Set in 1936 Chicago during the final years of the Great Depression, the film is about a grifter who steals money from a courier with his partner only for his partner to be killed as the money belonged to a rich mobster forcing the grifter to team up with a veteran con artist in creating the ultimate con against this mobster. It is a film that is a bit of a revenge film but a caper film in which two men decide to go after a man who killed an acquaintance of theirs as well as using criminal activities to gain influence in corrupting those in politics and in the law enforcement. David S. Ward’s screenplay has a unique approach to structure as it plays into the journey that both the young grifter in Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) and the veteran con man Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) take in pulling the ultimate con on the Irish-American mob boss Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw).
Ward’s script plays into Hooker’s motivations as he and his partner in Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones) had stolen money from a courier with help from their friend Joe Erie (Jack Kehoe) as it turned out the man was carrying $11,000 that was to be delivered to Lonnegan. Coleman planned to retire with his cut of the money only to be killed forcing Hooker to go to a friend of Coleman in Gondorff who is reluctant to go into the con game due to his own experiences and failures but becomes convinced as he assembles a team to go after Lonnegan. Ward also plays into Hooker being pursued by a corrupt detective in Lt. William Snyder (Charles Durning) as well as people working for Lonnegan even though Lonnegan does not know that Hooker is the one who stole from him. The script is also filled with twists and turns with several of Gondorff’s friends playing different roles in the con including Erie who joins in the con.
George Roy Hill’s direction is rapturous in terms of its overall presentation displaying a period during the waning years of the Great Depression. Shot on location at the Universal Studios backlot in Hollywood along with additional location shots in Wheeling, West Virgina, the Santa Monica pier carousel that stands as Gondorff’s home, and Chicago. Hill maintains a feel of the times in the usage of wide and medium shots to play into the energy as well as the sense of despair that was happening at the time. Even as Hill gives the film a look that does play into that period with its muted colors while he also uses wide and medium shots to get a scope of what it was like in Chicago as well as in the interiors such as a club that Gondorff and his team create to fool Lonnegan. Hill also maintains an intimacy in his close-ups as well as scenes where a poker game happens including a scene on a train where Gondorff acts as a boorish crime boss to play against Lonnegan while also aware that Lonnegan is a cheat. Hill’s direction highlights the detail into how Gondorff would beat Lonnegan in his own game with Hooker playing a role in this con.
Hill also plays into this sense of intrigue that occurs on whether everyone is playing each other in the con with Hooker wondering about its outcome as the FBI gets involved. The presence of the FBI does add more suspense and intrigue with Lonnegan also trying to figure out what to do and who to trust leading to this climax that is all about his own ego and thirst for power. The climax is also about Gondorff and Hooker both trying to understand what they want to do as individuals but also as partners where the stakes are big in terms of the money, they want to swindle from Lonnegan. Overall, Hill crafts a whimsical and riveting film about two men who decide to create the ultimate con against an Irish-American mobster who craves money and power.
Cinematographer Robert Surtees does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its muted colors for many of the daytime interior/exterior scenes as well as the usage of stylish lights for some of the scenes at night. Editor William Reynolds does excellent work with the editing for its usage of transition wipes, montages, and other stylish cuts to play into the humor and its offbeat energy. Art director Henry Bumstead, along with set decorators James W. Payne and Emile Kuri, does amazing work with the look of the sets from the building that Gondorff buys to create a fake gambling house as well as the places the characters go to. Costume designer Edith Head does fantastic work with the look of the suits the men wear in the film as well as the clothes the women wore as well as the design of the hats in those times.
The sound work of Ronald Pierce and Robert R. Bertrand is terrific for its approach to sound as it is presented on location as well as the way sound is presented from a radio during the horse races and in the effects used in some scenes in the film. The film’s music by Scott Joplin, which is adapted by Marvin Hamlisch, is incredible for its playful approach to ragtime piano music. Notably as Hamlisch brings in that sense of energy and melodic elements to the music, including his take on some standards of those times as it is a major highlight of the film.
The casting by William Batliner and Robert J. LaSanka is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Sally Kirkland as a showgirl that Hooker goes out with early in the film, Ken Samson as a Western Union executive, Paulene Myers as Luther’s wife Alva, Joe Tornatore as a mysterious gunman, Lee Paul as a bodyguard of Lonnegan, James J. Sloyan as Lonnegan’s right-hand man Mottola, Dimitra Arliss as a diner waitress Hooker befriends in Loretta, Jack Kehoe as Hooker’s friend Erie Kid who joins Hooker and Gondorff in the con, and Dana Elcar as a FBI agent pursuing Gondorff. Other notable small roles as members of Gondorff and Hooker’s team include John Heffernan as Eddie Niles who pretends to be a casino cashier, Harold Gould as the veteran conman Kid Twist who would fool Lonnegan as a financier working with Hooker, and Ray Walston as J.J. Singleton who would get the racing results and help make the announcements.
Robert Earl Jones is superb as Luther Coleman as Hooker’s partner/mentor who has decided to retire only to get himself in trouble with Lonnegan and his business. Eileen Brennan is excellent as Billie as a brothel madam whom Gondorff is in a relationship with as she helps Gondorff and Hooker in the con as she also finds way to be involved and outsmart Lonnegan. Charles Durning is brilliant as Lt. William Snyder as a corrupt detective who is pursuing Hooker over some counterfeit money unaware that Hooker stole from Lonnegan as he is also a bully to others as he shares Lonnegan’s views on maintaining power. Robert Shaw is phenomenal as Doyle Lonnegan as an Irish-American mob boss that is eager to become legitimate through his connections as he becomes upset that someone stole money from him as well as endure some humility that he is unable to deal with.
