Last Night in Soho

 

Directed by Edgar Wright and screenplay by Wright and Kirsty Wilson-Cairns from a story by Wright, Last Night in Soho is the story of a young woman whose love for 1960s fashion and culture travels to London to study fashion where she finds herself transported to the 1960s where she meets a young aspiring singer unaware of what is really going on. The film is suspense-drama with elements of fantasy as it plays into a young woman dealing with the truth about the times as well as trying to figure who killed this young singer back then. Starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, Michael Ajao, Terence Stamp, Rita Tushingham, and in her final performance, Diana Rigg. Last Night in Soho is an eerie yet whimsical film from Edgar Wright.

The film revolves around a young woman who goes to London to study fashion as her love for the 1960s has her transported to that time where she meets an aspiring singer whom she believed would later be killed by her pimp. It is a film that explore a woman’s obsession for a period in time she had never lived in where she finds herself going back in the 1960s where she follows the life of a young aspiring singer who ends up going into a dark path that lead to her death as she wants to know who killed this young woman. The film’s screenplay by Edgar Wright and Kristy Wilson-Cairns follows the desire of its protagonist Eloise “Ellie” Turner (Thomasin McKenzie) who has largely been raised by her grandmother Margaret “Peggy” Turner (Rita Tushingham) following the death of her mother when Ellie was a kid. Ellie’s love for 60s fashion, music, films, and culture has her wanting to go to London where she gets accepted to the London College of Fashion. Yet, she is mocked for her taste by her snobbish roommate Jacosta (Synnove Karlsen) though she does befriend another student in John (Michael Ajao).

Ellie would then accept an open invitation to live in the house of an old woman in Ms. Collins (Diana Rigg) upon she pays rent where she takes a job at a pub where the first night she stayed at the house. She is transported to the 1960s where she meets Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy) who goes to a club where she catches the attention of a man named Jack (Matt Smith) who promises her the chance to be a singer at another club. Yet, things don’t go well as Ellie suspects this silver-haired old man (Terence Stamp) as Jack who keeps following Ellie claiming she looked like someone he recognized after Ellie had dyed her hair blonde. Adding to the chaos that Ellie endures is that she has strange visions that are probably connected to the fact that her mother was a schizophrenic as she starts to see things including ghosts that also includes a ghost of her mother (Aimee Cassettari). Through what Ellie sees with Sandie, it does commentate on the roles women had to play in order to reach their dreams as there is a feminist commentary about what Sandie had to endure and Ellie is dealing with as it relates to Sandie’s own plight.

Wright’s direction definitely owes a lot to films from the 1960s including the British cinema of that period where it is shot on location in London and in the Soho area as well as areas outside of London where Wright manages to showcase the Soho area of what it looked like in the 1960s and how it looked like in the 2020s. Wright’s usage of the wide and medium shots do capture a lot of detail into these locations as they are characters in the film as is the London College of Fashion as it showcases a modern world that is trying to distance itself from the past with Ellie being this anomaly who prefers the music of the past than what everyone else is into. Even as she is treated terribly by Jacosta forcing her to sleep outside of her room where there’s a party while John accidentally drank her can of Coke. Wright’s direction definitely knows when to play into the drama and some of the humor though the film opens in a light-hearted manner of Ellie dancing wearing a newspaper dress she created.

Wright’s usage of close-ups do add to the drama and suspense as the first shot of Ellie meeting Sandie in a mirror and how much they mimic each other in that sequence showcase Wright’s flair for style in the dancing where both Sandie and Ellie are dancing with Jack. It is among these images along with these fantasy scenes of Ellie trying to save Sandie whose dream to be a singer doesn’t go as planned as it is this reality that Ellie has a hard time coping. Even as things begin to blur in the third act where Ellie sees ghosts as she wonders if she is crazy or is she really seeing something that really did happen to Sandie. It all play into the roles women had to play then to get what they want in life but also the compromises they made where Ms. Collins would warn Ellie that a lot of bad things happened in London in the 1960s but people prefer not to talk about it. Overall, Wright crafts a thrilling and evocative film about a young woman who goes back to the 1960s to avenge the murder of a young woman from that period.

Cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of lighting to play up the Soho-London nightlife of both the 1960s and 2020s as well as emphasizing on natural lighting for some of the daytime interior/exterior scenes including at the classroom where Ellie and other students try to create their own fashion designs. Editor Paul Machliss does excellent work with the editing with its stylish usage of fast-cuts as well as montages to play into some of the chaos that both Ellie and Sandie would endure. Production designer Marcus Rowland, with set decorator Judy Farr and supervising art director Tim Blake, does amazing work with the look of the room that Ellie rents as well as Ms. Collins’ home as well as some of the places in the 60s including the ballrooms. Costume designer Odile Dicks-Mireaux does fantastic work with the costumes from some of the homemade clothes that Ellie has created including her casual clothing to some of the stylish clothes that Sandie wears.

