The Lost Daughter

 

Based on the novel by Elena Ferrante, The Lost Daughter is the story of a woman vacationing in Greece is disrupted by the presence of a young mother forcing her to think about her own past. Written for the screen and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, the film is an exploration of a woman dealing with her own past but also being fascinated by this young mother who is struggling in the new world of motherhood. Starring Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Jessie Buckley, Peter Sarsgaard, Paul Mescal, Dagmara Dominczyk, Jack Farthing, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Ed Harris. The Lost Daughter is a riveting yet haunting film from Maggie Gyllenhaal.

The film is a simple story of a college professor traveling to Greece for a vacation where she observes a young mother dealing with her daughter who had lost her doll prompting this woman to think about her own past and struggles as a young mother back then. It’s a film that explores the idea of motherhood and how not everyone embraced it as a woman is forced to look back when she was a young woman to two little girls and watch this woman endure the same issues. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s screenplay is largely a straightforward yet reflective narrative where it follows Leda Caruso (Olivia Colman) who goes to Greece on a holiday from work as she rents a small apartment for the time as she watches many people including this young woman in Nina (Dakota Johnson) struggling to take care of her young daughter Elena (Athena Martin). Even as Elena is surrounded by a group of people including family as many of them are terrible and not really helping Nina with her struggles.

For Leda, she is forced think about her time as a young woman (Jessie Buckley) in taking care of her two daughters with her often-absent husband Joe (Jack Farthing). Gyllenhaal’s script often shows Leda in situations where she is just trying to keep things to herself but is often surrounded by people in Nina’s circle who are quite cruel including a pregnant woman in Callie (Dagmara Dominczyk) who wants Leda to move her chair away from her party but Leda politely refuses. Leda would often encounter people who are quite mean to her with the exception of Nina and the apartment caretaker Lyle (Ed Harris) as with the former often coming to her for advice. It would force Leda to think about her own young life and how being a mother to two young girls wasn’t just overwhelming but also suffocating at times as the older Leda often looks on with a sense of regret but also warning Nina that things are going to be much tougher.

Gyllenhaal’s direction is definitely mesmerizing in terms of the setting but also in the air of intimacy into the two stories of this one woman dealing with her role as a mother but also observing this young woman struggling. Shot on location in Spetses, Greece as the small town, beaches, and houses are characters in the film as this tranquil getaway for Leda and many others. Gyllenhaal does use some wide shots to get a scope into some of these locations but uses medium shots to play into the conversations within the characters as well as lots of close-ups to play into some of the anguish as well as young Leda’s own sexual desires that include a scene of her masturbating while wearing headphones to block out her screaming kids. Gyllenhaal plays into this idea of motherhood and it’s not for everyone where the young Leda is more concerned with her own desires and her work rather than be with her daughters who are both seeking her attention. The doll that belong to Elena that Leda realized was in her bag following a moment where Elena had been lost and Leda found her is a symbol of Leda needing to redeem herself but also look back at her own faults as a mother.

Gyllenhaal’s direction also play into Leda struggling to deal with some of the other vacationers though she befriends Nina, Lyle, and a young Irishman named Will (Paul Mescal) who works at the bar at the beach. Gyllenhaal often has the camera in these locations of where Leda walks onto a hill that leads to the beach but also these small locations in the town where she wants to enjoy herself despite some of the awful young locals and tourists who say horrible things to her. The third act does play into the events that Leda regretted in her past during a conversation with Nina as it flashes back to the young Leda going on a trip for a lecture where her own desires come into play among meeting a college professor named Hardy (Peter Sarsgaard). Gyllenhaal would also reveal this key moment that opens the film of Leda walking down the beach at night with a wound in her stomach as it is also a symbolic moment about the many struggles of motherhood and the sacrifices it took to accept this role. Overall, Gyllenhaal crafts an evocative yet chilling film about a middle-aged woman looking back at her faults as a mother years ago as she observes the struggles of a young mother during a vacation in Greece.

Cinematographer Helene Louvart does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night as well as for some of the exterior scenes in the daytime. Editor Affonso Goncalves does excellent work with the editing as it does have some stylish jump-cuts as well as some unique transitions into the flashbacks. Production designer Inbal Weinberg, with set decorator Christine Vlachos and art director Monica Sallustio, does brilliant work with the look of the apartment that Leda lives in as well as the home she had when she was younger and some of the places she go to in the town nearby. Costume designer Edward K. Gibbon does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely casual with a few of the stylish clothing and swimsuits that Nina wears.

Tattoo designer Panos Kondylis does nice work with some of the tattoos that Nina has as well as some of the people in her circle wear as it play into the idea of youth. Special effects supervisor Solon Giannoutos and visual effects supervisor Antonis Kotzias do terrific work with the special effects as it is largely minimal including a scene involving a young Leda and a doll and other bits of set dressing. Sound editor Leslie Shatz does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some of the sparse sounds heard in a location to give it that sense of realism. The film’s music by Dickon Hinchcliffe is wonderful for its mixture of blues and orchestral string music that play into the drama while the film soundtrack features original music by Greek artist Monika along with music from the Talking Heads, Bon Jovi, Judy Garland, and Roberta Flack.

The casting by Kahleen Crawford is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Alexandros Mylonas as an older professor that the young Leda meets in a flashback, Alba Rohrwacher and Nikos Poursanidis as a couple of hikers the young Leda, her daughters, and husband meet, Panos Koronis as a Greek man named Vassili who is one of the few in Nina’s circle that is kind to her, Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Nina’s husband Toni, Robyn Elwell and Ellie Blake in their respective roles as Leda’s daughters Bianca and Martha, Ellie James and Isabelle Della-Porta in their respective roles as the voices of the older versions of Bianca and Martha, Jack Farthing as the young Leda’s husband Joe who is trying to do his job as well as be a good father, and Athena Martin in a wonderful performance as Nina’s young daughter Elena. Peter Sarsgaard is superb in a small role as college professor named Hardy whom the young Leda has an affair with during her seminar trip over translations she had created.

Dagmara Dominczyk is fantastic as Callie as a pregnant American tourist who is part of Nina’s circle as she is quite cruel while often being bossy while her kindness never feels sincere as she is someone who thinks knows everything and makes Nina insecure. Paul Mescal is excellent as the bartender Will who works at a beachside bar whom Leda befriends as he helps her out with the locales on the island but also observes the people who frequent though he also takes an interest in Nina. Ed Harris is brilliant as Lyle as apartment’s caretaker as a man that Leda befriends where he spent much of his time in this small town knowing a lot of the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes along while sharing his own stories of struggle with Leda but in a different way. Dakota Johnson is amazing as Nina as a young woman who is struggling with taking care of her young daughter while feeling her marriage is crumbling prompting her to find her own desires as she is being suffocated by people in her circle where she turns to Leda for help.

Finally, there’s the duo of Jessie Buckley and Olivia Colman in tremendous performances in their respective roles as the younger and older version of Leda Caruso. Buckley’s performance showcases a woman that isn’t just struggling with taking care of two young girls but also someone who is just feeling suffocated in the role as she has her own desires. Even though she has rare moments where she shows affection and time towards her daughters as it only play into a woman that knows what she has to do but is overwhelmed by having to be a mother. Colman’s performance is more reserved as the older Leda with the exception of a scene where she is antagonized by a bunch of young asshole men at a movie theater and threatens them. Still, Colman has a performance that showcases a woman with a sense of regret but also harboring the pain that she had as a young woman as it is definitely one of Colman’s great performances who also can sing as she sings along to Bon Jovi.

The Lost Daughter is a phenomenal film from Maggie Gyllenhaal as it features great performances from Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, and Dakota Johnson. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, a somber music soundtrack, and its exploration of the themes of motherhood and its many struggles. The film is a fascinating thematic study that explore a woman looking back about her time as a young mother as well as watch a young mother dealing with similar struggles including unhappiness. In the end, The Lost Daughter is a sensational film from Maggie Gyllenhaal.

