best friend Tip (Shea Whigham) and pals Bust-ass (Danny McBride) and Bo (Maurice Compte), he learns that Tip's little sister Noel (Zooey Deschanel) has returned from boarding school. He meets Noel one night learning how much she's grown and realizes how mature and innocent she is. For Paul, Noel gives him the chance to grow while he often works at a garage for his Uncle Leland (Benjamin Mounton) and sometimes, help out his mother Elvira (Patricia Clarkson) with entertaining sick children at hospitals dressing up as clowns.

Noel is intrigued by Paul's charm although Tip doesn't like the idea of his sister going with Paul because of his past reputation with women. Noel learns about it from Paul as she often hangs out with his buddies talking about escaping their bleak surroundings. Paul learns that Noel is a virgin and they began to have intense conversations about an incident that scarred Noel in many levels as he decided not to sleep with her. To Paul, Noel represents the rare purity in which, they get much closer much to the dismay of Tip. Tip is angry at this situation afraid that Paul might hurt Noel. Whenever Paul isn't with Noel, he is with Uncle Leland, his daughter Feng-Shui (Maya Ling Pruitt), and his mother. One day, Elvira gets upset over the time Paul has spent with Noel since he forgot to help her where Paul begins to wonder if the relationship is healthy for everyone.

During a date, Noel tells Paul she's going away for the weekend with some friends just to have some time for herself. Paul is fine with the idea as he spends time with his family and Noel's mentally challenged brother Justin (John Kirkland) where he teaches him piano. Paul also talks with Tip, who learns he's about to become a dad where Tip feels that Paul at least is doing the right thing with Noel. When Noel returns from her weekend with a new haircut, she tells Paul something that jeopardizes their relationship while she tells him that she loves him. Paul feels anguished over what happens in which, he refuses to talk to Noel.

One night, he encounters an ex-lover named Mary-Margaret (Heather McComb) where he asks what he did wrong to her. She's still mad over what he did where Paul found Noel with Bust-ass. Paul feels things went wrong where Elvira confronts him over his actions in which, Paul decides to grow up more. While he learns more now about women and his past actions, he wonders if what Noel did was his fault in which, he wants to know what is to become of them.

While the only flaw in All the Real Girls is that its pacing at times is a bit slow, David Gordon Green does manage to bring in a story filled with human elements and emotions with a bleak surrounding that everyone can appeal to. Green's direction is filled with a sense of romanticism in the scenes with Schneider and Deschanel while bringing out shots of the bleak surroundings of the North Carolina town and its mills. In the screenplay, the film plays up to a restraint sense of drama with a bit of comedy and rural studies of men and women. Particularly the lifestyle and workplace of the characters in the town they live in.

The film's bleak look captured by cinematographer Tim Orr is spellbinding in its minimalist use of fall colors of orange and brown without using lighting or fake sunshine to make it look glossy. Orr's brings a sense of rural realism to convey the characteristics of the town and its people. Even the film's score by Michael Linnen and David Wingo of atmospheric, Southern acoustic harkens to the rich, yet melancholic tone of working class American South.

The film's cast is filled with delight from its smaller performances from Maya Ling Pruitt and John Kirkland in the children's role to Heather McComb and Maurice Compte in their roles as the locals. Danny McBride brings some humor as Bust-ass where he brings out all these commentaries on the lifestyle and his ambition to leave the town to be in a band where McBride shines in his performance. Benjamin Mounton is excellent as the wise but hopeless Uncle Leland as he shares his experiences with women in his scenes with Schneider. Shea Whigham is wonderful in his performance as Tip who starts out as this yokel who in turn, becomes the protective older brother and he develops into a sadder yet sympathetic tone where he learns of his own wrongdoings and making up for it to become a father.

Of the supporting cast, the best performance easily goes to Patricia Clarkson as Paul's blue-collar mother whose sense of frustration over her son's immaturity and lack of responsibilities is very understandable. Clarkson gives a performance that is filled with wisdom and a wonderful monologue about aging which is why Clarkson is one of the best actresses working today.