Hair/makeup designer Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou does nice work with the look of the characters from the hairstyle that Sandie has as well as the different hairstyles that Ellie would sport as well as the look of the characters in the 60s and the Halloween party scene. Special effects supervisor Stephen Hutchinson and visual effects supervisor Gary J. Brown do terrific work with the visual effects in some of the effects as it relates to Ellie and Sandie looking at each other in the mirror as well as the design of the ghosts that Ellie sees. Sound designer Ben Meechan, with sound editors Dan Morgan and Julian Slater, does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations and settings as well as the effects as it play into this blur of reality and fantasy.

The film’s music by Steven Price is wonderful for its orchestral score as it feature some low-key themes as well as some bombastic string-based pieces for some of the suspense while music supervisor Kirsten Lane creates an incredible music soundtrack that features pieces by Sandie Shaw, Cilla Black, Peter & Gordon, the Who, the Kinks, the Searchers, Dusty Springfield, John Barry, the Graham Bond Organization, the Walker Brothers, R. Dean Taylor, James Ray, Barry Ryan, Rory Gallagher, and Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich as well as non-60s music pieces from Siouxsie & the Banshees and Anya Taylor-Joy singing a couple of 1960s classics.

The casting by Nina Gold and Martin Ware is remarkable as it feature some notable small roles from James and Oliver Phelps as cloakroom attendants, Michael Jibson and Lisa McGrillis as a couple of detective Ellie goes to in the third act, Beth Singh as the famed singer Cilla Black, Pauline McLynn as the bar-owner Carol that hires Ellie, Aimee Cassettari as Ellie’s mother, Elizabeth Berrington as Ellie’s professor, the trio of Jessie Mei Li, Kassius Nelson, and Rebecca Harrod as Jacosta’s friends, Sam Claflin as a punter that Sandie meets in a montage, and Margaret Nolan in her final film performance in a brief performance as a barmaid at a club that Sandie works at. Synnove Karlsen is terrific as the snobbish Jacosta who is briefly Ellie’s roommate who thinks Ellie is homely and the embodiment of uncool. Rita Tushingham is fantastic as Ellie’s grandmother Peggy as a woman who encourages Ellie to reach her dream but also remind her that there is always need for help.

Michael Ajao is excellent as John as a fashion student that Ellie befriends as he is one of the few kind people she meets as he is also concerned about Ellie’s behavior yet does believe that her claims are true. Terence Stamp is brilliant as the silver-haired man who follows Ellie in Soho after she dyed her hair blonde because she reminds him of someone where Stamp brings that ambiguity into his identity yet is someone that isn’t fond of the past. Matt Smith is amazing as Jack as a man who frequents at clubs who promises Sandie all of the things to expect only to use her for his own financial means as he has this devilish charm to him that is also menacing. In her final film performance, Diana Rigg’s role as the landlady Ms. Collins is truly an incredible finale for the famed British film/TV icon as this old woman who is fascinated by Ellie but also harbor secrets of her own as there is a charm to her but also someone who lived in the 1960s through its good times and bad times as it is really a performance that for the ages with Rigg at least going out a winner.

Finally, there’s the duo of Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie in phenomenal performance in their respective roles as Sandie and Ellie. Taylor-Joy’s performance as the aspiring singer with a sense of style in Sandie is one of charisma and energy as someone who has a lot of talent but is unable to deal with the harsh realities of the world as it lead to some dark turns. McKenzie’s performance as the fashion student in Ellie is a more reserved character who prefers the music and culture of the 1960s than today’s culture as she deals with being in the 1960s and later what happened to Sandie where McKenzie sells a lot of the sense of fear but also someone who wants to bring some kind of justice towards a world when women didn’t have a lot of choices.

Last Night in Soho is a sensational film from Edgar Wright that features great performances from Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy as well as a towering finale from Diana Rigg. Along with its ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, story of reality and fantasy in a world dominated by men, and a phenomenal music soundtrack. The film is definitely a riveting and genre-bending thriller that explores a young woman’s fascination with the past only to realize that there were also a lot of dark things that happened that would repress another young woman from reaching her dreams. In the end, Last Night in Soho is a spectacular film from Edgar Wright.

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

© thevoid99 2021

Teorema

Written and directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, Teorema is the story of a wealthy family whose upper-class lifestyle is turned upside down when they invite a stranger into their home. The film is a study of a family from Milan who endure some serious revelations upon inviting this man into their home as they cope with their identities and their environment. Starring Terence Stamp, Laura Betti, Silvana Mangano, Massimo Girotti, Anne Wiazemsky, and Ninetto Davoli. Teorema is a majestic and surreal film from Pier Paolo Pasolini.