Finally, there is the duo of Paul Newman and Robert Redford in spectacular performances in their respective roles like Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker. Newman’s performance has this air of charm and humor as a man who has been through the con game for years yet is inspired to do this to humiliate Lonnegan who he sees as a threat where Newman also brings a lot of laughs during a poker game where he acts like a buffoon. Redford’s performance as Hooker is the more serious of the two as someone that wants to avenge Luther’s death as well as learning more about the con game where he also learns about the tricks of the trade. Newman and Redford together has this rapport where they know how to play off one another, where they know what the other person thinks as well as the sense of trust that they have in one another as they are major highlights of the film.
The Sting is an outstanding film by George Roy Hill that features the tremendous leading performances of Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Along with its ensemble supporting cast, lively visuals, David S. Ward’s inventive screenplay, and a fun music soundtrack by Marvin Hamlisch. It is a caper film that is full of energy, wit, and suspense while also being this study of two men trying to outwit a powerful criminal and show him some humility. In the end, The Sting is a magnificent film by George Roy Hill.
George Roy Hill Films: (A Night to Remember) – (Period of Adjustment) – (Toys in the Attic) – (The World of Henry Orient) – (Hawaii (1966 film)) – (Thoroughly Modern Millie) – Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid - (Slaughterhouse-Five) – (The Great Waldo Pepper) – (Slap Shot) – (A Little Romance) – (The World According to Garp) – (The Little Drummer Girl) – (Funny Farm)
© thevoid99 2025
Directed by Susan Lacy, Jane Fonda in Five Acts is a documentary film about the life and career of Jane Fonda as she talks about her life being the daughter of actor Henry Fonda as well as the many identities she took in being an actress, an activist, a workout enthusiast, and many other roles on screen and off screen. The film has Fonda also discuss many things that she encountered as well as aging as fellow actors and other personalities including family members and two of her three ex-husbands talk about the woman who has done a lot and is embarking on a new chapter in her life. The result is a fascinating and touching film from Susan Lacy.
The eldest daughter of Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda would make a mark of her own as an actress in film, TV, and theatre but also would take part in other ventures including activism. The film is told through five different parts with Fonda discussing many aspects of her life as the four preceding acts all represent the men who were important in Fonda’s life with the first being her father. Fonda revealed that for the image that her father had represented to the public was different from what he was in private as all Fonda wanted from him was to be proud of her. Plus, she admitted to struggle with her early image once she became an actress as well as be the public face of Henry Fonda’s daughter.
The preceding acts each represent the three men that Fonda would marry in filmmaker Roger Vadim, activist/politician Tom Hayden, and billionaire/media mogul Ted Turner. All of which would have Fonda discuss their importance in her life as well as giving her a sense of direction and identity but also revealed why the marriage fell apart. When it came to her activism, Fonda knew she was going to get a lot of heat but wanted to contribute something to the world and help people. When it came to the issues in the Vietnam War and her visit to North Vietnam during the war, Fonda does have regrets over the way she put herself into a position as the film opens with an audio recording of Richard Nixon talking about how bad Fonda has fallen and felt for her father.
Fonda also reveal a lot of her own faults as a person and as a mother where despite the glowing commentary she would receive from her son in actor Troy Garity and adopted daughter Mary Luana Williams as well as former stepdaughter Nathalie Vadim. Fonda’s eldest child in Vanessa Vadim doesn’t appear in the film as Fonda admits to not being a better mother to her due to her activism and selfishness even though her grandchildren do appear in the film looking at old family photos with Fonda. Then there’s Fonda’s mother in actress in Frances Ford Seymour who had some mental health issues including manic depression that only worsened during her marriage to Henry who would later have an affair with socialite Susan Blanchard who was nine years older than Jane. In April of 1950, Frances committed suicide when Fonda was 12 and Peter was only 10 as there is a scene of Fonda visiting her mother’s grave as it’s a somber moment that shows a sense of loss and overwhelming emotion of a woman who really loved her mother.
With the help of cinematographer Samuel Painter, Susan Lacy’s direction is straightforward in not just getting Fonda to speak openly along with members of her family but also friends and fellow actors such as producer Paula Weinstein, Robert Redford, and Lily Tomlin. Tom Hayden also appears as he talks about his marriage with Fonda and why it fell apart yet it is the rare appearance of Ted Turner at his ranch where he gets a visit from Fonda that is the most fascinating. Especially as it reveals there’s still a love between the two but it’s more of a friendship that has them riding horses on fields and watch buffalos.
Editors Benjamin Gray and Kris Liem would help Lacy in cultivating many archival interview footage that Fonda did in the past with Fonda commentating on where her head was at the time as well as the films she did as she admitted that some of her performances in her early films sucked. Sound editor Steve Borne would also cover through archives of audio including some of the famous recordings of Richard Nixon who was disgusted by Fonda’s activism. The film’s music by Paul Cantelon would provide a wonderful score that play into the highs and lows that Fonda endured as it is largely a low-key orchestral score.
Jane Fonda in Five Acts is a sensational film from Susan Lacy. It’s a film that explores the life of one of the finest entertainment and social figures who is still going to strong while still having things to say. Even as the woman herself dismisses the many myths about herself and her family as well as provide insight into a woman who is complex but also endearing. In the end, Jane Fonda in Five Acts is a phenomenal film from Susan Lacy.
