Sweet Virginia

Directed by Jamie M. Dagg and written by Benjamin and Paul China, Sweet Virginia is the story of a motel manager who befriends a mysterious visitor who may be involved in a wave of violence nearby. The film is a neo-noir thriller that explores unlikely friendship between two men as well as a small town coming undone by this wave of violence. Starring Jon Bernthal, Christopher Abbott, Imogen Poots, Rosemarie DeWitt, Odessa Young, and Jared Abrahamson. Sweet Virginia is a haunting yet gripping film from Jamie M. Dagg.

Following a murder at a restaurant/bar in a small Alaskan town, the film revolves in an unlikely friendship between a former rodeo champion who manages a motel and a mysterious drifter who has stopped by as the former isn’t aware that the latter is a hitman. It’s a film that play into a small town that is shaken by this act of violence while they try to move on as a few people deal with the tragedy as well as the motivations of why three men were killed inside a bar. The film’s screenplay by Benjamin and Paul China open with three men at a bar/restaurant getting ready to play a card game when this mysterious drifter in Elwood (Christopher Abbott) arrives wanting a late breakfast as he is refused only to gun down the three men. The film’s narrative follows the lives of Elwood and the motel manager Sam Rossi (Jon Bernthal) who runs the Sweet Virginia motel for his late brother while is an on-off affair with Bernadette Barrett (Rosemarie DeWitt) whose husband Tom (Joseph Lyle Taylor) was one of the three men killed by Elwood.

The script also play into why Elwood is in town as he had been hired to kill one of the men but ends up doing much more which only complicates things for one of the men’s wives in Lila (Imogen Poots) who thought she would inherit money only to learn that her husband was in some serious debt. Elwood’s stay in the town is extended as he would befriend Sam whom he had heard about through Sam’s time as a rodeo cowboy until he retired due to injury. Sam is a man that is someone who was poised for so much only to lose a lot as he’s divorced with a child who barely sees him as he spends his time with his niece Maggie (Odessa Young) whenever he’s not with Bernadette. There’s not much plot to the story as it’s more about characters living their lives but the drama and suspense do pick up toward its third act.

Jamie M. Dagg’s direction is largely straightforward although he doesn’t really go for anything stylistic other than some lingering long shots in parts of the film. Shot largely on locations in British Columbia in Canada including parts of Vancouver, Dagg’s direction does use some wide shots to establish the location but also in some eerie moments as it play into Elwood haunting certain characters or where he is about to go as there are also some medium shots from afar that show him talking on the phone and then beat up a couple of guys. There aren’t a lot of close-ups in Dagg’s direction except in some intimate moments as well as a chilling confrontation between Elwood and Lila late in the film. The film’s opening scene starts off slow while the violence is quite intense but not overtly-bloody and graphic where Dagg is more concerned with a town that is trying to understand what had happened and why as well as these two men ravaged by their past with Elwood also being someone who is extremely troubled. Even in the third act as it is about the money Elwood is owed for his services as the suspense is approached in a low-key manner that would also be followed by Elwood being confronted for his actions. Overall, Dagg crafts a riveting yet eerie film about a motel manager and his encounter with a mysterious yet troubled drifter.

Cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagne does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it maintains a naturalistic look for scenes in the day and at night with its usage of available light as well as using some low-key lights for some interior scenes at night. Editor Duff Smith does nice work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few rhythmic cuts to play into some of the conversations. Production designer Danny Vermette, with set decorator Robin Tilby and art director Justin Ludwig, does fantastic work with the look of Bernadette’s home in the interior as well as the bar/restaurant in the film’s opening scene and the motel that Sam runs.

Costume designer Mia Fiddis does terrific work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward that includes the ragged look of Elwood including some of the shirts he wears. The sound work of Brody Ratsoy is amazing for its low-key approach to the sound as it maintains something that feels natural but also help to play up the suspenseful moments of the film. The film’s music by Brooke and Will Blair is wonderful for its low-key ambient score that play sparingly into parts of the film as it add to drama and sense of loss that occur throughout the film while music supervisor Natasha Duprey provide a soundtrack of music that is played on location as it include a couple of pieces from the Butthole Surfers and Rolla Olak.

The casting by Kate Caldwell, Kara Eide, Melissa Kostenbauer, and Kris Woz is superb as it feature some notable small roles from Garry Chalk as one of the victims in the film’s opening sequence, Gabrielle Rose as an old woman living at the motel, Jonathan Tucker as Elwood’s intended target in Lila’s husband Mitchell, Joseph Lyle Taylor as Bernadette’s husband Tom, and Jared Abrahamson as a young mechanic named Paul who is asked by Elwood to help him retrieve the money he’s owed. Odessa Young is terrific as Sam’s niece Maggie as a teenage girl who helps him with the motel while pondering about her dad as well as her uncle’s own issues with the world in general. Rosemarie DeWitt is fantastic as Bernadette Barrett as a woman who had just lost her husband although she doesn’t feel anything about his passing leaning back to an on-again, off-again affair with Sam while dealing with some truths about her own marriage and how it fell apart.

Imogen Poots is excellent as Lila McCabe as a young woman who hired Elwood for a job only for things to get complicated as it relates to money as she deals with what she’s done prompting her to try and avoid Elwood anyway she can. Christopher Abbott is brilliant as Elwood as a hitman drifting from town to town for a job as he starts to unravel over his lack of payment as he displays a creepiness and an instability that makes him a dangerous person to encounter. Finally, there’s Jon Bernthal in an amazing performance as Sam Rossi as a former rodeo champion who has retired due to injury to run his late brother’s motel as he tries to keep things to himself and engage in his relationship with Bernadette where he later befriends Elwood unaware of who Elwood really is as he later becomes troubled by some of the violence that is happening in his town.