Set in the bourgeoisie world of Milan, the film revolves around a wealthy family who invite a mysterious visitor to their home for a brief stay as his presence would turn their world upside down. It is a film with a simple premise as it play into a family who spent much of their lives living in the bourgeoisie society as they’re not fully aware of what the world around them. Pier Paolo Pasolini’s script doesn’t feature a conventional plot, despite featuring a straightforward narrative, nor does it feature a lot of dialogue in favor of characters reacting to this mysterious and unnamed visitor (Terence Stamp). The visitor’s presence would create a reaction to this family including its maid Emilia (Laura Betti) who is suffering from depression as her encounter with the visitor has her facing many things. The visitor’s time at this home is only for the film’s first half but his impact would play a major key role in the film’s second half as it relates to the family.

Pasolini’s direction is largely straightforward in its compositions yet it does contain an element of surrealism as it relates to the world of this bourgeoisie family as it is also shot on location in and around Milan. There are some wide and medium shots of the locations as well as the home of this family yet Pasolini also uses it to convey the sense of isolation this family lives in as it is clear that their lack of interaction outside of their environment has made them too comfortable. Here in this strange visitor, the bubble that this family is living in proves to full of faults and fallacies as the visitor is someone who would inspire each member of the family in some way. The usage of the close-ups and medium shots add an intimacy to what Pasolini is conveying in how each of the family members and the maid deal with this visitor.

While much of the film’s first half is straightforward, there are elements that are surreal that would include recurring images of gray and dusty landscapes. The second half of the film is where Pasolini brings in a lot of these surreal moments as they’re more about these revelations of this family and their own individual needs and wants. Pasolini also play into the idea of spirituality as well as some of the harsh realism of the modern world since the family patriarch Paolo (Massimo Girotti) runs a factory as he is already troubled by some of the growing tension between factory workers and those in charge. By the film’s third act where Paolo and his film start to unravel in different ways, it all play into these ideas of existentialism as well as identity. Notably as it features Paolo and the recurring images of the gray landscape that he’s been thinking about as well as the lack of depth in the bubble he had lived in for many years with his family. Overall, Pasolini crafts an entrancing and eerie film about a mysterious visitor’s time at the home of a Milanese bourgeoisie family and its aftermath.

Cinematographer Giuseppe Ruzzolini does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography to capture the lush colors of the locations within the family home that is a direct contrast to the more realistic look of the locations in and outside of Milan with the opening shots of the film presented in a sepia-like filter. Editor Nino Baragli does amazing work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts for the recurring images of gray landscape that appear every now and then as well as rhythmic cuts to play into the drama. Art director Luciano Puccini does excellent work with the look of the family home with its stylish rooms that play into the personality of the characters.

Costume designers Roberto Capucci and Marcella De Marchis do fantastic work with the costumes with Capucci creating lavish and stylish clothes for the family matriarch to wear with De Marchis creating clothes for the other characters that are posh but casual. The sound work of Bernardino Fronzetti is superb for its atmosphere of the locations at the home where it’s tranquil in comparison to the noisier world of industrial-driven Milan. The film’s music by Ennio Morricone is tremendous for its mixture of lush orchestral music mixed in with elements of jazz that is driven by horns as well as a bit of rock n roll while its soundtrack features a classical piece from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The film’s incredible cast feature some notable small roles from Ninetto Davoli as the postman Angelino, Adele Cambria as a maid also named Emilia, Alfonso Gatto as a doctor, Susanna Pasolini as an old peasant, and Laura Betti as the family maid in Emilia whose encounter with the visitor has her dealing with ideas of spirituality. Andres Jose Cruz Soublette is superb as the young man Pietro who rooms with the visitor as he would later cope with his identity as well as the world he lives in. Anne Wiazemsky is fantastic as the family daughter Odetta who is a young woman of innocence as someone who cares for her father as her meeting with the visitor has her thinking about men in a sexual way as it becomes an emotional revelation for her.

Massimo Girotti is excellent as the family patriarch Paolo as a man who owns and runs a factory who becomes ill as he also copes with the world of industrialization and social turmoil as well as dreams of a land where his encounters with the visitor forces him to see things differently. Silvana Mangano is amazing as Lucia as the family matriarch whose encounter with the visitor awakens her own sexual desires as she deals with the trappings of her own surroundings where she would go into an existential journey of her own. Finally, there’s Terence Stamp in a sensational performance as the visitor as this mysterious young man who is a guest at this home where he doesn’t do much other than just read books, play with a dog, and other casual activities as he is also someone that doesn’t reveal exactly who he is as Stamp just plays it straight in an understated yet ravishing performance.