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is the story of a pair of outlaws whose notoriety forces them to flee America to Bolivia in the hope of robbing more banks. The film is an unconventional western that play into two men trying to live a good life and make money through robbery as they also endure the changes of the West. Starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross, Strother Martin, Jeff Corey, and Henry Jones. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is an adventurous and thrilling film from George Roy Hill.
Set in the late 1890s before the turn of the century, the film revolves around a pair of outlaws whose work in robbing trains and banks suddenly takes a turn when they’re being pursued by a posse who wants them dead forcing the duo to go to Bolivia with one of their girlfriends in the hope of escape. It’s a film that play into a way of life and the emergence of change towards the end of the century forcing these two men to find another world that hasn’t caught up with these growing changes. William Goldman’s screenplay definitely play into this air of change though it begins with Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) at a small town where the former is looking at a bank while the latter is playing cards as people know about their infamy as robbers. Yet, the lack of serious work prompts many to question Cassidy’s leadership in the gang he runs as they would eventually find a train to rob. For all of its success, it would be fleeting as a second robbery would be the catalyst for not just trouble but also being pursued by a posse that is unlike anything else.
Butch and Sundance are just two men who know what to do as Butch is the man with ideas while Sundance is a man of action but they still bring out the best in each other as they also have an unlikely partnership with Sundance’s lover Etta Place (Katharine Ross) who knows about their exploits but often remains quiet until she chooses to join them on the journey to Bolivia. Much of the film’s first half is set in America while the second half is set in Bolivia where Goldman play into this idea of uncertainty but also culture shock. Still, it does give the duo an advantage in robbing banks with Etta’s help for some of the robberies where it does bring this sense of euphoria for all three but there’s also elements of paranoia as it relates to the posse that was pursuing them. The third act in Bolivia also play into Butch and Sundance’s attempt to go straight but the notoriety they had created in Bolivia has only created more trouble.
George Roy Hill’s direction is definitely engaging for the way he captures this air of change in the American West and the need for these two outlaws to go to Bolivia to maintain their idea of robbery in the old ways. Shot on various locations in Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and California for the scenes in America with the scenes in Bolivia shot in Mexico, the film does play into this world of the American West as a world that was wild and free but a growing sense of law and order is emerging but also the idea that big business can control things. The film’s opening sequence is shot in a sepia-like look reminiscent of early photographs as it play into their sense of adventure but also in being men that are becoming out of step with the times. Then the film goes into color as Hill would use wide shots of the locations along with unique compositions to play into the danger as it relates to the posse that is going after Butch and Sundance. Even as the shot would be shown from their perspective where they see the posse from afar who are a determined group that isn’t fooled by any tricks. The film would also have Hill use medium shots and close-ups as it relates to the conversations between Butch, Sundance, and Etta that add to the sense of character and their motivations for a good life.
The film would include a great sequence of old-school photograph stills montage to play into the journey that the three would embark from the West to South America as it has elements of humor but also this air of adventure until they arrive in Bolivia not realizing that it’s a totally different world with some different rules. Notably as Butch and Sundance know little Spanish forcing Etta to teach them certain phrases during the robberies. The film’s third act definitely marks a shift in tone where it is darker with the added element of violence along with revelations into Butch and Sundance’s own infamy in their robberies. It also include the fact that the Bolivians are a completely dangerous whenever they feel antagonized leading to this epic showdown that is thrilling but also with a lot at stake. Overall, Hill crafts an exhilarating film about two outlaws trying to maintain their way of life in the West and in Bolivia.
Cinematographer Conrad Hall does amazing work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of sepia-like colors for the film’s opening sequence to the dreamy look of some of the exterior scenes in the day and night in the deserts along with some low-key lights for some of the interiors at night. Editors John C. Howard and Richard C. Meyer do excellent work with the editing as its usage of dissolves, montages, and transitional wipes help play into the action and humor with some rhythmic cuts to play into bits of the suspense. Art directors Philip M. Jefferies and Jack Martin Smith, along with set decorators Chester Bayhi and Walter M. Scott, do fantastic work with the look of the farm that Etta lives at as well as the places in Bolivia and the train carts in America.
Costume designer Edith Head does excellent work with the costumes as it play into the turn of the century with some stylish dresses that Etta wears as well as the uniforms worn by the Bolivian police and its military. The sound work of David Dockendorf and Bill Edmondson is terrific for the way it captures gunfire and other sound effects as well as the intense atmosphere of the film’s climatic showdown between Butch and Sundance against the Bolivians. The film’s music by Burt Bacharach is incredible as its playful usage of orchestration add a lot to the film’s sense of adventure and humor that would also include the song Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head written by Bacharach and Hal David that is sung by B.J. Thomas for a lively scene involving Butch and Etta with the new invention in a bicycle.
The film’s wonderful cast include some notable small roles from Cloris Leachman as a prostitute Butch occasionally sleeps with, Ted Cassidy as a gang member who challenges Butch’s leadership in Harvey Logan, Charles Dierkop as a gang member in Flat Nose Curry, Kenneth Mars as a marshal trying to get everyone to find Butch and Sundance, George Furth as a railroad bank worker named Woodcock whom Butch and Sundance run into, Henry Jones as a bicycle salesman, Jeff Corey as Sheriff Bledsoe who helps Butch and Sundance evade the posse, and Strother Martin as mining company boss in Percy Garris who runs a Bolivian mining company that tries to give Butch and Sundance a chance to live a straight life.