© thevoid99 2022

The Batman (2022 film)

 

Based on the DC comic series, The Batman is the story about the titular caped crusader in his second year as a vigilante where he deals with corruption within Gotham as it relates to his own family as well as a series of murders by a serial killer known as the Riddler. Directed by Matt Reeves and screenplay by Matt Reeves and Peter Craig, the film is a different take on the Batman/Bruce Wayne story as the character deals with not just trauma in his past but also pondering questions on whether his role as the Batman has made a difference with Robert Pattinson playing the role of Wayne and the Batman. Also starring Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot/Penguin. The Batman is a riveting and evocative film from Matt Reeves.

Two years into his life as a masked vigilante, Bruce Wayne/the Batman investigates a series of murders involving corrupt police and political officials in Gotham City as it play into so much more including involvement from his own family. It’s a film that follows this young man who is hoping to clean up Gotham from the shadows but the recent murder of a mayor during an election year and other revelations over corruption as it relates to events some decades ago forces Wayne to deal with this mysterious figure who is killing all of these people. The film’s screenplay by Matt Reeves and Peter Craig is straightforward in its narrative yet it does follow a lot of tropes relating to film noir as well as crime films as it acts more of a police investigation mystery-suspense film rather than a conventional superhero film.

Bruce Wayne isn’t this superhero who can use gadgets and such to deal with the chaos within Gotham but rather a young man still haunted by the death of his parents and feels like he owes his family something to ensure that their name can bring hope. Unfortunately in this mayoral election year in Gotham, things are still bad where a crime family still operates and pay off many top officials in the police and government to ensure their place in Gotham. The murder of Mayor Don Mitchell Jr. (Rupert Penry-Jones) raises an awareness into what is happening as many are not fond of the Batman with the exception of Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) who is one of the few police officials that is incorruptible. Wayne and Gordon would watch the elite become targets of this mysterious serial killer known as the Riddler (Paul Dano) who often leaves clues for the Batman to decipher as Wayne would get help from his longtime butler/mentor Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis) whom they have a testy relationship as Pennyworth wants Wayne to be more involved in his family’s legacy of philanthropy.

Upon some discovery into Mitchell’s involvement with the crime boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and his lieutenant Oswald Cobblepot/the Penguin, Wayne befriends a young waitress at Falcone’s club in Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz) who had a friend that was pictured with Mitchell as she had gone missing where a lot of things get leaked leading to more chaos in Gotham. It would force Wayne, Kyle, and Gordon to be among the few who would have to take charge though Kyle’s motivations would lead to vengeance as well as revelations about herself that add to her thirst for vengeance. The antagonists in Falcone and Penguin are interesting in their dealings with the latter being someone who is smarter than people give him credit for as he does reveal some key information as it relates to what happened years ago as he knows the Riddler is going to ruin everything. Even as Wayne is forced to confront some things about his own family where he realizes that people make mistakes but it’s about how fix those mistakes.

Matt Reeves’ direction is definitely sprawling in terms of the way Gotham is presented as it is shot on various locations in London and Liverpool with additional shots in Chicago, Glasgow, and Hertfordshire including studios sets at Leavesden. Reeves’ approach to the film definitely has a sense of physicality in not just some of the action scenes in which Batman combats criminals but also in a world that is grimy as it rains quite often as there are also many areas to Gotham. The usage of wide and medium shots add to the major scale from the look of the club and the underground club within that Falcone is seen at as well as the way some of the shots at the buildings are presented with all of those gorgeous skylines. Still, Reeves grounds the film with its emphasis on physicality in these locations but also maintain this slow-burn of the Batman uncovering each clue with Alfred and Gordon helping him out in solving these riddles that the Riddler is leaving. Some of which are deadly including one clue attached to a corrupt district attorney in Gil Colson (Peter Sarsgaard) who has a bomb wrapped around his neck as it all play into the Riddler’s game.

Reeves maintains this tense atmosphere in the film as it play into a world that is starting to unravel with the second act being about Wayne not just being a target for the Riddler but also playing to the revelations about why his parents got killed. Even as Kyle reveals that the people that the Riddler are targeting all have took advantage of the ideas that Wayne’s father was trying to do for the city and felt that Thomas Wayne ended up being no different than those the Riddler is targeting. The third act is about the Batman confronting Falcone in the hope he can stop the Riddler yet there are more complications forcing the Batman to meet the Riddler as there is a horror element to this meeting that is followed by something much bigger where it is all about Gotham. The climax involves a massive set piece where there is a lot happening yet it is all about the Batman just trying to save the people of Gotham and give them hope. Overall, Reeves crafts a visceral and gripping film about a masked vigilante dealing with a mysterious serial killer who hopes to expose and destroy Gotham.

Cinematographer Greig Fraser is incredible as its usage of low-level lights for much of the interiors and the exterior scenes at night as it adds to the film’s grimy visuals as well as some of the daytime scenes with its emphasis on natural lighting for a few of its interior scenes. Editors William Hoy and Tyler Nelson do amazing work with the editing as it has some stylish cuts to play into the action while allowing shots to linger for more than 10-15 seconds including a car chase scene and in some of the other action sequences including its climax. Production designer James Chinlund, with set decorator Laura Ng and supervising art director Grant Armstrong, does brilliant work with the look of the nightclub that Falcone and Penguin run as well as the Wayne tower where Wayne lives and some of the interiors in some of the places at Gotham. Costume designers Jacqueline Durran, David Crossman, and Glyn Dillon do excellent work with the costumes with Durran doing much of the design for all of the characters including Kyle’s leather clothing while Crossman and Dillon do the design of the Batsuit that Wayne wears as the Batman.

Makeup designer Naomi Donne and prosthetics makeup supervisor Tristan Verslius do fantastic work with the look of the Penguin as someone does look a bit rough but not in what is expected from the character while also adding some unique look to the wigs that Kyle wears to work. Special effects supervisor Dominic Tuohy and visual effects supervisor Dan Lemmon do phenomenal work with the special and visual effects from the way some of the action set pieces are created including the chase scene and the film’s climax as well as a few set-dressing bits in some scenes including a scene of the Batman flying off a building. Sound designers Lee Gilmore, Craig Henighan, and Chris Terhune, along with sound editor Douglas Murray, do superb work with the sound in the way some of the gadgets sound as well as the way music sound inside a nightclub and the atmosphere some of the action and suspense are presented.

The film’s music by Michael Giacchino is sensational for its orchestral score that include some incredible themes and other pieces of music that play into the drama, action, and suspense as it is a major highlight of the film while music supervisor George Drakoulias cultivates a soundtrack that feature elements of electronic music at the club scene including some classical music for some bits in the film and an effective usage of Nirvana’s Something in the Way to play into the sense of loss and confusion that Wayne goes through.

The casting by Lucy Bevan and Cindy Tolan is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Luke Roberts and Stella Stocker in their respective roles as Bruce’s parents in Thomas and Martha Wayne, Charlie and Max Carver as twin bouncers at Falcone’s club, Hana Hrzic as Kyle’s European roommate Annika who is also Mayor Mitchell’s mistress, Con O’Neill as Gotham’s police chief, Alex Ferns as the police commissioner who is one of the Riddler’s targets, Oscar Novak as a young Bruce Wayne, Peter McDonald as a corrupt police officer in Kenzie who is seen often at Falcone’s club, Gil-Perez Abraham as the Gotham police officer Martinez who at first is distrustful of the Batman until he says something to him in the third act leading a major discovery for both of them, Rupert Penry-Jones as Gotham’s mayor in Don Mitchell Jr., Kosha Engler as Mitchell’s wife, Archie Barnes as Mitchell’s son, Sandra Dickinson as Wayne’s maid Dory, and Jayme Lawson as the mayoral candidate Bella Real who is hoping to clean Gotham as she wants Wayne to be involved more in helping Gotham.