Teorema is a spectacular film from Pier Paolo Pasolini. Featuring a great cast, lush visuals, a riveting music score by Ennio Morricone, and a study of identity and lifestyle. The film is a provocative and rapturous film that explores the life of a bourgeoisie family as their world goes upside down following a strange visit from a mysterious young man as it play into the many faults of the upper-class and their disconnection with the rest of the world. In the end, Teorema is a phenomenal film from Pier Paolo Pasolini.

Pier Paolo Pasolini Films: (Accattone) – (La Rabbia) - Mamma Roma - (Location Hunting in Palestine) – (The Gospel According to Matthew) – (Love Meetings) – (The Hawks and the Sparrows) – The Witches (1967 film)- The Earth Seen from the Moon - (Oedipus Rex) – (Porcile) – (Medea (1969 film)) – (Appunti per un film sull’India) – (Notes Towards an African Orestes) – The Decameron - The Canterbury Tales - Arabian Nights - Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom

© thevoid99 2020

The Sicilian

Based on the novel by Mario Puzo, The Sicilian is the story of a notorious bandit named Salvatore Giuliano who tried to liberate Sicily from Italy in the late 1940s as he would also defy the Mafia and other forces who would have him killed. Directed by Michael Cimino and screenplay by Steve Shagan with contributions from Gore Vidal, the film is an unconventional bio-pic that plays into the rise and fall of Giuliano as he is played by Christopher Lambert. Also starring John Turturro, Joss Ackland, Barbara Sukowa, Richard Bauer, Ray McNally, and Terence Stamp. The Sicilian is a rich yet gripping film from Michael Cimino.

The film is about the life of Salvatore Giuliano who was considered to be modern-day Robin Hood for the people of Sicily in the 1950s who defied the rich, the Mafia, and others in power. In the course of his journey from being this simple bandit to being the ultimate enemy for Italy, there is this story of a man who had survived death and tragedies but would eventually become his worst enemy as he thinks he is a savior to the people of Sicily. Instead, he ends up angering those with power including a Mafia leader in Don Masino (Joss Ackland), who wants to become an ally, as it would lead to his death in 1950. Yet, Giuliano’s death wouldn’t just happen because of himself but also in how the world works where Giuliano thinks that the people of Sicily wants land but things become more complicated as the people eventually lose faith in him.

The film’s screenplay that is largely re-written by Gore Vidal plays into that world of a man falling for his own myth yet it begins and ends with Giuliano’s mentor in Professor Hector Adonis (Richard Bauer) who would meet the man that killed Giuliano. The first act is about Giuliano’s rise and how he believes he is immortal as he is joined by his cousin Gaspare “Aspanu” Pisciotta (John Turturro) in stealing bread for the poor. Giuliano’s action in being a bandit forces him to realize he has to do more for the people in Sicily as he would take on the Mafia, the rich, and the corrupt world of politics and religion. Giuliano’s actions would get Don Masino’s attention as he wants to meet him through Adonis but Guiliano would often refuse in an act of defiance. The film’s second act is about Giuliano becoming this mythic figure as he would gain some allies as well as detractors in Italian minister Trezza (Ray McNally) as well as the intrigue of Sicily’s Prince Borsa (Terence Stamp) whose wife Camilla, Duchess of Cortone (Barbara Sukowa) would be seduced by Giuliano.

One aspect of the script that is unique is Vidal’s dialogue which is very stylized and direct where it does play into some of the film’s campy tone in some respects though it’s not overly camp. One aspect of the script that doesn’t work involves some of the character development where much of the women characters like Camilla and Giuliano’s girlfriend Giovanna (Giulia Boschi) are underwritten while some of Giuliano’s motivations definitely become one-note as his development isn’t as smooth or as intricately-written as it could’ve been. Fortunately, characters like Adonis, Pisciotta, and Don Masino manage to be fleshed out more as Don Masino is an unconventional antagonist since he admires Giuliano’s determination while wanting to ensure that he doesn’t get harmed where there is this very strange father-son relationship between the two. Yet, it’s a relationship that Giuliano doesn’t want and it would eventually regret it once it becomes clear that Giuliano doesn’t have the power he once had as politicians and religious organizers come together to stop him.

Michael Cimino’s direction is very sprawling in the way he presents the film as an epic of sorts set in Sicily. Shooting on location in the island, much of Cimino’s approach is to go for something that plays to not just his love for epics with his use of the wide shots and shooting on vast locations with a lot of coverage. Some of it is a homage to some of the Italian epics in terms of the compositions and settings that Cimino wanted to create. There’s also some unique close-ups and medium shots that Cimino would use to play into the drama and suspense as some of the violence is quite brutal including some very terrifying execution scenes where Giuliano kills those who betray him. There is a fluidity to not just the tracking shots and hand-held camera shots that Cimino creates throughout the film but also in how it plays into some of these scenes where it is about the situations and the characters involved.