In the leading performances, Paul Schneider and Zooey Deschanel are spellbinding in their subtle, yet enigmatic performances as they bring a chemistry filled with heartbreak and anguish where they grow up in ways where you're aren't sure who to feel sorry for. It's the kind of chemistry that is enchanting in its realism, the same way that was felt in Lost in Translation in the conversations that Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson had in the film. Schneider gives a performance that is more man than men usually do by playing himself in vulnerable positions in which, he can reveal himself and be funny and charming. In the more intense scenes, Schneider breaks hearts, as he doesn't want people to apologize for his past while we feel for his own anguish in a point of self-loathing over his own actions in relation to what Noel did.

Zooey Deschanel clearly, gives not just her best performance to date but also one of 2003's best performances from an actress in any age. Only in her early 20s, Deschanel brings in a subtle, stripped-down performance with intelligence and innocence that gives a sense of complexity to her character. Even as she explores Paul's past into her own action that would lead to a break in their relationship, she plays a young girl who is well wise beyond her years while exploring the world of adulthood. After some small but standout supporting roles in earlier films like Almost Famous, Mumford, The New Guy, The Good Girl, and Manic, Deschanel gives a performance that would serve as her break-out role into the world of indie and mainstream films.

All the Real Girls is an excellent, romantic drama from David Gordon Green with a superb cast led by Paul Schneider, Zooey Deschanel, and Patricia Clarkson. Though some might not like the film's bleak look or restrained drama, it's a film that is filled with real human moments and working class ethics. It's really a film that studies the behavior of young men and women and the actions that make them react to themselves emotionally. It's a film that doesn't play up to gloss only to convey emotional honesty. In the end, All the Real Girls is a superb film of young adult relationships and rural morality.

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

© thevoid99 2011

George Washington

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/14/06 w/ Additional Edits, New Content and New Conclusion.

When people think of the American South, they will either think of Gone with the Wind or Deliverance depending on one's taste. Yet the South is filled with images that are either romantic or very desolate in whatever area it is. Still, it's part of what makes America interesting. While areas like New Orleans, Atlanta, and parts of Florida bring out interesting locations, the South has places where stories our told. In more recent years, those places do bring out more interesting stories whether its Patty Jenkins' serial-killer tale Monster or Shainee Gabel's dreamy haze of A Love Song for Bobby Long. Then, there is one director from the South who is not only considered to be one of the most gifted of his generation but has put his own, unique spin on the American South in an Arkansas-born, North Carolina native named David Gordon Green.

Born in 1975, David Gordon Green lived in the South all of his life while being aware that Hollywood wasn't making stories about the South in its realistic way. For the young filmmaker, he cites several influences into his work that included the Southern films of the 70s, Robert Altman, and the stripped-down, Dogme 95 style of Harmony Korine. Another director Green was inspired by was the brilliant, reclusive Terrence Malick for his unconventional style of narrative and visual storytelling for films like Days of Heaven and Badlands. In 2000, after a couple of short films, Green released his debut feature. A coming-of-age tale about young, rural, and mostly black children in the South dealing with death and the moral aftermath entitled George Washington.

Written & directed by David Gordon Green, George Washington is tale of a young boy who vies to become someone important through the perspective of a young girl he befriends. Taking the same elliptical approach of Malick, Green brings a realistic yet dreamy feel of the American South from its impoverished areas to the beauty that surrounds it. With an ensemble cast that is filled with unknowns like Candace Evanofski, Donald Holden, Rachel Handy, Damien Jewan Lee, Curtis Cotton III along with future Green regulars Paul Schneider and Eddie Rouse. George Washington is a brilliant, poetic masterpiece from one of American cinema's most promising director.

It's a hot moment in the summer as a 13-year old girl named Nasia (Candace Evanofski) is breaking up with her boyfriend Buddy (Curtis Cotton III) because he's immature. She turns to Buddy's friend George Richardson (Donald Holden) for companionship despite the fact that he's odd due to the fact that his skull is sensitive to water and he has to wear a helmet at all times. Often hanging out with their friends including the big, tough Vernon (Damien Jewan Lee) and the only white kid in the group, a girl named Sonya (Rachel Handy) who has an affinity for theft. At the railroad station where George's uncle Damascus (Eddie Rouse) just got fired from, they meet a bunch of adults they know including the boss' son Rico (Paul Schneider).