Sweet Virginia is a marvelous film from Jamie M. Dagg. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, an eerie music score, and a chilling premise that play into loss and mental illness. It’s a neo-noir film that doesn’t play by the rules while doesn’t emphasize a lot on plot in favor of character study. In the end, Sweet Virginia is a remarkable film from Jamie M. Dagg.

© thevoid99 2019

La La Land

Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, La La Land is the story of an aspiring actress who moves to Los Angeles where she meets a jazz pianist as they fall in love while trying to find success together in Hollywood. The film is a mixture of fantasy and reality as it play into the hopes and dreams of two people trying to make it in the city of dreams. Starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt, and J.K. Simmons. La La Land is a ravishing and evocative film from Damien Chazelle.

Set in the city of dreams that is Los Angeles/Hollywood, the film is an exploration of two people trying to reach their dreams as they struggle to make it as they lean on each other unsure if they both can succeed. While it’s a story that is often common with many old-school ideas of Hollywood of people going there and wanting to be part of that world. It is told in a very stylistic fashion as it play into this conflict of fantasy and reality which would blend in some respects for its two central protagonists in the jazz pianist Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and the aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) as they both go through many trials and tribulations in their journey to find fame and happiness. Damien Chazelle’s screenplay is mainly told in the span of an entire year structured by season where it begins with winter as the two are first seen in a traffic jam with Sebastian having road rage.

The two would meet again later on as it would play into an element of fantasy but then reality would return as they wouldn’t see each other again until Mia attends a party where Sebastian is playing in an 80s cover band. The two would forge a friendship that eventually becomes a romantic relationship bonded by their wishes to succeed where Mia wants to become an actress and succeed while Sebastian is hoping to open a jazz club where more authentic jazz music is played. Yet, they also have to contend with some form of reality whether Mia has to go numerous audition and cope with failure and rejection while Sebastian is forced to face some truth about the world of jazz where his ideas of the music is becoming extinct. Once the story reaches towards summer and fall, that specter of reality would come more and more into play but there is still some glimmer of what both Sebastian and Mia want for themselves and each other.

Chazelle’s direction isn’t just stylish but also play against many of the conventional aspects of modern-day cinema in favor of something that is more traditionalist and harkening back to the cinema of the past. The film’s opening sequence and musical number is a great example of what Chazelle is going for. It is set in a traffic jam in Los Angeles which lead to people singing as the usage of wide and medium shots capture the scope of what is happening as it’s all done in one entire take with a tracking shot without the need to cut. Many of the musical numbers would be presented in that similar approach as it doesn’t just play against some of the elements of what the genre had become but also creating something that is more dream-like and with a sense of fantasy. Aiding Chazelle in the dancing and how the choreography would play into the story is choreographer Mandy Moore who would provide moments of dance that has a sense of movement that help establish what is going on where it can be dazzling and intricate or just simple and somber.

The non-musical moments are still just as vital not only in playing to the story but also have the sense of intimacy as it relate to the conflicts that Sebastian and Mia are both going through. Especially in the film’s second half where they don’t just encounter failure but also what people will do to be successful. One noted montage sequence of Mia trying to do something to kick-start her own career while Sebastian would do something as a way to survive would show two people who love and care for each other going into diverging paths. The film’s third act set in the fall would be a moment where it is about facing not just reality head-on but also see if there is some kind of hope that can emerge. Notably as Chazelle would create something that mixes fantasy and reality into a scene that is just powerful which would be followed a more dazzling sequence towards the end of the film as it play into hopes and dreams of those who want something so bad to succeed on their own terms. Overall, Chazelle creates a majestic yet enthralling film about two people trying to make it in the city of dreams.

Cinematographer Linus Sandgren does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the way he captures every ounce of color in some of the dance sequences in day and night as well as the way some of the jazz clubs and restaurants are lit along with the gorgeous scene inside and outside of the Griffith Observatory. Editor Tom Cross does brilliant work with the editing as it doesn‘t play by modern-day editing rules as it favors something that is straightforward with some stylish montages and rhythmic cutting that play into some of the music. Production designer David Wasco, with set decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco and art director Austin Gorg, does excellent work with the design of the apartment homes of Sebastian and Mia as well as some of places they go to as well as the jazz club that Sebastian likes to hang out and the movie theater they would visit one night.

Costume designer Mary Zophres does incredible work with the costumes from the design and gorgeous colors of the dresses that Mia and the women wear as well as the look of the clothes for some of the dancers in the film. Visual effects supervisors Chris LeDoux, Tim LeDoux, and John L. Weckworth do fantastic work with the visual effects such as the floating dance sequence inside the Griffith Observatory and other sequences that help play into this world of fantasy. Sound designer/editor Ai-Ling Lee and sound editor Mildred Iatrou do superb work with the sound in the way some of the live music is presented as well as some of the sparse elements in the sound to play into the non-musical moments.

The film’s music by Justin Hurwitz is phenomenal as its score is a mixture of jazz and orchestral music to play into that air of excitement but also the dramatic elements of the film. The songs also help as most of them are written by Hurwitz and the duo of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul that help play into the situations and moods the characters are in while another original song written by Hurwitz, Marius de Vries, John Stephens, and Angelique Cinelu is a reflection of the kind of music that Sebastian doesn’t want to be a part of as the entire music score and soundtrack is a highlight of the film.

The casting by Deborah Aquila and Tricia Wood is terrific as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Josh Pence as a brother of Mia’s boyfriend early in the film, the trio of Callie Hernandez, Sonoya Mizuno, and Jessica Rothe as Mia’s roommates, Meagan Fay as Mia’s mother, Tom Everett Scott as a man named David who appears late in the film, Finn Wittrock as Mia’s boyfriend early in the film in Greg, and J.K. Simmons in a superb cameo appearance as a restaurant owner named Bill who wants Sebastian to play the music as it is. Rosemary DeWitt is excellent as Sebastian’s older sister Laura who tries to ensure her brother about the realities of the world but also hope that he can succeed. John Legend is brilliant as Sebastian’s old high school classmate Keith as a musician who leads a very popular and successful jazz-pop where he wants Sebastian to be a part of as a source of income.