Peter Sarsgaard is superb in his small role as Gotham’s district attorney Gil Colson as a sleazy man whom Kyle sees at a club as he knows something that would get many in trouble as he becomes a major target for the Riddler. Andy Serkis is fantastic as Wayne’s butler Alfred Pennyworth as someone who aids Wayne at the Wayne Tower though he feels that Wayne needs to focus more on the family’s businesses and charities while also providing Wayne some insight about the family and mistakes they made. John Turturro is excellent as Carmine Falcone as a crime boss who runs a mob family as he is a devious man who also brings a sense of unease to Kyle as he is also someone that seems to know a lot more than what everyone knows. Colin Farrell is brilliant as Oswald Cobblepot/the Penguin as Falcone’s lieutenant who helps run the business as he is also eager to do his own thing where he is confronted by the Batman believing that he’s an informant only to reveal things that are far more complicated. Jeffrey Wright is amazing as Lt. James Gordon as a police official who is one of the few that the Batman trusts as he is aware that something isn’t right while also deciphering some of the Riddler’s clues.

Zoe Kravitz is incredible as Selina Kyle as a waitress at a club who knows Falcone but is also a cat burglar with her own set of skills where she helps out the Batman while also having her own motives for vengeance as it relates to Falcone as it is definitely a mesmerizing performance from Kravitz. Paul Dano is phenomenal as the Riddler where is largely seen in a mask and some body suit as he does a lot of his riddles through videos via social media as it is a chilling and terrifying performance that really adds some unexpected layers to the famed villain as Dano brought something new as well as make him a formidable foe for the Batman. Finally, there’s Robert Pattinson in a tremendous performance as Bruce Wayne and the titular role as this brooding and troubled man who is among the elite of the Gotham upper class yet is more concerned with trying to save Gotham as a vigilante where he deals with not just the Riddler but also himself and his family’s past where Pattinson brings some restraint but also a physicality that makes him a joy to watch as it is a career-defining performance from Pattinson.

The Batman is a spectacular film from Matt Reeves that features a great leading performance from Robert Pattinson as well as top-notch supporting performances from Zoe Kravitz and Paul Dano. Along with its ensemble cast, stylish visuals, intense action set pieces, emphasis on suspense and character study, eerie sound work, and a sensational music soundtrack. The film isn’t just a superhero film but so much more as it is an exploration of a man dealing with his own grief but also the need to save his city from corruption and terror. In the end, The Batman is a phenomenal film from Matt Reeves.

Matt Reeves Films: (The Pallbearer) – (Cloverfield) – (Let Me In) – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - War for the Planet of the Apes

Batman Films: (Batman (1966 film)) – Batman (1989 film) - Batman Returns - Batman Forever - Batman & Robin - Batman Begins - The Dark Knight - The Dark Knight Rises - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - The Lego Batman Movie

© thevoid99 2022

Night Moves (2013 film)

 

Directed and edited by Kelly Reichardt and written by Reichardt and Jonathan Raymond, Night Moves is the story of two radical environmentalists and a former marine who plan to blow up a dam as they deal with their planning as well as what would happen afterwards. The film is an exploration of political and social actions involving three people who believe in something as they later question what they’re doing as well as its aftermath. Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning, Alia Shawkat, Katherine Waterston, Logan Miller, Kai Lennox, James LeGros, and Peter Saarsgard. Night Moves is a haunting and evocative film from Kelly Reichardt.

The film plays into two young environmentalists who are both radicalized by the movement as they turn to a former marine in creating a bomb to blow up a dam near a river in Oregon. Yet, it is the aftermath of the event that would trouble them as it play into the fallacies of not just the radicalism but also revelations about what happened. The film’s screenplay by Kelly Reichardt and Jonathan Raymond essentially has a two-act structure where the first half is about the planning and the event that lead to blowing up this dam while its second half is about the troubling aftermath. Yet, the script does explore these two young people who feel like the world is in trouble and believe that this act in blowing up a dam will be good for the environmental cause as they turn this former marine who also has a record as he knows what to do. While the character of Harmon (Peter Sarsgaard) doesn’t entirely agree with their views, he does believe that both Josh (Jesse Eisenberg) and Dena (Dakota Fanning) have a point about the ways of the world which is why he helps them.

It’s the film’s second half that really play into this aftermath where something did go wrong as it relates to what happened and the fact that someone was at the dam when it blew up. Harmon tells both Josh and Dena that they should keep their mouths shut and not contact each other or say anything. Yet, things do go wrong with Dena becoming uneasy and Josh convinced Dena is going to say something. It adds to this struggle as well as the fact that Josh’s own livelihood is at risk since he works and live at a farm while Dena works at a spa. The narrative focuses more on Josh’s paranoia and Dena’s growing guilt as it relates to the second half of the film.

Reichardt’s direction is entrancing for much of the imagery that she creates as well as this air of realism that occurs into the world of radicalism. Shot on location at southern Oregon with the actual dam in the Galesville Reservoir at the Klamath Mountains, the film does play into a world that is bit disconnected from the world of the cities where Josh works in this farm that is bit of a community of its own with Dena working at a spa yet is someone that supposedly comes from a rich family. Much of Reichardt’s compositions are straightforward as it play into the planning of the first half of the film with its usage of medium shots and close-up to play into the characters interacting or dealing with some kind of crisis. There are some wide shots to establish some of the locations yet Reichardt prefers to focus on the characters as she play into the preparedness of their plan and how they try to isolate themselves and not look suspicious. The scene of planting the bomb is also tense in the three trying not to be seen as there’s a wide shot of a car stopping near the dam.

Also serving as the film’s editor, Reichardt doesn’t aim for style but does maintain a slow rhythm to play up the suspense without making it noticeable in order to get a reaction from a characters. Notably in its second half where it’s all about the drama and the aftermath of this bombing where something bad did happen as much of the film focuses on Josh who also believes that some of his fellow farmers might know what he has done. Reichardt’s compositions add to the sense of paranoia but also chooses to create scenes where audiences can get an idea of what is happening but not show anything. Notably in its climax that is followed by an aftermath that plays into uncertainty for a key character in the film but also a decision that forces that person to start a new life or continue to move without any direction. Overall, Reichardt crafts a mesmerizing and eerie film about two radical environmentalists and a former marine bombing a dam and then deal with its troubling aftermath.

Cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key yet natural lighting, usage of available light for the scenes at night, and other lighting schemes to maintain air of realism into the look of the film. Production designer Elliott Hostetter, with set decorator Virginia Yount and art director Almitra Corey, does excellent work with the look of the boat that Dena and Josh bought as well as the house Josh lives in and the spa that Dena works at. Costume designer Vicki Farrell is terrific for the casual look of the characters that include winter hats, flannel, and jeans to play into the world they live in.

Sound editor Julia Shirar and sound designer Kent Sparling do amazing work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as how the characters sound from afar as well as some of the sparse aspects of the sound on a certain location. The film’s music by Jeff Grace is wonderful for its mixture of ambient, folk, and country that play into its suspense and its setting while music supervisors Lyle Hysen and Chris Swanson provide a soundtrack that features a mixture of folk, country, ambient, and indie rock from A Place to Bury Strangers, Coliseum, Sun Rai, and Bear in Heaven.