The element of camp isn’t told in a comical manner but rather in a style that is a bit over-the-top in terms of the delivery of some of the film’s dialogue along with a few scenes where there’s some dancing. It’s one of the few aspects of the film that doesn’t work where Cimino wanted to inject something more light-hearted in a film that is often quite grim and operatic. Notably as the tone of the film gets much darker in the third act when Giuliano is tasked to stop Communist party members from voting where his intention was to scare them. Instead, something tragic happens where it plays into Giuliano’s fall as well as the reality of what he’s facing as it becomes clear over who is really in charge and how out of touch he has become with the people he wants to help. All of which would lead to the inevitable as its aftermath would only play into Giuliano’s legend. Overall, Cimino crafts a very engaging and mesmerizing film about a bandit’s rise and fall.

Cinematographer Alex Thomson does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the gorgeous yet naturalistic look of the locations around the Sicilian mountains as well as some stylish usage of lights for some of the nighttime interior/exterior scenes including some of the shots in Palermo. Editor Francoise Bonnot does excellent work with the editing in creating some unique rhythmic cuts to play into its action and suspense as well as some of the drama. Production designer Wolf Kroeger and art director Stefano Maria Ortolani do amazing work with the set pieces from the lavish home of Prince Borsa to the many places in Palermo where many of the characters go to.

Costume designer Wayne A. Finkelman does terrific work with the costumes with most of the rugged look of Giuliano and his men to the more lavish dresses that Camilla wears. Sound editor Fred J. Brown does superb work with the sound from the gunfire sounds from afar as well as some of the chaos that goes on with crowds and also in some of gunfights that occur. The film’s music by David Mansfield is fantastic for its orchestral-driven score that is operatic at times but also somber with some themes that play into Giuliano and Giovanna’s relationship while the soundtrack includes a lot of music of the late 1940s.

The casting by Deborah Brown is great as the cast features some notable small performances from Ramon Bieri as the town mayor Quintana, Andreas Katsulas and Derrick Branche as a couple of Giuliano’s men who were former mob enforcers, Joe Regalbuto as a priest who warns Giuliano of what he is doing, Michael Wincott as an army corporal who joins Giuliano, Barry Miller as a professor who arrogantly defies Don Masino, Stanko Molnar as Giovanna’s Communist brother, Trevor Ray as a barber Giuliano knew as a boy, Justin Clark as a young boy who would become part of Giuliano’s band of brothers, and Ray McNally as a scheming minister who tries to stop Giuliano only to push buttons and eventually take some drastic matters into his own hands. Giulia Boschi is pretty good as Giuliano’s girlfriend Giovanna who tries to cope with his actions while having her own views about the way things work.

Barbara Sukowa is terrific as the Duchess Camilla who is wowed by Giuliano’s determination as she becomes a supporter of sorts for his cause. Richard Bauer is excellent as Giuliano’s mentor Professor Hector Adonis as someone who tries to guide Giuliano into taking a path while dealing with Don Masino as they both realize how crazed Giuliano has become. Terence Stamp is wonderful in a small yet noteworthy role as Prince Borsa as this rich figure in Sicily who often sees everything from afar while getting to know Giuliano where the two strike a deal of their own. Joss Ackland is brilliant as Don Masino as this revered and intimidating Mafia head who has a strange admiration for Giuliano as he tries to protect him from the rich and powerful in Italy only to realize how troubled he’s become. John Turturro is fantastic as Aspanu who is very loyal to his cousin Giuliano while doing all sorts of things only to realize how crazy it’s becoming.

Finally, there’s Christopher Lambert in a superb performance as Salvatore Giuliano as this bandit who wants to rebel against the rich and powerful in Italy to help the people of Sicily only to lose sight of his original intentions. Though it’s a performance that is flawed as Lambert would often be seen as stone-faced for much of the film, he does manage to convey some charisma and determination into the character.

The Sicilian is an excellent film from Michael Cimino. Thanks to a great cast and some amazing visuals, the film is one of Cimino’s finer films though it is quite flawed. Yet, it is a film that captures a world that is quite fascinating in a time period where old Italy is to meet a new world. Especially one that is much more violent and unforgiving as it is shown through Cimino’s eyes in its uncut 146-minute version. In the end, The Sicilian is a superb film from Michael Cimino.

Michael Cimino Films: Thunderbolt and Lightfoot - The Deer Hunter - Heaven’s Gate - Year of the Dragon - Desperate Hours (1990 film) - The Sunchaser - To Each His Own Cinema-No Translation Needed - The Auteurs #35: Michael Cimino

© thevoid99 2014

Spirits of the Dead

Histoires extraordinaire (Spirits of the Dead) is an omnibus film from Federico Fellini, Louis Malle, and Roger Vadim that takes three different stories based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe. The three segments each explores the world of horror in many different ways as well as individuals who deal with their sins. The result is a truly fascinating and entertaining omnibus film from Federico Fellini, Louis Malle, and Roger Vadim on the works of Edgar Allen Poe.