One day when Nasia is hanging out with family including cousin Denise (Ebony Jones) when Vernon asks her why she broke up with Buddy. She gives him her answer while Buddy meets George one day in church as they chose to remain cool about the whole thing. During a trip to the local swimming pool, George meets a young white boy named Tyler (Christian Gustoitis) who is sporting a neck brace. George also found a ratty dog in the street that had no owner as he chose to keep it but hide from his uncle who hates animals. With his father (Alan Thompson) in jail, George lives with his Aunt Ruth (Janet Taylor) and his sister Whitney (Derricka Rolle) in a home that is often broken down while Damascus makes his living chopping wood. Then one day when George hangs out with Vernon, Buddy, and Sonya in abandoned, park where they stop in a wet bathroom. The gang simply starts playing when Buddy accidentally pushes George into a wall which hit his helmet. George continues the pushing game when things go terribly wrong.

George, Vernon, and Sonya watch in dismay knowing what had happened as they know if their family knew, they would be in trouble. George felt the guiltiest while Vernon understood that it was an accident. George in the next days would ponder his life including his own aspirations to become someone important where he would talk to Nasia about those ambitions and their surroundings. Then one day, George finds Tyler drowning in the pool and at the risk of his own health, he saves the boy by diving into the pool. While his head did swell, George managed to be OK as he finds himself thinking of the idea that he could be a superhero. While Rico and his buddies Augie (Scott Clackum) and Euless (Jonathan Davidson) find George's ambitions to be silly, they cheer him on as Rico helps him with conducting traffic. Vernon meanwhile, is anguished with guilt and sadness as Sonya is now his only friend though she admits, she has hard time trying to feel.

With Vernon and Sonya being questioned by authorities, they turn to crime while Nasia wonders why George hasn't talked to anyone. George begins to take his idea of being a hero seriously until he has to confront with reality while remaining hopeful for himself and his friends.

The idea of a coming-of-age film is about the transition from childhood to adulthood and in Green's approach, he picks a moment in time when that transition comes. While the film has no real plot, it's not about plot but more about how young children are changed by a single incident in their life. Taking a narrative approach that is similar to the works of Terrence Malick, notably 1978's Days of Heaven, the film is told from the perspective of a young girl who recalls the things she sees and hears. The story is really about children growing up and becoming aware of adulthood while looking at their own surroundings while one of them becomes more drawn to his aspirations into becoming a superhero.

Green's writing is filled with the narrative voice-over that Malick is known for but he takes it from Nasia's approach where she sees things from her breakup with Buddy to the oddball world of George. While the film moves slowly, it's only to build a momentum of what is to come in this incident that changes the film's tone. It doesn't exactly start off innocently since Green introduces the audience to the rural world they live in and the people they're surrounded by. Especially the young men who work at the railroad station who sees the kids as equals since they all live in this downtrodden, shabby area that they live in. This provides not just the authenticity in the world they live in but the way they speak since it's very rural to the point where they're either talking about real things or just rambling.

In the directing, Green goes for a variety of style ranging from Malick's wandering, epic scale to the shaky, intimacy of Harmony Korine. There's moments where the film does resemble a bit of Malick's 1998 film The Thin Red Line in the way the characters walk from a landscape to the railroad station. Green goes for a full-on observant while letting the actors basically act natural where everything feels real, especially in the locations they're in. It's a true Southern film from the broken down corner stand that is next to old stores to the shabby, unpainted houses of the neighborhoods. Using the camera to create a dreamy yet authentic look of the South is purely one of the most beautiful films seen while Green's intentions as a storyteller is to just go for it in what is happening.

Helping Green in capturing his vision is longtime cinematographer Tim Orr whose lush coloring brings a true look to a hot summer in the South. Using the yellow-sun as a light to convey the hot summer of North Carolina, the film does have that similar, poetic quality of Malick's film but in a more rural, intimate setting. Orr's camera work brings out the desolate yet enchanting world of the American South that mixes its starkness and beauty. Helping Orr in the visual department is longtime Green collaborator, production designer Richard Wright along with art director Mike Chapman in choosing the locations and housing for the film where they create everything from the dirty corners filled with garbage to the broken homes that the kids live in where everything isn't clean. Even the clothing from costume designer Michael Tully also work in bringing the authenticity the look of the film.