Katharine Ross is remarkable as Etta Place as a schoolteacher who runs her own farm as she is Sundance’s lover as someone who isn’t entirely fond of what Sundance does but does join him and Butch to Bolivia where she helps them rob banks until danger starts to emerge. Finally, there’s the duo of Paul Newman and Robert Redford in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid where they both have this air of camaraderie in the way they deal with each other but also bring out the best with Newman being the man who is the thinker and trying to come up with ideas and Redford as the man of action who is also skeptical of Butch’s ideas but often follows along as Newman and Redford are a joy to watch as well as provide that air of true friendship that is often lost in films.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a magnificent film from George Roy Hill. Featuring top-notch performances from Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Katharine Ross along with William Goldman’s inventive screenplay, Burt Bacharach’s whimsical score, gorgeous visuals, and the theme of changing times in the West. The film isn’t just a western that has a lot of thrills but also play into two men trying to hold on to their ideals and way of life before the arrival of the 20th Century. In the end, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is an outstanding film from George Roy Hill.
George Roy Hill Films: (Period of Adjustment) – (Toys in the Attic) – (The World of Henry Orient) – (Hawaii) – (Thoroughly Modern Millie) – (Slaughterhouse-Five) – The Sting – (The Great Waldo Pepper) – (Slap Shot) – (A Little Romance) – (The World According to Garp) – (The Little Drummer Girl) – (Funny Farm)
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the novel by Judith Guest, Ordinary People is the story of a upper-middle class family who copes with the loss of their son while his younger brother deals with survivor’s guilt as he returns home from the hospital. Directed by Robert Redford and screenplay by Alvin Sargent, the film is an exploration of a family dealing with loss as well as a young man wondering about his own role in his family and his relationship with his own parents. Starring Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Timothy Hutton, Elizabeth McGovern, and Judd Hirsch. Ordinary People is a somber yet engaging film from Robert Redford.
The film is the story of a family reeling from the aftermath of the death of a son as well as the suicide attempt of another as they try to move on as if nothing is happening yet the surviving son still copes with survivor’s guilt. It’s a film that explores a family that slowly unravels as they’re forced to see things and reflect on aspects of their life. The film’s screenplay by Alvin Sargent is quite straightforward as it largely takes place during the autumn season in an upper-middle class suburbia near Chicago where its 18-year old son Conrad Jarrett (Timothy Hutton) has just got out of the hospital for a month as he returns to school trying to get back to his normal routine before his brother’s death and suicide attempt. Yet, he’s become withdrawn and unable to do what he’s done in the past while he’s having a harder time trying to express himself emotionally with his mother Beth (Mary Tyler Moore). For his father Calvin (Donald Sutherland), he is concerned for Conrad’s well-being as well as try to keep everything calm.
Conrad would turn to a psychiatrist in Dr. Berger (Judd Hirsch) for answers but finds himself not only dealing with memories of the boating accident that killed his brother Buck (Scott Doebler). He also copes with the fact that he’s still alive which hasn’t made him deal with things as easy as he wants to be. The script is really noted for its development as Conrad is just someone that is trying to make sense of everything he’s feeling as he would quit the swim team and befriend a young classmate in Jeannine (Elizabeth McGovern) who would give him a bit of hope. Yet, it’s at home where things become difficult where his mother remains cold and distant as she’s trying to maintain some sense of normalcy around family and friends. For Calvin, he tries to understand what his son is feeling and why his wife has been reacting at things where he eventually comes to realize that something is wrong as he becomes aware that not everything is alright. Even as Beth would snap him for talking about Conrad and their situation to family and friends as it show cracks starting to emerge.
Robert Redford’s direction is actually quite simple in terms of the compositions he creates as he doesn’t really go for any kind of flashy visuals in favor of just doing something that is direct and to the point. Shot on location in Lake Forest, Illinois and parts of Chicago, the film does play into the world of suburbia where everything looks nice and everyone is perfect which is really a façade. There are some wide shots that Redford uses yet his approach to medium shots and close-up add a lot to the drama from the sessions that Conrad would have with Dr. Berger or the moments involving the family. There are also flashbacks that would appear every now and then such as the boating accident but also time of the family before Buck’s death and Conrad’s suicide attempt. Those are the few moments in the film where Redford would show some aspect of style as it has a mixture of fantasy but also terror as it relates to the tragedy the Jarrett family is dealing with. Some of these flashbacks play into happier times where both Conrad and Calvin reflect on as if it feels like a fantasy.
Redford also create moments that play into the family unit cracking with such subtlety such as a dinner party that Calvin and Beth attend where the former is talking with someone who asked about Conrad where Calvin was being honest but gracious as Beth overhears him. She would later scold him for talking about something that is private and again late in the film during a holiday vacation with Beth’s brother and wife as it play into many things Calvin starts to see. Even as he would eventually go to Dr. Berger for one session as it opens up into things he never thought about or had been in his mind for so long. The third act isn’t just about Conrad dealing with the pain over the loss of his brother but also Calvin having a revelation about his wife and what had been lost since the death of their eldest son. Overall, Redford crafts a somber yet evocative film about a family coming to terms with loss but also the realization that nothing can be the same ever again.
Cinematographer John Bailey does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with emphasis on low-key lights and textures for some of the daytime exterior and interior scenes with the usage of lights for the scenes at night including a nighttime session Conrad has with Dr. Berger. Editor Jeff Kanew does brilliant work with the editing as it feature some jump-cuts and stylish flashback montages to play into the drama. Art directors J. Michael Riva and Brook Simons, with set decorators William B. Fosser and Jerry Wunderlich, do fantastic work with the look of the Jarrett home as well as the pool in Conrad‘s high school and Dr. Berger‘s office with its more quaint appliances.