The casting by Mark Bennett and Laura Rosenthal is superb as it feature some notable small roles from James LeGros as a feed farm factory clerk, Kai Lennox as a hiking camper that annoys Harmon, Dena, and Josh, Katherine Waterston and Barry Del Sherman as the farm owners that Josh works for, Logan Miller as a young farmer who often says dumb things, and Alia Shawkat as a farmer named Surprise that Josh is friends with. The trio of Peter Sarsgaard, Dakota Fanning, and Jesse Eisenberg are incredible in their respective roles as Harmon, Dena, and Josh as they all maintain a low-key and reserved performances in their respective roles. Sarsgaard adds a weariness and gravitas to his role as a man that knows what to do but is also someone who is aware of the stakes. Fanning’s performance has this air of urgency as someone who is determined to do this mission but starts to unravel following the aftermath as she becomes consumed with guilt. Eisenberg’s performance is one of restraint as someone that is determined to do the deed but becomes paranoid following its aftermath as well as being unsure of what to do as he too is consumed with guilt.

Night Moves is a phenomenal film from Kelly Reichardt featuring great performances from Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning, and Peter Sarsgaard. Along with its ensemble supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, and its restrained yet eerie tone, the film is a compelling look into a couple of young people who team with a former military officer in creating an act of radical terrorism only to deal with the troubling aftermath and the realities of their ideals. In the end, Night Moves is a sensational film from Kelly Reichardt.

Kelly Reichardt Films: River of Grass - Old Joy - Wendy & Lucy - Meek's Cutoff - Certain Women - First Cow – Showing Up - The Auteurs #72: Kelly Reichardt

© thevoid99 2021

Pawn Sacrifice

Directed by Edward Zwick and screenplay by Steven Knight from a story by Knight, Stephen J. Revele, and Christopher Wilkinson, Pawn Sacrifice is the story about the legendary 1972 chess match between the American chess champion Bobby Fischer against the Soviet Union’s Boris Spassky at Reykjavik, Iceland. The film is a dramatic account of the match as well as a look into the early life of Bobby Fischer who was considered a prodigy as he’s played by Tobey Maguire with Liev Schreiber as Spassky. Also starring Lily Rabe, Michael Stuhlbarg, Robin Weigert, and Peter Sarsgaard. Pawn Sacrifice is a compelling and haunting film from Edward Zwick.

The film follows the life of American chess champion Bobby Fischer as he is to face the Soviet Union’s grandmaster Boris Spassky in a game to determine who the world’s best in the game of chess is. Steven Knight’s screenplay doesn’t just follow Fischer’s early life as a young boy obsessed with the game to the point that he would be the youngest grandmaster in American chess but also considered the most gifted player of his generation. Yet, Fischer’s obsession would also lead to his own mental deterioration as much of the film’s narrative takes place during the 1960s to the climatic 1972 world championship match against Spassky in Reykjavik, Iceland. During the course of the film, Fischer would call in former chess champion in Father William Lombardy (Peter Sarsgaard) to accompany him as his second and an attorney in Paul Marshall (Michael Stuhlbarg) to handle his business dealings as well as Fischer’s demands.

While Fischer would play several of the Soviet’s top chess grandmasters, he wants to face Spassky as his attempt to confront him during the Soviets’ visit to Santa Monica falters due to his paranoia as would another attempt at match in Europe. Upon choosing Iceland, Fischer almost never shows up because of the press coverage and he becomes more unhinged during the first game due to the sounds of the camera and the sound of a crowd watching the game. The script showcases that sense of paranoia where Fischer’s older sister Joan (Lily Rabe) tells Marshall to have her brother be sent to a hospital for evaluation where he’s already gaining delusions of grandeur and claims that the Soviets and the Jews are after him which baffles Marshall who knows that Fischer is Jewish. The script does have some faults as it relates to its sense of time with the exception of the second half as it relates to the match in Iceland though there are some historical errors in which Marshall claims to represent Jimi Hendrix only two years before Hendrix had even released an album.

Edward Zwick’s direction does have bits of style in terms of the way he would present television coverage of the Fischer-Spassky match yet would maintain something very straightforward for the rest of the film. Shot mainly in Montreal for the scenes set in Brooklyn, New York and other parts of the city with the scenes of the Fischer-Spassky match shot on actual location in Reykjavik, Iceland and scenes shot in Los Angeles. Zwick would capture a period in time where so much is happening yet Fischer lives in a world that is simpler away from Vietnam, Flower Power, and popular music as he is also more concerned with playing chess in the park or at chess clubs with other chess players. Much of the direction has Zwick favor more intimate shots in the close-ups and medium shots as it play into Fischer’s growing sense of paranoia while there are some wide shots of some of the locations.

The usage of TV footage of various interviews that Fischer gave during the height of his fame is sort of re-created to showcase the sense of enjoyment he has but also his growing disconnect with reality. Even in the climatic series of chess matches against Spassky where it’s got an intimacy in the direction and compositions as it play into Fischer’s own sense of paranoia and the need to get into Spassky’s head. Overall, Zwick crafts a compelling and fascinating film about the real-life chess match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky and the events that lead to this event.

Cinematographer Bradford Young does brilliant work with the cinematography in the look of the exteriors with its usage of low-key blue and green for the scenes in day and night as well as the usage of low-key colors for the interior scenes. Editor Steven Rosenblum does excellent work with the editing as it has some stylish montages into Fischer’s ascent into the world of chess as well as some rhythmic cuts to play into the methodical approach of the chess players in their movements on the board. Production designer Isabelle Guay, with head set decorator Paul Hotte plus art directors Jean-Pierre Paquet and Robert Parle, does amazing work with the sets from the motel in Santa Monica where Fischer and his small entourage live in to the Brooklyn apartment that is his home as well as the house he would live in Reykjavik. Costume designer Renee April does fantastic work with the costumes as it is mainly straightforward in contrast to the period that the characters are in as they mainly wear suits with the exception of Father Lombardy and some of the female characters in the film.

Visual effects supervisor Alan Munro does terrific work with the look of the old TV footage and how the actors are integrated into the old footage as well as some set-dressing for some of the locations. Sound designer Lon Bender does superb work with the sound as it play into the sense of paranoia in Fischer over the things he claims to hear as well as the atmosphere of some of the places that he plays at. The film’s music by James Newton Howard is wonderful as it is this low-key orchestral score that play into the drama as well as some of the suspense as it relates to Fischer’s paranoia while music supervisor Steven Rosenblum provide a soundtrack that play into the time period with contributions from the Spencer Davis Group, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, Carl Perkins, the Ventures, Al Green, and the Doobie Brothers.

The casting by Andrea Kenyon, Victoria Thomas, and Randi Wells is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Evelyne Brochu as a young woman that Fischer meets and befriends at Santa Monica, Conrad Pla as Fischer’s chess teacher Carmine Nigro, Sophie Nelisse as the young Joan Fischer, Aiden Lovekamp as the young Fischer, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick as the teenage Fischer, Brett Watson as the chief arbiter Lothar Schmid for the Fischer-Spassky match, and Robin Weigart as Fischer’s mother Regina who is estranged from her son due to her Socialist views as she wants to be there for him but finds herself continuously pushed away. Lily Rabe is fantastic as Fischer’s sister Joan as a woman who is concerned about her brother’s mental health as she is aware of the things he says where she knows he’s losing it. Michael Stuhlbarg is excellent as Paul Marshall as an attorney who would become Fischer’s agent in ensuring that Fischer gets paid and be given certain demands as he also deals with Fischer’s erratic behavior.

Peter Sarsgaard is brilliant as Father William Lombardy as a former chess champion turned priest who becomes Fischer’s second and closest ally who also watches what is happening to Fischer as he is aware of the mad obsession Fischer has for the game. Liev Schreiber is amazing as Boris Spassky as the Soviet grandmaster who is the epitome of cool as someone that is good at chess while knowing what Fischer is trying to do where he also succumbs to his own bit of paranoia. Finally, there’s Tobey Maguire in a phenomenal performance as Bobby Fischer as the famed chess prodigy who was considered the greatest chess player in the United States as he wants to defeat Spassky in the hope he can be the best while succumbing to his own paranoia and delusions that would lead to his mental deterioration where Maguire displays that anguish and despair in that man.