Finally, there’s the duo of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone is spectacular performances in their respective roles as Sebastian Wilder and Mia Dolan. Gosling brings that air of frustration and determination into someone who is an ardent traditionalist towards jazz as he tries to do whatever he can to survive no matter how humiliating it can be. Stone provides that humility to her own role as a young woman that is just trying to succeed through audition after audition while displaying that air of charm that is so intoxicating. Gosling and Stone together have this chemistry that is just riveting to watch from how they sing and dance with each other to the moments where they cope with their own failures and desire to succeed.

La La Land is an outstanding film from Damien Chazelle that features sensational performances from Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Featuring beautiful visuals, an evocative music soundtrack, top-notch technical work, and a story that is definitely appealing in its conflict of reality and fantasy. It’s a film that doesn’t just create something that is entertaining enough for the audiences but offers a whole lot more about the dreams and hope of two people in the city of dreams. In the end, La La Land is a magnificent film from Damien Chazelle.

Damien Chazelle Films: Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench - Whiplash - First Man - Babylon (2022 film) - (The Auteurs #76: Damien Chazelle)

© thevoid99 2017

Nobody Walks

Directed by Ry Russo-Young and written by Russo-Young and Lena Dunham, Nobody Walks is the story of a young woman who moves into the guest home of a wealthy family to complete an art project where she unknowingly disrupt their life. The film is an exploration into a family whose quaint and idealistic life is shattered by an innocent outsider who has no clue what she had gotten herself into. Starring Olivia Thirlby, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt, India Ennenga, Dylan McDermott, and Justin Kirk. Nobody Walks is an intriguing yet mesmerizing film from Ry Russo-Young.

The film revolves around a 23-year old filmmaker who moves into the guest home of another filmmaker who will help her with the project she’s making as she finds herself getting involved in the life of this wealthy family. It’s a film that plays into a woman whose arrival doesn’t just create a bit of chaos in the life of this family but does it so without meaning to as she just needed help with her film. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just play into the ideas of a woman finding herself interfering a bit with the life of a family but also how things just happen amidst this chaos. Yet, the script doesn’t judge Martine (Olivia Thirlby) for her actions as she is just a young woman that needed help but she is also kind of flirtatious as she charms her host Peter (John Krasinski) where the two have a secret affair. Yet, things in Peter’s life become troubling when his therapist-wife Julie is dealing with a patient who reveals to have feelings for her while her daughter Kolt (India Ennenga) is dealing with growing pains and a creeping Italian tutor (Emanuele Secci).

Ry Russo-Young’s direction is very simple as she shoots the film largely on location in the Silver Lake area in Los Angeles. Russo-Young’s approach to hand-held cameras and the usage of close-ups and medium shots help play into the intimacy that looms throughout the film. Much of it is very loose in terms of how the actors are shown in the frame or in a scene such as a dinner sequence where Julie’s ex-husband Leroy (Dylan McDermott) shows up for a visit where it does make things a bit uncomfortable. The direction also feature some low-key humor but it’s mostly dramatic since it plays into this young woman needing help for her experimental film. The film-within-a-film is an experimental feature involving bugs where Martine just needed some sound as it plays like many experimental/art-driven films which play into Martine’s own personality. Even as she is someone that is in need of a home or companionship but manages to make a mess of things as she tries to fix them. Overall, Russo-Young creates an engaging yet low-key film about a young artist whose presence nearly causes trouble for a family.

Cinematographer Christopher Blauvet does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography in capturing the sunny look of the locations as well as creating some low-key lights for many of the film‘s nighttime interior/exterior scenes as well as Peter‘s sound room. Editor John Walter does nice work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward with some stylish jump-cuts to play into some of the dramatic moments into the film. Production designer Linda Sena and art director Mando Lopez do excellent work with the look of the home that Peter and Julie live in as well as Martine‘s guest home and the design of Julie‘s office.

Costume designer Kim Wilcox does terrific work with the costumes as it is largely casual with the exception of some of the stylish clothes that Martine wears. Sound designer Rich Bologna does fantastic work with the sound to create the many textures and sound effects that Martine needed for her film as well as capture some of the moments in the places the characters go to. The film’s music by Will Bates and the indie band Fall on Your Sword is wonderful for its mixture of dreamy and ambient music that plays into the Californian landscape while music supervisor Tiffany Anders brings in a mixture of folk and electronic music for the film’s party scene.

The casting by Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee is superb as it features some notable small roles from Jane Levy as Kolt’s classmate Caroline, Sam Lerner as another of Kolt’s classmate in Avi, Mason Welch as Peter and Julie’s son Dusty, Emanuele Secci as Kolt’s creepy Italian tutor, Rhys Wakefield as Peter’s assistant David whom Kolt has a crush on despite flirting with Martine, and Dylan McDermott in a terrific role as Julie’s ex-husband/Kolt’s father Leroy who arrives for dinner as he would create some discomfort for Martine and Peter. Justin Kirk is excellent as Julie’s patient Billy who reveals to her that he had dreams of having sex with her where a later encounter at the party makes Julie really uncomfortable. India Ennenga is fantastic as Kolt as Julie’s teenage daughter who deals with growing pains as she has a crush on step dad’s assistant while dealing with the strange teachings of her Italian tutor.

Rosemarie DeWitt is brilliant as Julie as a therapist who deals with Martine’s presence as well as her own issues as it’s a very low-key yet charming performance from DeWitt. John Krasinski is amazing as Peter as a filmmaker and stay-at-home dad who helps Martine do sound work on her film as he would fall for her only to deal with the implications of their tryst. Finally, there’s Olivia Thirlby in a phenomenal performance as Martine as this young artist who is seeking help to finish her experimental film as she is grateful for the help only to be flirtatious at times as it’s a very complex and charismatic performance from Thirlby.