Costume designer Bernie Pollack does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward in terms of the casual look of Conrad as well as the more clean-cut and refined look of Calvin and Beth. Sound editor Kay Rose is terrific for the scenes involving swim meets and parties but also in the quieter moments at home as it play into the tension at home. The film’s music by Marvin Hamlisch is amazing as it is very a low-key orchestral score with some piano that play into the drama as the soundtrack also include a few classical pieces with Johann Pachelbel’s Canon and Gigue in D as the opening and closing music piece of the film.
The casting by Penny Perry is great as it feature some notable small roles from Meg Mundy and Richard Whiting as Conrad’s grandparents, Scott Doebler as Conrad’s late older brother Buck, James B. Sikking as Calvin’s business colleague/friend Ray, Adam Baldwin as a teammate of Conrad in Kevin Stillman whom Conrad doesn’t really like, Fredric Lehne as Conrad’s best friend Joe who is trying to talk to him as he also misses Buck, and M. Emmet Walsh as Conrad’s swim coach Salan as someone who is wondering where Conrad’s head is at for the meets. Dinah Manoff is wonderful as Karen as someone Conrad met at the hospital as they meet to talk about their issues where she claims that she is doing great. Elizabeth McGovern is fantastic as Jeannine as a schoolmate of Conrad who befriends him as she provides some hope and kindness to Conrad. Judd Hirsch is excellent as Dr. Berger as a psychiatrist who is a very sympathetic figure that is trying to understand Conrad as well as not bullshit him about the ways of the world and things that Conrad needs to figure out.
Timothy Hutton is phenomenal as Conrad Jarrett as a young man dealing with survivor’s guilt and a suicide attempt as he tries to return to the world yet he is anguished and lost where Hutton show that sense of despair and loneliness as it is truly a breakthrough performance for the actor in his debut film role. Donald Sutherland is remarkable as Calvin Jarrett as a man trying to understand his son’s withdrawn behavior as well as dealing with the fact that he has some issues to face including his wife’s refusal to talk about some serious issues. Finally, there’s Mary Tyler Moore in a radiant performance as Beth Jarrett as a woman who is either in denial or refusing to face the things around her family in an attempt to try and move on as if nothing had happened as it’s a very eerie performance from Moore who plays a character that is very unlikable but also just as fragile as someone that isn’t ready to face the truth about herself.
Ordinary People is an incredible film from Robert Redford. Featuring a great cast and an entrancing portrait on grief, loss, and denial, it’s a film that explores a family dealing with life after loss and how those can’t face the truth about themselves and what was lost. In the end, Ordinary People is a tremendous film from Robert Redford.
Robert Redford Films: (The Milagro Beanfield War) - (A River Runs Through It) - (Quiz Show) - The Horse Whisperer - (The Legend of Bagger Vance) - (Lions for Lambs) - (The Conspirator) - (The Company You Keep)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the Marvel comics series by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the story of Captain America uncovering a conspiracy involving the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization as he is also targeted by a mysterious assassin prompting him to face demons and new ideals about his new world. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the film has Captain America/Steve Rogers adjust to living in the 21st Century following the events in the 2012 film The Avengers as well as his past as Chris Evans reprises the role of Captain America. Also starring Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, and Robert Redford. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a rapturous and exhilarating film from Anthony and Joe Russo.
The film revolves around Steve Rogers working for S.H.I.E.L.D. as he copes with not just what he’s asked to do but also a world that is far more complicated once S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised by forces from within forcing Rogers to become a fugitive as well as being targeted by a mysterious assassin known as the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). There, Rogers is forced to realize that all of these ideas of keeping things in control have been compromised as he has very few allies he can count on such as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) who aids him in uncovering the mystery. It’s a film that explores the idea of what people are willing to do to avoid war and to keep people safe as someone like Rogers who lived during the time of World War II has a hard time trying to understand what S.H.I.E.L.D. is trying to do as he questions what Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) about these reasons to arm the world and keep them under heavy watch.
The film’s screenplay definitely plays into this world of conspiracies where Rogers would meet one of the heads of S.H.I.E.L.D. in Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) who is trying to get a project unveiled as he is an old friend of Fury where he questions Rogers about his own ideas and such. It is in that moment where the film’s second act comes to play where Rogers is on the run as the only people he can trust is Romanoff and a former USAF pararescueman in Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as the latter is a soldier that Rogers can relate to. When Rogers and Romanoff uncover more secrets about what has happened within S.H.I.E.L.D., it becomes clear that there’s elements of Rogers’ past that has come back to haunt him as well as the identity of the Winter Soldier which would only trouble Rogers. The eventual confrontation between Rogers and the Winter Soldier does come ahead in the third act but the stakes are much higher as it relates to what Rogers can do to make the world safer amidst the terror from within.
The film’s direction by Anthony and Joe Russo is definitely sprawling in terms of its action sequences and set pieces but the Russo Brothers know what to do when there’s a need for a break from the action. Much of it involves some inspired use of wide and medium shots where a lot of it is shot in location in Washington, D.C. plus locations in Cleveland and Long Beach, California. There’s also some close-ups as it plays to the drama along with some very key moments in the film as it relates to some of the things that Rogers would encounter that includes the eventual identity of the Winter Soldier. The usage of high camera angles, wide shots, and medium shots play into the sense of action that occurs as it’s very frenetic which plays to the sense of danger and no-holds-barred attitude that Rogers, Wilson, and Romanoff are facing.