Pawn Sacrifice is a marvelous film from Edward Zwick that features a great performance from Tobey Maguire. Along with its supporting cast and a look into the events that lead to the legendary chess match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. It’s a film that showcases a man and his obsession to be the best that would eventually cost him his mind. In the end, Pawn Sacrifice is a remarkable film from Edward Zwick.

Edward Zwick Films: (About Last Night) – (Glory (1989 film)) – (Leaving Normal) – (Legends of the Fall) – (Courage Under Fire) – (The Siege) – (The Last Samurai) – (Blood Diamond) – (Defiance (2008 film)) – (Love & Other Drugs) – (Jack Reacher: Never Go Back)

© thevoid99 2017

Jackie (2016 film)

Directed by Pablo Larrain and written by Noah Oppenheim, Jackie is the story about Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis who deals with the death of her husband John F. Kennedy and the plans for his funeral while looking back at her time when she was the First Lady of the United States. The film is an unconventional bio-pic of sorts as it follows Onassis’ time as the First Lady and dealing with the shocking death of her husband as Natalie Portman plays Jacqueline Kennedy. Also starring Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, John Carroll Lynch, Richard E. Grant, Beth Grant, and John Hurt. Jackie is an evocative and rapturous film from Pablo Larrain.

The film revolves around Jacqueline Kennedy’s days following the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy on November 22, 1963 as she plans for the funeral and such while talking to a journalist (Billy Crudup) less than a month later after the funeral. Told in a non-linear narrative, Noah Oppenheim’s script follows Jackie as she talks about her time in the White House with brief glimpses of life as the First Lady as well as the events of the assassination and its aftermath. The interview with the un-named journalist, which is based partially on Theodore H. White’s article for Life magazine, has Kennedy talking about her work as First Lady that included restoring rooms at the White House that was filmed for a TV program. Yet, the bulk of the narrative has Jackie talking about the funeral procession and planning for her husband as she looks to historical events of the past for inspiration while dealing with the loss she’s carrying.

Pablo Larrain’s direction is stylish for the way it captures a period in time as it has a looseness in its approach to compositions and how it captures history. With many of the interiors shot in a studio in Paris, France with the funeral procession shot on location in Washington D.C., Larrain would aim for something simpler as he doesn’t go for a lot of wide shots with the exception of the funeral scenes. Much of his compositions aim for close-ups and medium shots while the film is shot largely on a 1:66:1 aspect ratio with the exception of Jackie’s TV special where she gives a tour of the White House which is shot in the 1:33:1 aspect ratio and in grainy black-and-white. Larrain’s approach to those scenes have him recreate the idea of what 1960s TV looked like with shots of Jackie being filmed by a crew as there is a tracking shot following her every move until it cuts to her in black-and-white. It’s among some of the stylistic choices in the film while there is also the scenes of the day of the assassination where Larrain shoots a medium shot of Jackie getting ready for the motorcade while there is a lot happening in the background.

Larrain’s direction also captures the events of the assassination and the bloody aftermath that is inter-cut with Jackie talking to the journalist about what she remembers and telling him what not to print. Even as Larrain would film scenes of Jackie’s meeting with a priest (John Hurt) where she deals with mortality and wonders why her husband had to die as it is among one of the finest sequences on film. There are also these intimate moments involving Jackie’s relationship with her brother-in-law Bobby (Peter Sarsgaard) and her personal secretary Nancy Tuckerman (Great Gerwig) that helps humanize Jackie who is coping with her grief as well as wanting to honor her husband in a way that leaders with big ideas would be honored. The film would culminate the funeral procession as it is a moment where all of the grief and trauma that Jackie faced. She maintains the sense of dignity that is needed in the role of First Lady. Overall, Larrain creates an intoxicating and riveting film about Jacqueline Kennedy’s time following the assassination of her husband.

Cinematographer Stephane Fontaine does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of naturalistic colors and lighting to play into many of the exteriors in the day along with some low-key lighting for some of the interiors as well as scenes set at night. Editor Sebastian Sepulveda does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and other stylized cuts to play into the film’s non-linear narrative and Jackie’s own reflection of the events. Production designer Jean Rabasse, with set decorator Veronique Melery plus art directors Halina Gebarowicz, Mathieu Junot, and Emmanuel Prevot, does amazing work with recreation of the interiors of the White House including some of the famous bedrooms and the exterior sets of where Kennedy was to be buried. Costume designer Madeline Fontaine does amazing work with the costumes from the famed pink coat and hat Jackie wore on the day of the assassination to some of the gowns and such she would wear at various events of the past.

Makeup designers Sarai Fiszel and Odile Fourquin, with key hairstylists Janice Kinigopoulos and Catherine Leblanc, do fantastic work with the look of the hairstyles that the women had including Jackie’s hairstyle. Visual effects supervisors Thomas Duval, Sebastian Rame, and Tomas Roca do terrific work with some of the visual effects as it is mainly set-dressing with some recreation of the funeral procession and the way Jackie’s TV special is presented in its grainy footage. Sound designer David Miranda does superb work with the sound in the way some of the quieter moments at the White House are presented to scenes at Arlington and Jackie’s meeting with the priest where it has a natural atmosphere in the sound. The film’s music by Mica Levi is phenomenal for its orchestral score with its eerie usage of string arrangements and low-key textures to play into the drama while music supervisor Bridget Samuels provides a soundtrack that consists of a few classical pieces and a cut from the musical Camelot which Jackie plays on a record player.

The casting by Lindsay Graham, Jessica Kelly, Mathilde Snodgrass, and Mary Vernieu is remarkable as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Sunnie Pelant as Caroline Kennedy, Brody and Aiden Weinberg as John F. Kennedy Jr., Julie Judd as Bobby’s wife Ethel, and Caspar Phillipson as President John F. Kennedy. John Carroll Lynch is terrific as Lyndon Johnson who would become the new President of the United States of America as he tries to give Jackie advice about the funeral while Beth Grant is wonderful as Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson who also wants to help as she also prepares for her new role as First Lady. Max Casella is superb as Jack Valienti who was Johnson’s assistant at the time where he also tries to organize the funeral service while Richard E. Grant is fantastic as William Walton who is Jackie’s collaborator in the White House restoration project as he helps her in the historical research for what she wanted for her husband’s funeral procession.

In one of his final film performances, John Hurt is excellent as the priest who meets Jackie to discuss faith as well as giving his views of what happened where it is this very restrained yet calm performance as it is one of Hurt’s finest performances. Billy Crudup is brilliant as the journalist who interviews Jackie at her home in Massachusetts as he tries to understand some of the answers Jackie is giving him as well as what he should tell the press. Greta Gerwig is amazing as Nancy Tuckerman as Jackie’s personal secretary who is Jackie’s director during the TV special for the White House restoration while also being a close confidant in being someone to talk to as it’s an understated yet touching performance from Gerwig. Peter Sarsgaard is marvelous as Bobby Kennedy as the then-Attorney General and Jackie’s brother-in-law who is trying to help Jackie with the funeral arrangements as well as doing his job and shielding her from any news that could upset her.

Finally, there’s Natalie Portman in what is definitely a performance for the ages as Jacqueline Kennedy. It’s a performance that is this fine mixture of radiance, restraint, anguish, and grace where Portman definitely disappears into the character where she captures many of the nuances and attributes of Jackie without deviating into an impersonation. Instead, Portman provides that air of dignity in Jackie in the way she copes with grief and the trauma of seeing her husband killed in front of her as well as the way she tries to maintain this role of regality that is needed in being a First Lady where it is definitely Portman in a career-defining performance.