Nobody Walks is a brilliant film from Ry Russo-Young that features incredible performances from Olivia Thirlby, John Krasinski, and Rosemarie DeWitt. With a captivating script and subtle themes on family, trysts, and art, it’s a film that doesn’t try to be or say anything but showcase the idea of needing to help and how someone can unknowingly screw things up. In the end, Nobody Walks is an amazing film from Ry Russo-Young.

© thevoid99 2016

Afterschool

Written, edited, and directed by Antonio Campos, Afterschool is the story of a video-obsessed high school student whose desire to film violence around him as him dealing with the death of two students as he becomes more confused with the world around him. The film is an exploration into the world of high school as it’s told from an outsider who doesn’t play by the rules as he holds the cards for what might’ve seen. Starring Ezra Miller, Addison Timlin, Jeremy Allen White, Emory Cohen, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Michael Stuhlbarg. Afterschool is a very cold and often un-involving film from Antonio Campos.

Set in a prep high school in the course of a year, the film is an exploration into the world of a sophomore student whose obsession for crazy Internet video clips of violence and sex has him dealing with the death of twin students whom he had witnessed as he tries to deal with what he saw. It would all play to this young teen not just dealing with what he’s witnessed but also take part in making a memorial video for these two twin girls he never really knew. It’s a premise that is very interesting but what Antonio Campos ends up creating is a story that tries to be unconventional but ends up being not very involving at times as he’s more concerned with visual ideas and such.

While the characterization of Robert (Ezra Miller) is compelling as this loner who likes to watch graphic Internet clips. Campos doesn’t do enough for some of the other characters with the exceptions of the school principal Mr. Burke (Michael Stuhlbarg), who is trying his best to maintain order, and the school shrink Mr. Anderson (David Costabile) who talks to Robert every week about what happened. It adds to some of the frustrating aspects of the script where it wants to be a very minimalist story but doesn’t carry enough depth or intrigue to really get things going.

Campos’ direction does have some unique compositions in terms of its framing and the use of grainy cell phone and digital cameras. Yet it is often presented with some sense of detachment of sorts where there’s little close-ups that occur where Campos want to go for some kind of minimalist approach to the filmmaking. Unfortunately, it’s lack of a strong plot makes the film much more plodding in its pacing where all of these quiet and gazing shots would become very tedious. With Campos also serving as the editor, he doesn’t do enough to really get things moving as he’s become too accustomed to the minimalist style where the overall result of the film is one that has a good idea but marred by its very pretentious execution.

Cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes does nice work with the film‘s cinematography from the polished look of the film to the grainy look of the video footage. Production designer Kris Moran, with set decorator Gina Freedman and art director William Logan, does excellent work with the look of the dorm room that Robert stays in along with the classrooms and such. Costume designer Katie Akana does terrific work with the costumes where it mostly plays to the look of prep schools. Sound designer T. Terressa Tate does superb work with the sound as it plays to the hushed dialogue that occurs in the schools and such along with the intimacy in some of the locations. The film’s music by Gale Rakotondrabe is OK as it’s just a piano piece that plays at the end of the film since the film doesn’t feature any music which adds to its tedious tone.

The casting by Randi Glass and Susan Shopmaker is great for the discovery of some of the young actors in the film though some of them are actually wasted in the film. Appearances from Emory Cohen as a classmate and Rosemarie DeWitt as an English teacher that Robert ogles at don’t get much to do while David Costabile is terrific as the school shrink Mr. Anderson. Michael Stuhlbarg is excellent as the school principal Mr. Burke who tries to maintain order and defuse some of the things that’s happening while talking to Robert to see if he’s OK.

Jeremy Allen White is pretty good as Robert’s roommate Dave as is Addison Timlin as their classmate Amy who helps Robert with the video though neither of them get much to do. Finally, there’s Ezra Miller in an amazing performance as Robert as this loner whose obsession with graphic Internet clips has him facing the reality of what he witnessed and what he’s going through as it’s a very chilling performance.

Despite the breakthrough performance from Ezra Miller, Afterschool is a pretty drab and uninspiring film from Antonio Campos which could’ve done so much more with its premise. It’s a film that had the potential in its exploration of voyeurism and alienation but ends up being very pretentious with trying to be very obtuse and such. In the end, Afterschool is a very dull film from Antonio Campos.

© thevoid99 2014

Margaret (2011 film)

Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, Margaret is the story of a young woman who feels responsible for causing an accident that left someone dead. In turn, she deals with the guilt over what happened while going through all sorts of things in her own life. The film is an exploration into the tumultuous life of a young woman who goes through lots of changes in her life as well as trying to find herself. Starring Anna Paquin, Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo, Kieran Culkin, Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt, J. Smith-Cameron, Matthew Broderick, Jeannie Berlin, Allison Janney, and Jean Reno. Margaret is a haunting yet mesmerizing film from Kenneth Lonergan.

What happens when a young 17-year old student distracts a bus driver where an accident is caused resulting in the death of a woman as this young woman deals with the guilt over what happened? That’s pretty much the idea of what this film is about as it explores a young woman named Lisa Cohen (Anna Paquin) whose life changes due to an accident she caused all because she asked this bus driver (Mark Ruffalo) about his cowboy hat while he was driving the bus. For Lisa, she deals with the guilt over what happened as she has no idea what to do as she tries to protect the driver since what he did was an accident yet when she meets him to discuss the accident. Things don’t go well as she decides to change her statement to the police while contacting a woman to help file a lawsuit against the bus company in hopes the driver gets fired.

While the story largely revolves around Lisa’s tumultuous life as she deals with guilt and loss, there is a subplot revolving around Lisa’s mother Joan (J. Smith-Cameron) who finds herself in a relationship with a man named Ramon (Jean Reno) which causes issues between the two women who already have a troubled relationship. Notably as Joan is a stage actress while Lisa is just a high school kid who likes to smoke and do crazy things. The accident definitely causes a rupture in their relationship where Lisa starts to act out more in school and later befriend the friend of a victim where they go for a lawsuit. Yet, Lisa’s behavior becomes more complicated over the guilt she deals with families of the victim gets involved as well as other aspects of her life including relationship with boys and her attraction towards her math teacher Aaron Caije (Matt Damon).