Metzengerstein

Directed by Roger Vadim. Screenplay by Roger Vadim, Pascal Cousin, and Daniel Boulanger. Starring Jane Fonda and Peter Fonda. Cinematographer Claude Renoir. Editor Helene Plemiannikov. Production designer Jean Andre. Costume designer Jacques Fonteray. Music by Jean Prodromides.

The segment is about a countess who has inherited a renowned estate as she lives a life of debauchery and excess with no consequences. When she is rejected by her baron cousin who lives nearby, she seeks vengeance only to get a mysterious horse that she becomes attached to. It’s a piece that is filled with an array of beautiful imagery through Roger Vadim’s direction as well as sense of style in the way the clothes display that sense of decadence as well as the sense of guilt and melancholia that Countess Frederique Metzengerstein (Jane Fonda) would deal with over what she did to Baron Wilhem Berliftizing (Peter Fonda). Even as the mysterious horse in a tapestry the countess has might play into the fate that she would encounter with the horse she had just received where both Fonda siblings give fantastic performances where Jane speaks perfect French while Peter is more quiet as his lines are dubbed in French.

William Wilson

Directed by Louis Malle. Screenplay by Louis Malle, Clement Biddle Wood, and Daniel Boulanger. Starring Alain Delon and Brigitte Bardot. Cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli. Editors Franco Arcalli and Suzanne Baron. Production/costume designer Ghislain Uhry. Art director/costume designer Carlo Leva. Music by Diego Masson.

Louis Malle’s segment explores the life of a cruel young man (Alain Delon) who shares the same name of a doppelganger who would set the rights of what his counterpart has done. Yet, it has a narrative that is told in a reflective manner as Wilson confesses to a priest (Salvo Radone) about the rivalry he has with his doppelganger dating back to childhood where it would culminate in a game where Wilson tries to cheat a socialite named Giuseppina (Brigitte Bardot). It’s a very complex and eerie film about identity and such that features a brilliant Alain Delon that is complemented by Malle’s very intense and mesmerizing direction as well Bardot’s very charming and cool performance.

Toby Dammit

Directed by Federico Fellini. Screenplay by Federico Fellini and Bernardino Zapponi. Starring Terence Stamp. Cinematographer Giuseppe Rutunno. Editor Ruggero Mastroianni. Production/costume designer Piero Tosi. Art director Fabrizio Clerici. Visual effects by Joseph Nathanson. Music by Nino Rota.

The segment is about a washed-up Shakespearean actor who goes to Rome to accept an award and to star in a Catholic western as he starts to lose his mind following an encounter with a little girl who lost her ball. It’s a film that is filled with many of the visual traits of Federico Fellini as it’s all style where it’s playful but also gorgeous to look at thanks to Giuseppe Rutunno’s cinematography. The film also features a truly delightful score by Nino Rota that also features a truly magnificent sequence of the titular character driving all over Italy on a Ferrari as he’s played with such complexity by Terence Stamp who adds a melancholia and craziness to the character.

The film is about the sins and such of various individuals all told in very different places as the segments by Roger Vadim and Louis Malle are all period pieces that do play with Edgar Allen Poe’s story. In Metzengerstein, Vadim decided to make Poe’s story about a long-standing family feud be more complex as its protagonist would become a woman as she falls for her rival only to be upset by his rejection. In William Wilson, Malle sets his story in the 19th Century Austria where it plays into a man’s identity and the idea of a double where his double is man that is the exact opposite of the other man.

Both Vadim and Malle bring a sense of faithfulness to their respective stories yet it is Federico Fellini who does a whole lot more in his loose-adaptation of Never Bet the Devil Your Head where he sets in modern-day Italy as it’s all full of style to play up the troubled mind of an alcoholic actor as he’s doing interviews and attend a lavish party that has him realize how undeserving he is as he’s being paid a Ferrari to do a film. It’s Fellini’s segment that is the best of the three as well as one of his most outstanding works of his career.

Histoires extraordinaire is a marvelous omnibus film that chronicles the work of Edgar Allen Poe. Featuring some fantastic segments by Roger Vadim and Louis Malle that features excellent performances from Jane and Peter Fonda, Brigitte Bardot, and Alain Delon. The film also features a magnificent segment by Federico Fellini that is one of his great masterworks that includes an incredible performance by Terence Stamp. In the end, Histoires extraordinaire is a remarkable omnibus film from the trio of Federico Fellini, Louis Malle, and Roger Vadim.