Longtime editors Zene Baker and Steve Gonzales do great work in bringing out the elliptical approach of the film where though it seems slow in its 89-minute running time, it gives the film a nice momentum. Their use of dissolves, fade-out, and jump cuts brings style to the film as it help Green convey his unconventional style of directing. Finally, there's the music that features a quirky yet haunting score by the Dynamite Brothers team of Michael Linnen and David Wingo which features a lot of music of the South that isn't hip-hop but more acoustic, country-inspired drench atmosphere along with elements of ambient and melodic rock music. The score of the Dynamite Brothers brings out that true feel of the South that is a great alternative to that world of Crunk.

Finally, there's the film's superb ensemble cast that includes some fine, small performances from Janet Taylor, Jonathan Davidson, Alan Thompson, Scott Clackum, Beau Nix as Rico's father, Joyce Mahaffey as Tyler's mom, Derricka Rolle, Ebony Jones, and Christian Gustoitis. Longtime Green collaborator Paul Schneider does wonderful work as Rico, one of the few adult friends the kids have who they can talk to while bringing some encouragement to George. Eddie Rouse is also great as George's irksome uncle who might seem crazy and strict at first only to reveal why he's bothered by animals.

Now we come to the richer ensemble of the young children in the film. Rachel Handy is excellent as the lone white girl who has a fondness for theft while having troubles in dealing with the fact that she is somewhat emotionless. It's a fine performance for a young girl who is filled with confusion. Damien Jewan Lee is excellent as the tough-minded Vernon who is willing to do anything to protect his friends but once he is forced to deal with an incident, a sensitivity is shown as Lee possesses all of those complicated emotions into growing up. Curtis Cotton III is excellent as Buddy, a kid who strives to be cool and have all the things a kid could want while dealing with the heartbreak of his relationship with Nasia. Candace Evanofski is great as the mature and innocent Nasia who also brings a worldly view of things, especially in her rich narration that encompasses a young girl who sees things with an indifference while realizing that she's growing up. Finally, there's Donald Holden who is great as the awkward, strange George who isn't sure about anything only to realize what he wants to do while being a dreamer. It's great work from all of those kids who aren't professional actors as they all bring a natural, realistic quality into their performances.

When the film was released through several film festival circuits in 2000 including Atlanta and Toronto, the film was filled with a lot of buzz from those festivals. In Atlanta, the film won the top prize while critics were widely praising the film for its unique take on the South. One of those critics who would later champion the young David Gordon Green is famed Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert who praised the director for his vision. The film even caught the attention of the legendary but reclusive filmmaker Terrence Malick who would later take Green as his protegee. While the film also garnered a limited release in theaters, it helped create buzz for David Gordon Green as the film received nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards for its young ensemble cast and first-film nods for Green.

***Additional DVD Content & Conclusion Written on 9/18/10***

The 2002 Criterion Collection DVD presents the film with new digital transfer supervised by David Gordon Green that is enhanced for 16x9 televisions under the 2:35:1 aspect ratio for widescreen.  The transfer is truly gorgeous as it complements the dreamy cinematography of Tim Orr.  Included in the DVD is a full-length commentary track by Green, Orr, and actor Paul Schneider.  The commentary track has the men discuss some of the film’s technical aspects, the performances, and inspiration behind the film.  The most notable inspiration for the film is definitely the work of Terrence Malick.  Green admits to using the character of Nasia in the similar vein of the Linda Manz character in Days of Heaven.  Green also talks about The Thin Red Line where he and Orr sneaked to the premiere to see the film.  Green talks about Malick’s editing style which also served as an inspiration.