The script also allows to explore the dynamic between Lisa and Joan as they’re two different women who are going through changes in her life. While Joan is concerned over what happened to Lisa, she has no idea how to talk to Lisa who starts to become more detached and angry. Yet, Lisa would also deal with the realities of how things are handled with the police and the lawsuits as it would cause more complications about who she is. Particularly as she is this 17-year old high school student who is in the transition into becoming a woman.

Kenneth Lonergan’s direction is very entrancing for the way he presents this very dramatic story that contains very heavy themes. Shot on location in New York City in the Manhattan area, Lonergan does make the city a character in the story though he does go a bit overboard in utilizing lots of insert shots to help fill the story though some parts are effective. Notably as the camera gazes through the city to show a world where things are already moving on despite the incident that had just happened. Lonergan’s direction also has a lot of unique framing devices to help capture the sense of loneliness and detachment that Lisa is going through. There’s also a lot of shots that are stylized including the big accident scene where Lonergan uses the crane to express the sense of loss and longing that Lisa goes through.

Another part of Lonergan’s direction that is unique is the fact that film also features scenes at the Metropolitan Opera House to establish not just the world Joan is in but also the drama she’s facing in her own life. Other scenes such as school discussions about politics show Lisa becoming more aggressive in her arguments where she will sometimes go way too far. These are moments to establish this detachment and anger these two women are going through where they will vent to each other and say things to each other that intensify. Yet, Lonergan will find a way for the women to reconnect where both women will face something that would overwhelm them leading to a powerful ending. Overall, Lonergan creates a very strong yet harrowing film about guilt and loss.

Cinematographer Ryszard Lenczewski does excellent work with the film‘s photography as a lot of it is straightforward to complement the beauty of New York City in its day and nighttime settings. Editors Mike Fay and Anne McCabe, with additional work from filmmaker Martin Scorsese and his longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker, do superb work with the editing to play out the drama as well as some of its intensity as it includes some stylized moments in the non-dialogue scenes. Production designer Dan Leigh, with set decorator Ron von Blomberg and art director James Donahue, does nice work with the sets from the look of the apartments to the look of the school.

Costume designer Melissa Toth does terrific work with the costumes as a lot of it is casual with the exception of the scenes at the opera house. Sound designer Jacob Ribicoff does brilliant work with the sound to capture the low-key atmosphere of the opera houses to the more raucous scenes in some of the film‘s exteriors and phone conversations. The film’s music by Nico Muhly is amazing for its low-key orchestral pieces with some haunting arrangements on the strings while the soundtrack features an array of classical and operatic pieces along with some few indie-rock and hip-hop cuts in the party scenes that Lisa goes to.

The casting by Douglas Aibel is a major highlight of the film for the rich ensemble that was assembled for the film. Among those making small appearances include Krysten Ritter as salesgirl, John Gallagher Jr. as a friend of Lisa in Darren, Olivia Thirlby as a classmate of Lisa, Sarah Steele as Lisa’s friend Becky, Kieran Culkin as another classmate of Lisa whom she has sex with, Michael Ealy as a lawyer who advises Lisa, Jonathan Hadary as a lawyer who deals with the suit that Lisa is involved in, Cyrus Hernstadt as Lisa’s younger brother Curtis, Josh Hamilton as an actor Joan works with, and Rosemarie DeWitt as the wife of the bus driver. Other notable small roles include Matthew Broderick as a drama teacher, Allison Janney as the victim who is killed in the bus accident, and Jeannie Berlin as the victim’s friend Emily who helps out Lisa with the suit.

Jean Reno is wonderful as the very kind Ramon who falls for Joan as he tries to get to know Lisa. Matt Damon is excellent as Lisa’s math teacher Aaron Caije who is trying to understand Lisa’s behavior as well as her attraction to him. Mark Ruffalo is superb as the bus driver who causes the accident as he is aware of what he’s done while deals with Lisa’s aggressive manner towards him in the one scene they have together. J. Smith-Cameron is great as Lisa’s mother Joan who tries to deal with Lisa’s detachment while she falls for the businessman Ramon as she finds the escape she needed to deal with Lisa. Finally, there’s Anna Paquin in a remarkable performance as Lisa Cohen as a young woman dealing with tragedy as she becomes lost in her grief while becoming more angry over the way the world deals with what she is trying to do and such.

Margaret is an extraordinary yet engrossing drama from Kenneth Lonergan that features amazing performances from Anna Paquin and J. Smith-Cameron. The film is definitely an intriguing drama that explores the world of grief and detachment as well as interesting piece about the dynamics between mother and daughter. In the end, Margaret is a marvelous film from Kenneth Lonergan.

Kenneth Lonergan Films: You Can Count on Me - Manchester by the Sea

© thevoid99 2013

Promised Land

Directed by Gus Van Sant and screenplay by Matt Damon and John Krasinski from a story by Dave Eggers, Promised Land is the story of two corporate business officials who arrive at a small town in order to buy drilling rights from local residents only to deal with an environmentalist. The film is the story about the world of fracking as well as the battle between small towns and big businesses. Starring Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, John Krasinski, Rosemarie Dewitt, and Hal Holbrook. Promised Land is an interesting but lackluster film from Gus Van Sant.

Steve Butler (Matt Damon) is a consultant from a natural gas company called Global as he goes to a Pennsylvanian small town in the hopes to win over the locals so they can give them natural gas and still maintain their farmland. With the help of fellow consultant Sue Thomason (Frances McDormand), the two arrive to the town where they meet with a few locals to talk about what they do where things seemed fine at first. Even as Butler convinces a local official (Ken Strunk) about the prospects of natural gas and how it could help the town. During a town meeting, a retired schoolteacher in Frank Yates (Hal Holbrook) asks many question as he knows a lot about what Butler is doing though Butler tries to assure the locals that he has the right intentions.