There’s also elements of flashbacks that play into Rogers’ past as he is trying to hold on to ideals that he had grown up on where he knows that he need to hold on to them as it adds to the drama and elements of suspense. It’s climax where Rogers has to face the Winter Soldier is definitely gripping as it’s filled with massive set pieces where it adds to the sense of high stakes for Rogers and his need for people to believe in something all over again in a world that is very cynical and chaotic. Overall, the Russo brothers create a very intelligent yet engaging film about a hero dealing with his new surroundings and the need to keep his old ideals intact.
Cinematographer Trent Opaloch does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its use of low-key lights and sepia lighting schemes for some of its interiors to the usage of low-level lights for the exteriors set at night. Editors Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt do amazing work with the editing to create some unique fast-cutting styles to play into some of the fights and action scenes while slowing things down for some of the film‘s suspenseful and dramatic moments. Production designer Peter Wenham, with set decorator Leslie A. Pope and supervising art director Thomas Valentine, does brilliant work with the look of the S.H.I.E.L.D. building as well as the heli-carriers and the secret buildings where Rogers and Romanoff uncover a very dark secret. Costume designer Judianna Makovsky does nice work with the costumes as it’s mostly casual with the exception of Rogers’ Captain America uniform.
Visual effects supervisors Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill, and Dan Suduck do fantastic work with the visual effects from the look of the heli-carriers in the sky to design of some of the big action sequences as well as the look of a character from Rogers‘ past. Sound designers David Hughes, Shannon Mills, and Al Nelson, along with co-sound editor Daniel Laurie, do superb work with the sound in not just creating some unique sound effects but also in the way the sound adds to the sense of terror and suspense that occurs in the film. The film’s music by Henry Jackman is terrific for its mixture of bombast and lush orchestral pieces to play into the action and drama while music supervisor Dave Jordan brings in a couple of music pieces from Marvin Gaye and Harry James’ Orchestra.
The casting by Sarah Finn is great as it features some notable cameos that includes the obligatory cameo from Stan Lee plus small roles from Garry Shandling as Stern, Maximiliano Hernandez as S.H.I.E.L.D. official Jasper Sitwell, Danny Pudi as a S.H.I.E.L.D. technician, DC Pierson as an Apple store employee who helps Rogers and Romanoff, Gary Sinise as a Smithsonian narrator for a Captain America exhibit, Georges St. Pierre as a mercenary Rogers confronts early in the film, and as a trio of council members of the World Security Council are Chin Han, Alan Dale, and Bernard White. Other notable small roles include Jenny Agutter as a World Security Council member, Hayley Atwell in a brief but memorable appearance as Rogers’ old flame Peggy Carter, and Emily VanCamp as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent assigned to protect Rogers at his home. Frank Grillo is terrific as the S.H.I.E.L.D. strike-team commander in Brock Rumlow who is part of the conspiracy as he proves to be a formidable opponent that is willing to take down Rogers and his cohorts.
Toby Jones is superb in his brief but eerie performance as Dr. Arnim Zola whom Rogers had dealt with back in the 1940s as he would be a key figure into uncovering the mystery that Rogers would have to deal with. Cobie Smulders is fantastic as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill who is one of the few people that Rogers and Romanoff can trust as she would help them and Wilson uncover the mystery behind the conspiracy on S.H.I.E.L.D. Sebastian Stan is excellent as the mysterious Winter Soldier who is known for being a fearsome assassin that is willing to cause damage as it’s a very menacing and nearly-silent performance that is all about action rather than words. Anthony Mackie is brilliant as Sam Wilson/Falcon as a former pararescuer who befriends Rogers as he later helps him and Romanoff uncover the mystery while proving to be a formidable soldier that Fury needs. Robert Redford is amazing as Alexander Pierce as a senior official of S.H.I.E.L.D. who would be the one that would make Rogers a fugitive over secrets Rogers refused to divulge as he represents this man that was part of an old world order as he wants to start something new for the sake of maintaining control in the world.
Samuel L. Jackson is great as Nick Fury as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. who is aware of Rogers’ reluctance about the ways of the world as he starts to question things himself where Jackson brings some humility to Fury who is forced to realize that his organization has been compromised. Scarlett Johansson is phenomenal as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow as this agent for S.H.I.E.L.D. who realizes what has been going on as she helps Rogers in trying to uncover the truth as Johansson brings some wit and a lot of ass-kicking into her role. Finally, there’s Chris Evans in a remarkable performance as Steve Rogers/Captain America who copes with not just the new rules of the world but also the conspiracy within S.H.I.E.L.D. as he tries to unravel its mystery as well as elements of his past as Evans brings in that very straightforward manner to someone who feels out of place in the world but with old-school values that still means something.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a dazzling and thrilling film from Anthony and Joe Russo that features great performances from Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson. Not only is a blockbuster that entertains and enthralls but it’s also a film that is very smart and engages the audience into uncovering a lot of the suspense and intrigue that looms over the film. Especially with characters that audiences can root for as it has a lot of real-world ideas about the ways of the world. In the end, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a sensational film from Anthony and Joe Russo.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One Films: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers (2012 film)
Marvel Phase Two Films: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Marvel Phase Three Films: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man & the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Captain Marvel - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Eternals – Spider-Man: No Way Home – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Thor: Love and Thunder – Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
Related: MCU is Cinema: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 – Pt. 4 – (Part 5) – (Part 6) – (Part 7) - The MCU: 10 Reasons Why It Rules the World
© thevoid99 2015
Written and directed by J.C. Chandor, All is Lost is the story of a man who is lost at sea as he endures a terrible storm as well as other things in his boat. The film is a simple story of survival as it revolves on a man in the middle of the sea as he is played by Robert Redford. The result is a spellbinding yet mesmerizing film of survival from J.C. Chandor.