Jackie is a tremendous film from Pablo Larrain that features an outstanding leading performance from Natalie Portman in the titular role. Along with its great supporting cast, inventive script by Noah Oppenheim, gorgeous visuals, top-notch technical work, and Mica Levi’s ravishing score. It’s a film that doesn’t play by the rules of a bio-pic by focusing on a specific time in the life of one of the great First Ladies in American history as she is aware of role in American history and how she tries to maintain that sense of dignity for herself and her husband. In the end, Jackie is a magnificent film from Pablo Larrain.

Pablo Larrain Films: (Fuga) – (Tony Manero) – (Post Mortem) – No (2012 film) - (The Club (2015 film)) – (Neruda)

© thevoid99 2017

K-19: The Widowmaker

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and screenplay by Christopher Kyle from a story by Louis Nowra, K-19: The Widowmaker is the story of a Soviet nuclear submarine crew dealing with reactor leak in the sub as a captain and officer try to deal with the situation and each other. Based on a real-life incident set in 1961 during the Cold War, the film is an exploration into the inner-politics between two officers and how they try to defuse an incident that would nearly spark World War III. Starring Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson, and Peter Sarsgaard. K-19: The Widowmaker is an engaging film from Kathryn Bigelow.

The film is a simple story about a Soviet submarine crew in 1961 during the Cold War as it revolves around a new nuclear submarine where its crew and captain are under the command of a new captain who is trying to fulfill the duties of the state as he puts himself and crew at great risk during a test run. When its nuclear reactor starts to leak and radiation emerging into the submarine, two captains begin to figure out what to do as tension emerges between the two captains as well as its crew. It’s not just a film about the submarine crew trying to defuse a situation that spark World War III but also the idea of duty as Captain Alexei Vostrikov (Harrison Ford) and Captain Mikhail “Misha” Polenin (Liam Neeson) try to find a balance over who they should be loyal to.

Christopher Kyle’s screenplay, with additional work from Tom Stoppard, does have a traditional structure as well as a study into the personalities of the two captains. Polenin treats his crew as if they’re his children and always help them in whatever as he will make sure they get the job done. Vostrikov is a more by-the-books individual who uses his rank to maintain control as he holds drills to see if the crew meets his expectations. This would add tension between Vostrikov and his crew who are loyal to Polenin as things get more complicated when the original doctor is killed as he’s replaced by a base doctor who knows nothing about radiation sickness. Another troubling circumstance is the addition of a new nuclear reactor officer in Lt. Vadim Radtchenko (Peter Sarsgaard) who had just graduated from the academy.

The mission was supposed to be a test run which was successful but Vostrikov’s ideas to test the submarine would have some serious repercussions when the radiator leaks. This would cause Vostrikov to be lost as two of Polenin’s officers plot a mutiny in order to get Polenin in control which would add to the drama of the film. Yet, it would create some major complications as it’s clear that Polenin isn’t just the film’s conscience but also a man who knows the importance of duty no how much he disagrees with Vostrikov. Especially since Vostrikov is under a lot of pressure from his superiors to deliver as he was given little time to get the ship ready as he tries to gain the trust of his crew.

Kathryn Bigelow’s direction doesn’t really do anything new as far as what’s been expected in a film set mostly in a submarine. Yet, she does manage to infuse a lot of style into the claustrophobic setting of the submarine which is still very engaging as it’s often cramped and there’s a lot that goes on. Bigelow’s use of tracking shots, hand-held cameras, and steadicams to capture the movements of a submarine as well as the sense of chaos showcase the pressure that isn’t just mounting on Captain Vostrikov but also his entire crew. Even as there’s a nuclear reactor in that submarine as it’s the most fragile thing on the submarine where Bigelow reveals how it would leak through some visual effects as it’s one of the few sequences that requires visual effects along with some scenes in the submarine. A lot of these moments not only showcase the submarine as a character in the film but a very fragile character that is being pushed too the limits as it serves a symbol of world that is in the cusp of complete terror.

Bigelow also knows when to give the suspense and drama a bit of a break for a scene where the crew play football outside of the sub and on an ice block along with a scene where the sub is stopped as they’re seen by an American helicopter where the crew moons it. The film also includes an epilogue which not only plays into the fall of communism but also what the two captains and its surviving crew have lost as they ponder the sacrifice of those who saved them. Overall, Bigelow crafts a very compelling film about two captains dealing with the idea of duty during the Cold War.

Cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the use of lights in the submarine as well as the blue lights inside the reactor room along with some naturalistic shots of some exterior scenes in the day and night. Editor Walter Murch does fantastic work with the editing with its use of rhythmic cuts to play into some of the action as well as some jump-cuts and some slow-motion moments to play into the drama. Production designers Karl Juliusson and Michael Novotny do amazing work with the look of the submarine and its many compartments as well as its port and some of the base buildings where the superiors are at work.

Costume designer Marit Allen does nice work with the look of the uniforms the crew wears to play into the sense of importance as well as who they are as they‘re loyal to each other. Visual effects supervisors Bruce Jones and John Nelson do terrific work with some of the visual effects such as the submarine under the sea as well as the scene where it breaks into the ice. Sound designer Pat Jackson and co-sound editor Larry Schalit do superb work with sound to play into the atmosphere of the submarine as well as its sirens and such inside the sub. The film’s music by Klaus Badelt is wonderful for its Russian-based orchestral score filled with vocal choirs and heavy string arrangements along with some pieces of traditional Russian folk music and the Soviet anthem that is played in the film.

The casting by Ross Clydesdale, Mali Finn, and Mary Selway is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small performances from Joss Ackland as the defense minister Marshal Zolentov, John Shrapnel as Admiral Bratyeev, Christian Camargo as the senior reactor technician Loktev, and Donald Sumpter as the submarine’s new medical officer Gennadi Savran who has no clue what he’s dealing with as he was a last-minute replacement. Steve Nicolson and Ravil Isyanov are terrific in their respective roles as torpedo officer Yuri Demichev and political officer Igor Suslov as they would be the one to plot the mutiny against Vostrikov. Peter Sarsgaard is excellent as the reactor officer Lt. Vadim Radtchenko who comes in at the last minute unaware of the situation he’s facing as he deals with his inexperience and inability to help his crew.

Liam Neeson is amazing as Captain Mishna Polenin as he is the film’s conscience as a man who is beloved by his crew as he deals with Vostrikov and the chaos of the submarine. Finally, there’s Harrison Ford in a superb performance as Captain Alexei Vostrikov as a man who has to ensure the success of his mission at great risk as he becomes torn between his duty to his superiors and doing what is right for himself and his crew.

K-19: The Widowmaker is an excellent film from Kathryn Bigelow that features top-notch performances from Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson. While it may not have a lot of originality, it is still a captivating film about a submarine crew and its two captains trying to prevent World War III from happening as well as delving into the theme of duty. In the end, K-19: The Widowmaker is a superb film from Kathryn Bigelow.

Kathryn Bigelow Films: The Loveless - Near Dark - Blue Steel - Point Break - Strange Days - The Weight of Water - The Hurt Locker - Zero Dark Thirty - The Auteurs #29: Kathryn Bigelow

© thevoid99 2014

Blue Jasmine

Written and directed by Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine is the story about a woman whose husband had been arrested over his criminal activities forcing her to live with her estranged sister in San Francisco as she tries to get her life back on track. The film is an exploration into a woman trying to start over as she had been nearly thwarted by scandal as she turns to her younger sister for help despite her middle-class lifestyle. Starring Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins, Peter Sarsgaard, Andrew Dice Clay, Bobby Cannavale, Louis C.K., Michael Stuhlbarg, and Alec Baldwin. Blue Jasmine is a brilliant yet captivating film from Woody Allen.