Green also talked about using non-actors instead of professional in order to get a natural feel.  While a lot of the performances were rehearsed and scripted, Green did allow actors to improvise naturally for a realistic feel.  Even as Schneider talks about the improvisation for a scene where he was looking for chili dogs in his pant suits which wasn’t scripted.  Orr mostly talks about the technical aspects of the photography and how he and Green wanted the film to look like something where it didn’t come from a certain period in film.  Even with the use of music.  The commentary overall is mostly loose with the Green, Orr, and Schneider talking to each other with Schneider providing some of the funnier moments as it is definitely a fun, insightful commentary to listen to.

An eight-minute deleted scene is presented with commentary by Green, Orr, and Schneider is about a town meeting discussing issues in the community that is led by Rico Rice with George at the meeting.  The commentary reveals that the scene was meant to increase George’s desire to be more heroic.  Yet, one of the reasons Green cut the scene due to some topical issues discussed in the scene.  Schneider talked about the fact that Donald Holden didn’t want to wear the wrestling uniform during the scene because his relatives were in that scene.  Schneider convinced him and they just did it before Schneider had to go back to his other job, where he worked.

The second big special feature is a 2001 video interview with the young cast in the film.  The 13-minute feature with the cast as all the actors talk about the film, working with David Gordon Green, and how they were different from their characters.  It’s an enjoyable piece where the actors seem relaxed in the interviews while reflecting on how great the film is and how it sort of changed them.  Even as it ends with Curtis Cotton III saying he’s better than Denzel Washington.  Along with the film’s theatrical trailer comes a big interview piece with David Gordon Green from the Charlie Rose show.

The 14-and-a-half minute interview has Green discussing about his background, the film, and his desire to make films.  Green talks about that he was the kid who was more into art films like Nicolas Roeg’s Walkabout rather than Star Wars.  A lot of the conversation features Green talking about his cast, the film, and future plans which included a romantic film, that would eventually become his second film All the Real Girls.  Also included in the DVD are two early short films Green made during his tenure at the North Carolina School of the Arts.  The first of which is Pleasant Grove.  The 15-minute short is really a precursor of sorts to George Washington in relation to the story about George and his dog.  The short features Paul Schneider and Eddie Rouse along with a commentary track by David Gordon Green, cinematographer Tim Orr, and actor Paul Schneider.

Green discusses about the short and how it would be the inspiration for George Washington while Tim talks about his own background despite the fact that he didn‘t shoot Pleasant Grove.  Even though the short is shot on video, it is a wonderful short that does set the stage for George Washington.  The second short Physical Pinball, that stars Eddie Rouse and Candace Evanofski, is about a father realizing that his tomboy daughter is becoming a girl.  Featuring cameos from Paul Schneider and Green cohort Ben Best.  It’s a wonderful coming-of-age short where a man tries to deal with his daughter becoming a girl.  Even in the awkwardness of buying tampons for her as there’s a sweetness to it along with a beautiful feel to the film’s grainy look.

The third and final short that appears in the DVD is a 1969 short called A Day with the Boys by Clu Gulager that features cinematography by Laszlo Kovacs.  The short tells the story about a group of boys playing throughout the day while they later invite a middle-aged man into playing with them where everything seems fine until something bad happens.  It’s a wonderful short featuring Kovacs’ lush cinematography as the short is said to be an inspiration to George Washington.  Green’s comments on the short has him saying it was the direction, compositions, and uses of freeze-frame editing that drew him and cinematographer Tim Orr to use these similar compositions for their film.

Also in the DVD is a booklet that features a statement by David Gordon Green about the film and its intentions.  Also in the booklet is an essay from the controversial film critic Armond White that explores a lot of the film’s themes, images, and beauty.  The Criterion DVD is truly one of the finest in its collection in displaying a formidable talent in David Gordon Green early in his career.

George Washington is a majestic film filled with wondrous images and profound themes on death and innocence.  Helmed by David Gordon Green’s superb vision along with an amazing ensemble cast.  It’s a film that truly recalls the beauty of the decaying South as well as the soul within a child.  Fans of Green work will no doubt cite this as is finest film to date as it would permeate to his other films in the years to come.  Yet, George Washington is truly one of the best debut films ever made from the always intriguing David Gordon Green.

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

© thevoid99 2010