Set in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the film revolves around the week of the life of a man who wakes up finding that his yacht has collided with a shipping container which has severely damaged the hull of his boat. Yet, it’s just the start of a series of challenges for this man who would endure a lot during this boating expedition across the sea. The film’s script doesn’t have much of a structure nor any back story about this unnamed man as it’s more focused on him trying to survive in the middle of the Indian Ocean with a damaged boat as much of the electronic equipment he has is already damaged by water. There is very little dialogue in the film as it’s more about action and a man trying to survive with all of the skills and tools he has. Even as he has to fix his boat and endure everything from mother nature as well as storms that could kill anything.
J.C. Chandor’s direction is very intense as it’s shot mostly on a boat and in the water though much of it is actually shot in a studio in Mexico to give the feel that it is shot in the open sea. While there are some wide shots, much of it is very intimate where it’s often on the boat or from above to showcase this man trying to fix it and prepare for what is to come. Much of the camera work is hand-held to capture not just a sense of intimacy but also the idea of what it’s like to be in the middle of a sea on a damaged boat. There’s also moments that play into what has to be done as there’s some scenes shot underwater to display the intensity of a man trying to survive heavy storms in the Indian Ocean. Even as there’s some moments where it looks like there’s glimmers of hope but Chandor’s emphasis to keep things realistic play into the drama as well as the air of suspense that plays into whether this man could survive this ordeal. Overall, Chandor creates a very chilling yet thrilling film about a man surviving in the middle of the sea.
Cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco does amazing work with the film‘s very colorful yet exquisite cinematography from the look of the open sea in the daytime when it‘s sunny to some of the interiors of the boat as well as the use of lights for the scenes at night that features some gorgeous underwater photography courtesy of Peter Zuccarini. Editor Pete Beaudreau does brilliant work in creating some jump-cuts and offbeat rhythms to play into the drama and sense of dread that looms over the film. Production designer John P. Goldsmith, with set decorator Ramirez Gabriela and art director Marco Niro, does excellent work with the look of the yacht in its interior and exteriors as well as the life raft and the shipping container that damaged the boat. Costume designer Van Broughton Ramsey does nice work with the costumes which is mostly just casual as well as the rain gear that the man would wear.
The visual effects work of Collin Davies, Robert Munroe, and Brendan O’Dell do superb work with the visual effects for a few scenes set underwater as well as some of the thunderstorm scenes on the sea. Sound editors Steve Boedekker and Richard Hymns do fantastic work with the sound to convey some of the calm aspects of the sea as well as the layers of sound during the storms and the feel of a boat being punished by treacherous waters. The film’s music by Alex Ebert is incredible for its mixture of ambient music with low-key string pieces with some choral arrangements as well as song in the final credits.
Finally, there’s Robert Redford in a truly towering performance as this unnamed man trying to survive the treacherous Indian Ocean. It’s a performance that is the heart and soul of the film as Redford doesn’t say much other than a voice-over in the film’s opening scene as well as a few words in his attempt to make contact. Even as there’s moments which has Redford doing much of his own stunts to convey that struggle to survive at its most punishing. It’s really a performance for the ages from Redford who gives it his all and more in this film.
All is Lost is an astonishing film from J.C. Chandor that features a tremendous performance from Robert Redford. It’s a film that manages to take a very simple premise while doing so much with it without the need of any kind of conventional ideas of storytelling and formulas in order to tell a much more realistic and gripping story about survival. In the end, All is Lost is a magnificent film J.C. Chandor.
J.C. Chandor Films: Margin Call - A Most Violent Year - (Triple Frontier) - (Kraven the Hunter) - (The Auteurs #73: J.C. Chandor)
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the novel by Nicholas Evans, The Horse Whisperer is the story of a New York magazine editor who asks a horse specialist to heal her daughter’s injured horse following a tragic accident that led to the loss of her daughter’s leg and the death of her daughter‘s friend. Directed and starring Robert Redford and screenplay by Richard LaGravenese and Eric Roth, the film is an exploration of a woman seeking the help of a man who can understand horses as she is also dealing with her own fragile relationship with her teenage daughter as Redford plays the role of Tom Booker. Also starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Neill, Dianne Wiest, Cherry Jones, and Chris Cooper. The Horse Whisperer is a superbly rich film from Robert Redford.
The film revolves around a workaholic magazine editor from New York whose life crashes when her teenage daughter was in an accident that led to the death of a friend and her daughter losing her right leg while the horse itself is severely injured. In needing to help her daughter and her horse, Annie MacLean (Kristin Scott Thomas) travels from New York to Montana with her daughter Grace (Scarlett Johansson) and the injured horse Pilgrim where Annie seeks the help of Tom Booker who has a reputation for understanding horses as he is known as a horse whisperer. Though Booker is reluctant to help Annie and Grace out, he realized what they needed where Annie falls for him as she becomes torn between her love for Booker and her devotion to her family. Especially as Booker’s own family watches over Annie’s presence and how it affects Booker who had been through heartbreak before.