After the disastrous meeting, Butler and Thomason try to figure out how to win back the town when an environmentalist named Dustin Noble (John Krasinski) arrives to reveal to the town about the dangers of fracking claiming he’s lost his family’s farm to fracking. For Butler, Noble’s arrival raises complications as they’re also competing for the affections of a local schoolteacher named Alice (Rosemarie Dewitt). Butler and Thomason continue to talk to a few people where they win over some as they want to hold a fair to win the town back. Still, Butler tries to deal with Noble’s presence as he eventually makes a discovery that would change everything including Butler’s view on the world.

The film is the story about a corporate consultant who hopes to help a small farming community in Pennsylvania by bringing natural gas in the hopes that everyone can make money and keep their farm. Yet, questions about fracking are raised as an environmentalist arrives to complicate matters forcing the corporate consultant to do whatever it takes to win over the people. While the subject of fracking is interesting since it plays to a lot of what is happening in the world of farming in America. The film also reveals the dangers where despite this interesting subject, the story starts to fall apart a bit towards the second half and its third act due to some preachy moments and a twist that causes the story to lose some steam.

The screenplay that Matt Damon and John Krasinski creates does raise a lot of interesting questions about fracking where they do their best to make the subject accessible without dumbing it down. The story eventually becomes the archetype of the little man vs. the big corporation where things do eventually become complicated. Steve Butler and Sue Thomason aren’t bad people as they’re just corporate officials with good intentions that just wants to help out farmers. They just find themselves in big trouble when questions are raised about what they do. When the Dustin Noble character arrives to the scene, he is this strange environmentalist who reveals the dangers of fracking where he would irk both Butler and Thomason for the fact that they’re confusing the people.

The subplot involving Butler and Noble trying to win the affections of the Alice character doesn’t work entire despite the fact that Alice is still a compelling character. It does reveal more about who Butler is as he came from a small farming town where he does reconnect with his roots while the people he meets know he’s just a good person. Though the script does play into conventions, it still is engaging until the third act where there’s a big twist revealed that is later followed by some heavy-handed moments that just makes the story fall apart.

Gus Van Sant’s direction is pretty good for the way he presents the world of Pennsylvanian farming and its small towns. Notably as he employs a lot of aerial shots of the locations as well as a few stylistic wide shots. Yet, the direction doesn’t really do a lot to make the story more engaging that it should be. Van Sant does put in some interesting framing in the way he presents the actors as well as few scenes that are stylized. Notably some scenes in the bar where Van Sant employs some moments of humor as well as a dramatic scene where Butler talks to a suspicious farmer (Scoot McNairy). Still, the direction doesn’t do enough to give it a more stylistic flair or to help bring the script more to life as it ends up being sort of pedestrian. Overall, Van Sant creates a film that is decent but ends up falling apart due to its third act where it becomes very preachy.

Cinematographer Linus Sandgren does excellent work with the photography to display the beauty of the Pennsylvanian farmland in its daytime exteriors while utilizing more low-key lighting schemes for the scenes at night in its exterior and interior settings. Editor Billy Rich does nice work with the editing where a lot of the cutting is straightforward though there‘s a few stylistic moments such as a split-screen conversation between Butler and Thomason as well a other stylized cuts. Production designer Daniel B. Clancy, along with set decorator Rebecca Brown and art director Gregory A. Weimerskirch, does terrific work with the set pieces from the look of the bar Butler attends to the motel he and Thomason stay at.

Costume designer Juliet Polcsa does good work with the costumes as a lot of it is very casual to maintain that world of small-town life. Sound editor Robert Jackson, along with mixers Leslie Shatz and Felix Andrews, does wonderful work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the bars and town meetings along with the intimacy of farm life. The film’s music by Danny Elfman is superb as the music is very low-key in its orchestral setting where there‘s not bombast but serene while music supervisor Brian Reitzell provides a soundtrack that is mostly filled with country music including a few cuts by Emmylou Harris.

The casting by Francine Maisler is great as it features some notable small appearances from Lucas Black as an eager young farmer, Scoot McNairy as a suspicious young farmer, Terry Kinney as Butler‘s boss, and Ken Strunk as local town official Gerry Richards. Hal Holbrook is brilliant in a small yet effective supporting role as a retired teacher/farmer who raises questions about fracking while knowing that Butler means well. Rosemarie DeWitt is wonderful as Alice as this teacher who is charmed by both Butler and Noble as she reveals to Butler about her own farm life.

John Krasinski is terrific as the very eager Dustin Noble as he is this environmentalist who is very likeable and charming in the way he presents his case while being the great sore eye to Butler. Frances McDormand is excellent as the no-nonsense Sue Thomason who helps Butler out while embracing the world of small town life as she tries to deal with Noble. Finally, there’s Matt Damon in a superb performance as Steve Butler as this corporate official who tries to win over the town only to deal with this young environmentalist as he tries to do whatever to assure the town that he’s just trying to help them.

Promised Land is a fine but lackluster film from Gus Van Sant. Despite an interesting subject matter and a stellar cast, it’s a film that falls apart due to some of its preachiness as well as a messy third act that includes a ludicrous twist. For fans of Gus Van Sant, this film is definitely one of his weakest though it does have moments that does show his unique visual flair. In the end, Promised Land is a very underwhelming film from Gus Van Sant.

Gus Van Sant Films: Mala Noche - Drugstore Cowboy - My Own Private Idaho - Even Cowgirls Get the Blues - To Die For - Good Will Hunting - Psycho (1998 film) - Finding Forrester - Gerry - Elephant - Last Days - Paranoid Park - Milk - Restless

The Videos & Shorts of Gus Van Sant - The Auteurs #4: Gus Van Sant

© thevoid99 2013

Rachel Getting Married

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 10/26/08 w/ Additional Edits.