What happens to a woman whose wealthy life comes crashes down when her husband is revealed to be a crook as she is forced to move in with her working-class sister? That is essentially the premise of the film where Jasmine Francis (Cate Blanchett) has lost everything as she spent the last of whatever little money she had left to fly from New York City to San Francisco to live with her estranged adopted sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) and her two kids. Yet, Jasmine is appalled by her sister’s lower-middle class lifestyle and her choice of men as she is desperate to get herself back to the upper-class life but her mental state as well as reflections of her old life with her former husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) would make her uneasy around many people including Ginger.

Woody Allen creates a very interesting narrative where it moves back-and-forth from the new life that Jasmine has to live in San Francisco and the old life she had in New York City where she had money, lived in expensive houses, wore expensive clothes, and have the finest social gatherings out there. Though Ginger and her ex-husband Augie (Andrew Dice Clay) were impressed by what Jasmine and Hal had during their trip to NYC, they preferred the simpler life though Ginger would be the one to discover something about Hal that she had kept a secret until everything went wrong. Due to Hal’s financial schemes, Augie’s chance to have his own business is finished that led to him and Ginger getting a divorced as Ginger is trying to have a new relationship with a mechanic named Chili (Bobby Cannavale).

One aspect of the script that is very interesting is Jasmine’s own sense of elitism and narcissism as she criticizes her sister for the life she lives and the idea that Ginger is always around men whom she thinks are losers. Though Ginger would later meet a sound engineer named Al (Louis C.K.) at a party where Jasmine would meet an aspiring politician named Dwight (Peter Sarsgaard). Ginger’s relationship with Al would only make her feel insecure as she becomes confused of whether to be with Al or Chili. Jasmine’s own pursuit of Dwight would eventually be her own undoing as she would lie to win Dwight’s heart but elements of her past would come back to haunt her.

Allen’s direction is quite straightforward in the way he presents the film while he gives the scenes set in New York City and San Francisco different atmospheres into the way it plays to Jasmine’s life. For the flashback scenes in New York City, everything is vast and posh where it’s all set in very rich sections including some of the beach homes that Jasmine and Hal lived in. Yet, it’s also quite artificial in some ways to showcase that not everything is as it seems to be. Allen’s approach for the scenes set in San Francisco is far more grounded with the exception of a few scenes where Jasmine is with Dwight as he turns to her about what to do with his new house.

Still, the places that Ginger and her friends take Jasmine to is a mixture of working-class environments and such that is definitely removed from the world that Jasmine is used to. Even as Jasmine reluctantly takes a job working as a receptionist for a dentist (Michael Stuhlbarg) where the direction is tighter but also quite entrancing. Even in the scenes where Jasmine is in a location talking to herself unaware of how mentally ill she’s becoming. Allen would put Jasmine often at the edge of the frame to showcase how detached she’s becoming while everyone around her is either moving on without or are just disturbed by her behavior. Overall, Allen creates a very mesmerizing film about a woman on the verge of collapse as she reluctantly faces reality.

Cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe does amazing work with the cinematography from the lush and colorful look of New York City to the more simplistic look of San Francisco. Editor Alisa Lepselter does fantastic work with the editing by playing to the film‘s back-and-forth structure to help establish Jasmine‘s dramatic state of mind. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorators Kris Boxell and Regina Graves and art directors Michael E. Goldman and Doug Hustzi, does excellent work with the set pieces from the homes that Jasmine and Hal lived in to the more quaint, simpler apartment that Ginger lives in.

Costume designer Suzy Benzinger does superb work with the costumes from the posh clothes that Jasmine wears to the more blue-collar look of Ginger to display the two different worlds the women live in. Sound editor Robert Hein does nice work with the sound from the chaotic world of Ginger‘s apartment to the more serene world that Jasmine used to live in. The film’s wonderful soundtrack largely consists of jazz music from Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Jimmy Noone, Lizzie Miles, Conal Fowkes, Julius Block, and Trixie Smith as it all would play to Jasmine’s state of mind as she would often say how Blue Moon reminds her of how she met Hal.

The casting by Juliet Taylor and Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small performances from Max Rutherford and Daniel Jenks as Ginger and Augie’s sons, Charlie Tahan as the adolescent version of Hal’s son Danny, Tammy Blanchard and Annie McNamara as a couple of Jasmine’s friends, and Max Casella as a friend of Chili’s who tries to woo Jasmine. Other noteworthy small yet effective supporting performances include Michael Stuhlbarg as a dentist Jasmine briefly works for while Alden Ehrenreich is terrific as Hal’s son Danny who disappears after feeling humiliated over what his father did. Louis C.K. is excellent as Al as a man Ginger meets at a party as she thinks he could be someone that Jasmine would like. Bobby Cannavale is amazing as Chili as an auto mechanic who loves Ginger while tries to be nice to Jasmine only to feel insecure as he desperately tries to do right for Ginger despite his anger.

Peter Sarsgaard is superb as the aspiring politician Dwight who falls for Jasmine and wants to marry her until he learns the truth about who she is. Andrew Dice Clay is fantastic in a small but memorable performance as Ginger’s ex-husband Augie who is stung by a deal gone bad thanks to Hal as Clay brings a charm to his role in the flashbacks as a simple guy while has this scene with Blanchett that shows a bitterness and loss that he is suffering from which makes his performance a real surprise from the famed comedian. Alec Baldwin is great as Hal as a man who is a schemer that gives Jasmine this very lavish world only to be unveiled as a crook who had stolen from everyone including Augie.

The film’s best performances definitely go to both Sally Hawkins and Cate Blanchett. Hawkins brings a liveliness to the role of Ginger as a woman who has a complicated life but one that she can handle as she is also trying to find something better while eventually coming to the conclusion that she might need more after all. Blanchett is tremendous as Jasmine where she brings this very intense performance of a woman whose life crashes down as she tries to adjust to reality and is desperate to go back to the upper-class world while taking jabs at Chili and those she feels are beneath her. Blanchett and Hawkins have great chemistry together as two sisters who care for each other but it’s a relationship that is also dysfunctional as Hawkins tries to defend her lifestyle while Blanchett would be critical where it would have some very big revelations about Jasmine and her own life.

Blue Jasmine is a remarkable film from Woody Allen thanks in part to Cate Blanchett’s leading performance as well as a sensational supporting performance from Sally Hawkins. Along with notable supporting work from Alec Baldwin, Andrew Dice Clay, Louis C.K., and Bobby Cannavale. It’s a film that explores the very complex yet chaotic relationship between two sisters as well as one woman facing the reality when the life that she once had turns out to be a façade. In the end, Blue Jasmine is a phenomenal 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 - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)

The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

© thevoid99 2013

An Education

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/5/09 w/ Additional Edits.

Based on a memoir by Lynn Barber, An Education tells the story of a 16-year old schoolgirl living in a quaint yet disciplined suburban home. The girl's life changes when she meets an older man who would take her away from her restrictive life of school and ambition for a world that is broader only to later be hit with a dose of reality. Directed by Lone Scherfig and screenplay by Nick Hornby, the film is a tale of a girl coming of age in the 1960s as she is introduced to a new world. Starring Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Cara Seymour, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike, Sally Hawkins, Olivia Williams, and Emma Thompson. An Education is a brilliant coming-of-age drama from Lone Scherfig & co.

It's 1961 in Twickenham, England as a 16-year old schoolgirl named Jenny Miller (Carey Mulligan) is working hard to go to Oxford. She has great grades and is one of the top students of her class. Though she lives a quiet life with her parents Jack (Alfred Molina) and Marjorie (Cara Seymour) as Jack hopes she goes to Oxford to have a great education. Jenny isn't so sure if studying and going to Oxford is the way to go. Even as she's pursued by another young student named Graham (Matthew Beard) who Marjorie likes though Jack felt isn't good enough for Jenny. Then on rainy day following a rehearsal for a youth orchestra, Jenny encounters an older man named David (Peter Sarsgaard) who takes Jenny home to school along with her cello.