The film’s screenplay does have very grand structure that is very broad in the way it tells the story as the first act is about the accident that would have Grace lose her leg while Annie is determined to help her daughter despite their contentious relationship. Especially as Annie is known for being a workaholic who is dealing with a lawsuit as she discovers about Booker’s work through a magazine article in the hopes that she can help Grace and Pilgrim where the latter is severely hurt by the accident as Annie refuses to put him down. Annie’s desire to wanting to help both Grace and Pilgrim would have her drive all the way from New York to Montana where the second act is about Annie learning about Booker’s methods but also the quaint life he lives in with his brother Frank (Chris Cooper) and Frank’s wife Dianne (Dianne Wiest) who knows Tom very well as well as his past living in the city. During the course of the story where Annie tries to get to know Tom and his past, there is also Grace who is driven by grief and anger as she doesn’t like her mother while is having a hard time opening up to Tom about what happened to her as he would be very patient towards her in her recovery.
Robert Redford’s direction is quite vast for the way he presents much of the scenes set in Montana and the American Midwest where it has this very intoxicating feel as opposed to the more intimate world of the city where Annie and Grace live at with Annie’s husband Robert (Sam Neill). There is an intimacy to the film’s direction in the way Redford explores the family lives that Tom and Annie live in and the differences they have. There are these evocative images of horses that is featured throughout the film as it plays into a sense of innocence that Grace had while Booker is definitely aware of that connection Grace has with the horse Pilgrim. There is also a looseness in the direction in the way many of the scenes set at ranches and gatherings are happening along with some very unique compositions that occur in the way Grace would glance at something including one key moment where she tries to reach out to Pilgrim by feeding him with caution. While there are some moments that do get overdrawn such as its ending as well as some other moments between Tom and Annie, Redford still manages to keep things intact to play into a young girl trying to get back up. Overall, Redford crafts a touching yet majestic drama about a man helping a family in heal a wounded horse.
Cinematographer Robert Richardson does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with some very beautiful images of the film’s opening sequence set in the snow in upstate New York along with the vast colors and open fields of the scenes set in Montana. Editors Hank Corwin, Freeman A. Davies, and Tom Rolf do brilliant work with the editing in the way Grace‘s accident happens as well as some of the montages on the road and some of the effective moments in the film‘s dramatic scenes. Production designer Jon Hutman, with art director W. Steven Graham and set decorators Gretchen Rau and Hilton Rosemarin, does excellent work with the look of the Booker ranch and their houses along with the more posh look of Annie‘s New York City apartment.
Costume designer Judy L. Ruskin does terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual with the exception of the rugged cowboy clothes that Tom Booker and his brother Frank wears along with Frank‘s sons. Sound editors Frank E. Eulner and Richard Hymns, along with sound designer Gary Rydstrom, do fantastic work with the sound to create some unique sound work in the accident sequence along with chilling scenes of Pilgrim being wounded. The film’s music by Thomas Newman and Gwil Owen is wonderful with Newman providing some bombastic orchestral flourishes for some of the dramatic moments with Owen bringing in a more folk, country sound with guitars while music supervisor John Bissell brings in a mix of country, classical, and alternative music to play into the different worlds of the characters.
The casting by Ellen Chenoweth and Gretchen Rennell is incredible as it features some notable small roles from Jessalyn Gilsig as Annie’s assistant in New York, Jeanette Nolan as Tom and Frank’s mother, Ty Hillman as Frank’s eldest son Joe, Austin and Dustin Schwartz as Joe’s younger twin brothers, Cherry Jones as horse wrangler who reluctantly tells Annie that Pilgrim should be put down, and Kate Bosworth as Grace’s friend Judith who would die in the tragic accident. Chris Cooper is terrific as Tom’s brother Frank who aids him in helping Pilgrim out while being this low-key observer about everything that goes on. Dianne Wiest is fantastic as Frank’s brother Dianne who really cares for Tom as she also observes Annie and her intentions while being the woman that Annie can talk to as it proves that Dianne has desires to travel the world. Sam Neill is superb as Annie’s husband Robert who is often worried about Grace as he tries to be there while he also deals with Annie’s time in Montana where his arrival would cause problems for Annie.
Scarlett Johansson is phenomenal as Grace MacLean as this teenage girl who loses part of her right leg in a tragic accident as she is driven by grief and anguish as it’s a performance that is filled with a lot of depth and sadness as it’s one of Johansson’s finest performances. Kristin Scott Thomas is excellent as Annie MacLean as a woman who is desperate to help her daughter and horse while dealing with her own faults as a woman as she tries to deal with her feelings for Tom as well as the cracks in her family. Finally, there’s Robert Redford in an amazing performance as Tom Booker as this very reserved man who can help a horse get back on its feet while trying to not live a complicated life as he falls for Annie where he falls into a trap that could ruin him.
The Horse Whisperer is a dazzling film from Robert Redford that features superb performances from Redford and Kristin Scott Thomas plus a breakout performance from a young Scarlett Johansson. While it’s not a perfect film, it is still a fascinating film that explores a man trying to help horses through unconventional means as well as repairing the fragile bond between a horse and a young girl. In the end, The Horse Whisperer is a fantastic film from Robert Redford.
Robert Redford Films: Ordinary People - (The Milagro Beanfield War) - (A River Runs Through It) - (Quiz Show) - (The Legend of Bagger Vance) - (Lions for Lambs) - (The Conspirator) - (The Company You Keep)
© thevoid99 2014