Federico Fellini Films: (Variety Lights) - The White Sheik - (L’amore in Citta-Un’agenzia matrimoniale) - I Vitelloni - La Strada - Il bidone - Nights of Cabiria - La Dolce Vita - (Boccaccio ‘70-Le tentazoni del Dottor Antonio) - 8 1/2 - Juliet of the Spirits - (Fellini: A Director’s Notebook) - Fellini Satyricon - (I Clowns) - Roma - Amarcord - Casanova - Orchestra Rehearsal - City of Women - And the Ship Sails On - Ginger and Fred - (Intervista) - (The Voice of the Moon)

Louis Malle Films: (The Silent World) - (Elevator to the Gallows) - (The Lovers) - (Zazie dans la Metro) - (Vive le Tour) - (A Very Private Affair) - (The Fire Within) - (Viva Maria!) - (The Thief of Paris) - (Calcutta (1969 film)) - (Murmur of the Heart) - (Humain, trop humain) - (Lacombe, Lucien) - (Black Moon) - (Pretty Baby) - (Atlantic City (1980 film)) - (My Dinner with Andre) - (Crackers) - (Alamo Bay) - (God’s Country) - (And the Pursuit of Happiness) - (Au Revoir Le Enfants) - (May Fools) - (Damage) - (Vanya on 42nd Street)

Roger Vadim Films: (And God Created Woman) - (No Sun in Venice) - (The Night Heaven Fell) - (Les laisons dangereuses) - (Blood and Roses) - (Please, Not Now!) - (The Seven Deadly Sins) - (Love on a Pillow) - (Castle in Sweden) - (Vice and Virtue) - (Circle of Love) - (La Curee) - (Barbarella, Queen of the Galaxy) - (Pretty Maids All in a Row) - (Helle) - (Ciao! Manhattan) - (Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman) - (The Murdered Young Girl) - (Game of Seduction) - (Night Games) - (Hot Touch) - (Surprise Party) - (And God Created Woman (1988 film))

© thevoid99 2013

The Limey

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/24/04 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Cinema in the 1970s brought not just a return to realism but also paved the way for new actors, notably those who looked like guys next door or the guys who just came out of the street. Guys like Charles Brosnan and Clint Eastwood weren’t guys that were very pretty but they could kick your ass. They weren’t the tallest guys; the strongest, or buffed up, they were some serious dudes that are likely to be one of the last guys standing. Then after the 70s ended, guys like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenagger came in with their beefy, macho-like roles that not many guys could relate to except in the terms of violence. Then in 1999, fresh off his comeback film Out of Sight, independent film director Steven Soderbergh decided to return to that old-school genre of realistic tough guys for his 1999 movie entitled The Limey.

Directed by Soderbergh and written by Lem Dobbs, The Limey is about an old British ex-con named Wilson who goes to Los Angeles to investigate the death of his estranged daughter. Learning that her murder was with involvement by a 1960s record producer and his goons, Wilson pursues the truth while having very few friends and an increasing number of enemies. With a non-linear approach to the film’s story, Soderbergh and company goes for a more idiosyncratic tone of the film while remaining true to its storyline. Starring 60s icons Terence Stamp and Peter Fonda in leading roles along with Soderbergh regular Luis Guzman with Lesley Ann Warren, Barry Newman, Bill Duke, Joe Dallesandro, Nicky Katt, Amelia Heinle, and Melissa George. The Limey is a stylish, entrancing crime drama that is both sinister and seductive.

A former convict named Wilson (Terence Stamp) has arrived to Los Angeles from London after hearing the news that his daughter Jenny (Melissa George) had just been killed. Having not seen his daughter for many years since his conviction for robbery, Wilson wants answers as he meets a man named Eduardo Roel (Luis Guzman). Roel believes that Jenny was killed by a man named Terry Valentine (Peter Fonda), a record producer from the 1960s, whom Jenny had been dating as Wilson tries to find more answers about Valentine. After confronting a foreman (William Lucking) and some goons, he sends a message to one of the goons to tell Valentine that he's coming for him. While Valentine hears the news in his home at the Hollywood Hills from his advisor Avery (Barry Newman), he asks Avery to take care of things.

Wilson meanwhile, meets Elaine (Lesley Ann Warren) who was a friend of Jenny from an acting class as she tells him more about his daughter. When Wilson goes to Valentine's house for a party with Roel, they realize that they have to wait as he sends a message by killing one of Valentine's bodyguards prompting Avery to hire a couple of men named Stacy (Nicky Katt) and Uncle John (Joe Dallesandro) to find Wilson. With Wilson spending more time with Elaine as he reveals his regrets, a planned hit on Wilson backfires due to the involvement from the DEA as an officer (Bill Duke) who reveals some news to Wilson about some drugs relating to Valentine. Wilson, Roel, and Elaine go on a trip to Big Sur as Wilson is ready to confront Valentine over the death of Jenny.