Directed by Jonathan Demme and written by first-time screenwriter Jenny Lumet, daughter of legendary director Sidney Lumet, Rachel Getting Married tells the story of a woman about to be married as families from different cultures and worlds celebrate. About to attend this celebration is the bride's younger, troubled ex-model sister whose in-and-out trips to rehab hasn't stopped her volatile, abrasive personality. Upon her arrival, she has to deal with all of the family that goes on including a visit from her estranged mother as secrets from family closets lead to turmoil. The film is an exploration of family dynamics amidst in a moment for a woman's celebration to be wedded while watching her younger sister deal with all of her troubles and its source. With an all-star cast that includes Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Anna Deavere Smith, TV on the Radio vocalist Tunde Adebimpe with a cameo from hip-hop legend Fab 5 Freddy, and Debra Winger. Rachel Getting Married is a charming yet harrowing drama from Jonathan Demme.

It's a big weekend coming as Rachel Buckman (Rosemarie DeWitt) is getting married with friends and family watching. Arriving to attend the wedding ceremony is Rachel's younger sister Kym (Anne Hathaway) who is currently attending rehab for substance abuse. Clean for nine months though her abrasive personality is still in tact, the ex-model is picked up by her father Paul (Bill Irwin) and stepmother Carol (Anna Deavere Smith). Paul is extremely concerned for Kym's safety as Kym sees Rachel along with Rachel's friend Emma (Anisa George). Kym also meets Rachel's fiancee Sidney (Tunde Adebimpe) as Kym wonders if her mother Abby (Debra Winger) will show up.

Kym attends a near-by addicts meeting where she meets Kiernan (Mather Zickel), who is Sidney's best man. Yet, Kym learns that Emma is Rachel's maid of honor as Kym gets all dramatic until Rachel has Kym become the maid of honor. During a rehearsal dinner where Kym meets Sidney's family, Abby along with her husband Andrew (Jerome LaPage) show up. During the exuberant dinner, Kym gets her chance to speak as she talks about amends in her dark yet comical presentation. After the dinner, the family drama between Kym and Rachel becomes intense when Rachel makes a big announcement. With the wedding day getting closer, Rachel isn't sure if bringing Kym to the wedding is a good idea.

Kym meanwhile, begins to reveal the source of her troubles during an addicts meeting that involved the death of her younger brother Ethan many years ago. Things get worse during an innocent contest between Sidney and Paul where a plate that belonged to Ethan was accidentally shown. The drama intensifies at a salon when a man encounters Kym over some family secrets that she revealed during rehab that angers Rachel. Another family meeting with Paul and Carol watching reveals some heavy moments leaving Kym upset as Kiernan tries to put some perspective into what Kym had said in her meetings. When Kym goes to her mother, the family secrets over Ethan's death boils over driving Kym distraught. With the wedding now happening and Kym behaving, everyone celebrates as Kym ponders about herself and the fractured relationship she has with her family.

Any film set in a wedding celebration makes for a classic case for a dramatic template. Even when there's some family drama that is surrounding it. What makes this film unique is that it's about a celebration and the one person who is bringing all of the emotional baggage to that celebration. Of course, if it was done in a Hollywood-style type of drama. It would feel often false, contrived, and ends with a cheesy happy ending. Fortunately, Jonathan Demme and first-time screenwriter Jenny Lumet don't go for that route and instead take its time to study the characters and the surrounding that goes on.

Lumet's screenplay is truly top-notch as she explores the unique dynamic between a family and all of its dysfunction. In the center of all of this are the two sisters, Kym and Rachel. Kym is filled with a lot of guilt while is hanging by a thread on the brink of collapse while wanting attention and such. Rachel is a woman who is about to get married and is trying to cope with Kym's presence and the fact that Kym is willing to do a lot to ruin things. Watching all of this is their father who is extremely protective of Kym as he even suggests that she should return home for good so he can watch her. Along with his wife Carol, another person that's watching the drama from afar is their mother Abby. The distant woman is revealed to be part of the source to not just her divorce with Paul but also some of the family drama that goes on including the death of their son, Ethan.

What Lumet reveals is a lot of family secrets with everyone carrying some guilt as well as pointing the fingers over what happened. Yet, the ending clearly shows that this family still needs to figure things out while trying to help Kym, who is clearly fragile despite her selfish behavior. While the film is mostly dramatic, there are some touching moments like the rehearsal dinner, the wedding, and reception where it's clearly unique with this diverse group of people. While Lumet's script is definitely brilliant in its study of family dynamic and key characters. It's presented wonderfully and intimately in the hands of its director Jonathan Demme.

Taking cues from his work in documentary as well as the Dogme 95 cinematic style filled with hand-held cameras, no artificial lighting, on location sets, and on-location sound. Demme creates a film where the audience feels and acts like participants in the wedding and family drama that is unfolding. Yet, his approach to the direction is atmospheric and welcoming where the audience is immediately aware that they're watching something that might be going on in real life. Particularly the way he presents the drama with close-ups and perspective shots to reveal what the character is seeing and such.

Demme's direction is truly superb from the way he presents each scene to how the wedding celebration and reception is captured in all of its exuberance. Demme, whose feature-film work had often become conventional in recent years has finally returned to his improvisational, independent filmmaking roots. In this film, Demme creates probably his best and most poignant film since 1986's Something Wild.

Cinematographer Declan Quinn does excellent work with the film's natural, hand-held, Dogme 95 filmmaking style. Shot with digital, high-definition cameras including home video cameras, the film has a look and immediacy that plays true to the Dogme 95 style. The look of the film is grainy yet atmospheric in its look and coloring as it's definitely feels real as opposed to the flashy, sometimes artificiality of Hollywood films. Editor Tim Squyres does great work in the film's editing with the use of jump-cuts and transitions to create a rhythmic feel to the film. Squyres' work is truly superb in its sense of rhythmic cutting, smooth pacing, and immediacy to help Demme in what he wants in the direction of the film.