Jenny befriends the older yet cultured David who shares a love of French music and films along with books and other fine things. David introduces himself to Jenny's parents whom he charms them while he introduces Jenny to his friends Danny (Dominic Cooper) and Helen (Rosamund Pike). Jenny starts to go into clubs and orchestras as she is having fun. Once she learns what David and Danny does to maintain their posh lifestyle, she is reluctant to leave but stays so she can have fun. Though her grades start to drop much to the concern of her teacher Mrs. Stubbs (Olivia Williams) and headmistress Ms. Walters (Emma Thompson). Jenny continues to live a world of fun with David as he takes to her Paris once she turns 17.

Even Jenny's parents seem to enjoy David's company as Jenny's own academic future becomes troubles as Stubbs and Walters know she has much more to offer. Even Danny becomes worried as David makes a move to the surprise of Jenny and her parents. All of this is changed when David's past starts to catch up with him leaving Jenny pondering about all she had been through.

The film is a coming of age tale based on real life events in the life of its author Lynn Barber. With Nick Hornby, a renowned author in his own right with such works as Fever Pitch, High Fidelity, and About a Boy, taking on the adaptation. It plays up as a coming of age story from the mind of a young girl who is bound for Oxford until she encounters this mysterious yet worldly man. The relationship between Jenny and David seems taboo since she was 16 and he in his early 30s. David's sense of charm and wit manages to win her over as well as her parents despite Jack's supposed anti-Semitic feelings. Even though Hornsby creates a film that centers around this young girl. He creates supporting characters that are just as interesting and all providing some sort of guidance to Jenny whether it's right or wrong.

In David, he's a man interested in Jenny because she's intelligent and isn't like other girls while wanting to show her a world that dreams about going to. Paris is among them while David's friends like to play along though Danny seems to the more cautious while Helen is a bit vapid but fun to be around. The parents are portrayed in a multi-dimensional way as Marjorie is a woman who wants Jenny to do well but also have fun though it's Jack that seems to have more to say. He's a man determined for Jenny to have a great education but after meeting David, he realizes that there might be another alternative for Jenny. Only later to realize she might sacrifice something that she will regret and it will be his fault. Other characters like Mrs. Stubbs and Ms. Walters are authority figures who are more sympathetic though Walters is a bit more hard-nosed as she reveals possible consequences. Mrs. Stubbs meanwhile, is also cautious for Jenny while revealing that life without an education won't really mean anything.

All of these characters Jenny interacts with are crucial to her development in life. She starts out as a young girl wanting a life out of school and studying and end up a young woman trying to figure out what she had just went through. Along the way, she is enamored with all of the excess of a rich lifestyle and begins to question about educated life and at times, becomes ignorant on certain things. It's a character that is truly memorable and certainly wonderfully written in the mind of Nick Hornby.

Director Lone Scherfig does an amazing job in recreating 1960s England in its pre-swinging days where things are a bit reserved, calm, and still coming out of the era of World War II with the Cold War still looming around them. A departure from Scherfig's more looser filmmaking style that came from the world of Dogme 95. There is something enchanting of the way Scherfig shoots and composes a scene while presenting the dramatic moments quite intimately while leaving more space for happier, humorous sequences. Scenes like an entire sequence of Jenny and David in Paris is very dream-like as if it gives the audience a feeling they're seeing Paris for the first time while it has a French New Wave feel. Though Scherfig does still employ a hand-held style in more intense sequences where David and Danny do what they do. It's told through an engaging yet intimate style of filmmaking as it is clearly the best work that Scherfig has done so far in her filmmaking career.

Cinematographer John de Borman does a splendid job in capturing the drab yet low-color look of 1960s English suburbia for the film's early sequences with more lighter colors in scenes near London. The work of de Borman works in conveying the mood of the film as it progresses where by the 2nd act, it has a colorful feel only to dim down once the third act begins as the camera work is phenomenal. Editor Barney Pilling does an excellent job with the film's editing with the use of smooth transitions and rhythmic cuts while giving the film a nice, leisurely pace that works overall in its 95-minute feel.

Production designer Andrew McAlpine along with set decorator Anna Lynch-Robinson and art director Ben Smith do a fabulous job in recreating the look of 1960s England. From the look of the cars and shops to the look of the objects at the home of the Millers. Even the recreation of paintings and objects that David has obtained for his rich lifestyle. The costume design by Odile Dicks-Mireaux is truly wonderful in the more conservative, schoolgirl look for Jenny early on to fancy, colorful dresses and hairdos while the clothes that Helen wears are gorgeous to look at. In recreating the look of 1960s dresses and suits, the costume design is definitely a huge technical highlight of the film. Sound editor Glenn Freemantle does an excellent job in the sounds of school halls and ballrooms that Jenny encounters with along with the city of London itself as Freemantle captures the atmosphere of those locations.

The music by Paul Englishby is wonderful in its orchestral feel with flourishing arrangements of strings to convey Jenny's new sense of freedom along with more low-key, dramatic pieces for the heavy drama. The soundtrack features a slew of early, pre-Beatles 1960s pop and classical pieces while the closing song is a track sung by Duffy that she co-wrote with Suede's Bernard Butler.

The casting by Lucy Bevan is wonderful with an amazing ensemble that is truly fun to watch. Small roles such as Matthew Beard as Jenny's friend Graham along with Amanda Fairbank-Hynes and Ellie Kendrick as a couple of Jenny's schoolmates are memorable along with a one-scene performance from Sally Hawkins as a mysterious woman. Rosamund Pike is funny as the vapid, superficial Helen who loves living the high life while wanting to look good throughout. Dominic Cooper is very good as Danny, David's partner-in-crime who is reserved and quiet while being the most cautious as he was wondering when is going to go too far for Jenny. Olivia Williams is superb as Mrs. Stubbs, Jenny's English teacher who sees Jenny going down a troubling path while warning her about what will happen as Williams is wonderfully understated in a very sympathetic authority figure.

In a small but memorable role, Emma Thompson is great as Jenny's headmistress. A stern though sympathetic figure who warns Jenny about the implications of leading a life without an education while reluctantly admitting to the flaws of an educated lifestyle. Cara Seymour is very good as Jenny's mother Marjorie, a woman who is the more sympathetic parent while still a no-nonsense woman who just wants Jenny to succeed but also live a nice life. Alfred Molina is brilliant as Jack, Jenny's strict but caring father who hopes for Jenny to succeed only to be charmed by David into letting Jenny have a carefree life only to realize the consequences and his own faults. Peter Sarsgaard is excellent as David, a charming man who is also mysterious as Sarsgaard plays with him a bit of creepiness but also wit while sporting a fine British accent since he's the only American actor in the film.

Finally, there's Carey Mulligan in a real breakthrough performance as Jenny. Mulligan's performance is definitely the heart and soul of the film as she displays wit, charm, humor, naivete, and vulnerability all in this incredible journey of a young woman coming of age. Early on, she looks like a young 16-year old girl and then ends up a 17-year old woman who had just been through a lot. It's a radiant yet mesmerizing performance for the 24-year old actress and certainly one of the year's best.

An Education is a smart yet brilliant film from Lone Scherfig with a great screenplay by Nick Hornby and a wonderful performance from Carey Mulligan. Featuring a wonderful cast that also includes Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Cara Seymour, Emma Thompson, Olivia Williams, Dominic Cooper, and Rosamund Pike. It is definitely of 2009's best films as An Education is a must-see for anyone that wants to see a coming-of-age story that is worth exploring.

Lone Scherfig Films: (Dogme 12-Italian for Beginners) - (Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself) - (Just Like Home) - One Day

(C) thevoid99 2012