What makes The Limey such a majestic crime drama is how Soderbergh approach Dobbs’ screenplay into a non-linear, idiosyncratic style. The film plays like a crime drama but with a more restrained, subtle tone with references to the past and present. The film is really more of a tribute to the 1970s crime dramas since it captures that tone but with a new cinematic style with Soderbergh’s diverse directing style of hand-held camera movements and wondrous steadi-cam shots. Even though it’s set in Los Angeles, the film also contains a British feel with not just Stamp but also the films of Ken Loach and John Boorman. Loach’s debut film Poor Cow is even shown for flashback scenes involving Stamp’s character. Dobbs’ script is also idiosyncratic, especially with its stylized, campy dialogue about the 1960s, women, and all sorts of stuff, especially with Stamp’s cockney accent that plays well to British-American dialogue where Roel asks Elaine “Do you understand half the shit he’s saying?”

With Dobbs’ script and Soderbergh’s direction in tow, credit should also go to Edward Lachman for his lush, dreamy cinematography. With shades of blurry blue for flashback scenes, Lachman captures a translucent, colorful tone of the movie that is evocative in its presentation and works well with Soderbergh’s directing style. Helping the film in its non-linear style is editor Sarah Flack, who brings a stylized, jump-cut like editing style while using the scenes from Poor Cow to convey the style that Soderbergh wanted that is masterfully presented. With Gary Frutkoff in the production design, the film does have that L.A. look, notably in the houses of Valentine. Former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer and longtime Soderbergh collaborator Cliff Martinez brings a haunting, melancholic piano film score with his broken notes to convey the sadness of Wilson. The film’s music aside from Martinez’s score is filled with electronic tracks from Danny Saber along with lovely cuts from the Hollies, Boston, Doobie Brothers, David Crosby, Steppenwolf, and kicking things off for the movie, The Who’s The Seeker.

Then, there’s film-amazing cast with wonderful performances from its actors. While Melissa George was only seen in flashbacks, she was wonderful in her scenes while Amelia Heinle is gorgeous in the role of Peter Fonda’s girlfriend, who doesn’t know what people like Avery are doing with Fonda. Nicky Katt and Joe Dallesandro are excellent as Avery’s goons with Katt delivering great one-liners and Dallesandro having a great moment playing mentally challenged in a pool hall scene. Bill Duke, in an uncredited cameo, is excellent as the tough-as-nails DEA agent who is more concerned about the drugs rather than the money in a hilarious dialogue-driven scene with Stamp. Barry Newman is wonderful as Valentine’s advisor who is like a crime boss, trying to protect his man and is willing to do anything for Valentine, especially if it meant confronting a guy like Wilson. Lesley Ann Warren gives a lovely, understated performance as Elaine with her motherly, frustrated role in scenes with Stamp where she is angry with him but also feels sorry for him because he lost his child and blames himself for it.

The film’s best supporting performance easily goes to Luis Guzman as Eduardo Roel, with his street-wise, comic, and conscience-driven performance. Guzman in ways plays Sancho Panza to Stamp’s Don Quixote since Roel is trying not to get in trouble, after having serving time for his misdoings. He also makes sure that Wilson doesn’t do anything stupid or do anything huge while becoming the only ally that Wilson has. This is clearly one of Guzman’s best performances, as he remains one of the most versatile, and underrated actors of the industry. Fresh off his comeback performance in Ulee’s Gold, Peter Fonda brings another iconic-like performance as Valentine with his restrained, creepy performance that is very complex in its charm where underneath it, there’s a fear and sadness. Fonda brings a masterful performance in a role that isn’t really villainous but more of someone who is in anticipation for something to happen while he is unsure what to do. This is indeed one of the best performances from Peter Fonda.

Terence Stamp delivers probably one of his best performances in years after being in small, supporting roles where he came out flawless, even in bad films. Stamp is complex in his anger and sadness as he plays a man, living with regret trying to find some closure to his shortcomings as a father. In scenes involving his anger, his physique may not be the kind that would help win a fight but the determination and conviction is strong. In more dramatic scenes, we see Stamp in top form where he brings his own flaws where he doesn’t bring out sympathy but also a man who really wants to have a second chance. Stamp has wonderful chemistry with Warren and Guzman while this film truly gives him the comeback he deserves.

The Limey is a majestic crime film from Steven Soderbergh with great performances from Terence Stamp, Peter Fonda, and Luis Guzman. While the film may not be up to par with sex, lies, & videotape, Out of Sight, or Traffic, it’s one of Soderbergh’s best films that made good on his comeback after being idiosyncratic in the early 90s. Fans of 1970s crime films will find something refreshing about The Limey especially with icons like Stamp and Fonda in their roles while they get a nice dose of tough-guy attitudes. In the end, The Limey is just a movie that makes you feel good while wanting to play up to that Cockney dialogue.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray's Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean's Eleven - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-Equilibrium - Ocean's Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean's Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird)

The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2011