Production designer Ford Wheeler along with set decorator Chryss Hionis and art director Kim Jennings do a fantastic job with the look of the traditional home of Paul's house, the posh look of Abby's home, and the look of the wedding and its reception. With all of its Indian look and such including great costume design by Susan Lyall, the film has a unique, worldly look that looks inviting to the point that the audience wants to attend a wedding like this. Sound editor Paul Urmson and designer Blake Leyh create great, natural sounds to capture the atmosphere and tension of the film's drama and celebration scenes.

The music by composers Donald Harrison Jr. and Zafer Tawil is wonderfully diverse with mostly on-location playing of string instruments of violins and mandolins. With additional music ranging from hip-hop, indie rock, and world music, contributing to the film's rich soundtrack are TV on the Radio vocalist Tunde Adebimpe singing a Neil Young song and two original songs sung on location by Robyn Hitchcock, who makes a cameo.

The casting by Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey is truly unique with an array of memorable roles and appearances where along with Robyn Hitchcock, two different icons make cameo appearances. Legendary indie film icon Roger Corman and hip-hop icon Fab 5 Freddy make some noteworthy appearances. Other small but memorable roles that stand out include Mel Jones as a speaker at the wedding, Roslyn Ruff as Kym's nurse in the opening scene, Andre B. Blake as a man who knew Rachel at a rehab meeting, and Jerome Le Page as Abby's husband Andrew. Other notable standout performances come from actors as Sidney's family including Kyrah Julian as his sister, Herreast Harrison as his grandmother, Gonzales Joseph as the cousin, and Carol Jean Lewis in a great role as Sidney's mother.

Mather Zickel is excellent as Kiernan, Sidney's best man and a recovering addict who sympathizes with Kym's issues as he tries to show perspective about addiction and recovery to her family. Anisa George is also excellent as Rachel's friend Emma who doesn't get along with Kym as she gets upset when she loses her role as maid of honor and tries to make Kym feel horrible. TV on the Radio vocalist Tunde Adebimpe is great as Sidney, the man who would marry Rachel as he makes himself part of the family while being the caring guy for both Rachel and Kym. Anna Deavere Smith is wonderful in a small but noteworthy role as Carol, Paul's wife who is trying to keep the peace in the family as she watches all the family drama unfold. Debra Winger is brilliant in her role as Kym and Rachel's distant, aloof mother who watches from afar over Kym's behavior unaware that she might've caused all of the problems in the family.

Bill Irwin is superb in his role as Paul, the family patriarch who is excited over the wedding and Rachel's happiness while extremely concerned for the well-being of Kym. Irwin's performance is filled with light, comical touches in his expressions as well as sadness over the fact that he lost a son and with regrets over how Kym had fallen. Irwin's performance is truly noteworthy and definitely a highlight of the film. Rosemarie DeWitt is great as the title character, Rachel, as she is trying to get ready for the happiest day of her life while dealing with her sister's presence. DeWitt brings a sense of anger and jealousy as she tries to one-up her sister in attention and often wins while having immense hatred for Kym in how Kym tries to be the center of attention. DeWitt is really the anchor of the film as her performance truly stands out as she gets her chance to shine.

If Rosemarie DeWitt is the film's breakthrough performance, then her co-star and lead Anne Hathaway is the film's real revelation and break-out performance. Known mostly for light-hearted comic fare like The Princess Diaries films, Ella Enchanted, The Devil Wears Prada, and most recently, Get Smart. Hathaway had always shown that she can do dramatic roles in films like Nicholas Nickelby, Becoming Jane, Havoc, and Ang Lee's 2005 masterpiece Brokeback Mountain. Yet, none of these films could reveal the pain and angst that Hathaway reveals in her role as Kym where Hathaway brings a raw, fiery, and stripped-down performance. There's moments where Hathaway brings a personality filled with selfishness and diva-esque where she makes her character at times, unlikeable yet reveal that there's something complex about Kym.

Hathaway exudes all of the troubles that Kym is as even when she's not speaking or just struggling, there's a performance that definitely makes the audience re-think of what she can do. There's comical moments in Hathaway's performance but it's often done with sarcasm, wit, and off-putting as opposed to her other light-comedic film work. While many will say that her performance is her trying to get an Oscar nomination, it's those performance that actually work where Hathaway proves that there's more to her than her beauty, winning smile, and comic charm.  It's in this performance that proves that Anne Hathaway is truly one of the best young actresses working today.

Rachel Getting Married is definitely one of the year's best films and certainly Jonathan Demme's most stylish film since 1986's Something Wild. Thanks in large part to Jenny Lumet's character-driven screenplay and the performance of Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Bill Irwin, it's a film that is harrowing yet charming. Fans of Anne Hathaway will be surprised in what the young actress can do while a new discovery is made in Rosemarie DeWitt. With a great soundtrack and a wedding/reception scene that is enjoyable to watch, it's a wedding that certainly anyone would love to attend. In the end, Rachel Getting Married is a film that is truly surprising, inviting, and real thanks to the grand yet intimate vision of director Jonathan Demme.

Jonathan Demme Films: (Caged Heat) - (Crazy Mama) - (Fighting Mad) - (Handle with Care) - (Last Embrace) - (Melvin and Howard) - (Who Am I This Time?) - (Swing Shift) - Stop Making Sense - (Something Wild) - (Swimming to Cambodia) - (Married to the Mob) - (The Silence of the Lambs) - (Cousin Bobby) - (Philadelphia) - (Storefront Hitchcock) - (Beloved) - (The Truth About Charlie) - (The Agronomist) - (The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)) - (Neil Young: Heart of Gold) - (Man from Plains) - (Neil Young Trunk Show) - (Neil Young: Journeys) - (A Master Builder) - Ricki & the Flash

© thevoid99 2011