Wonderstruck

 

Directed by Todd Haynes and written by Brian Selznick that is based on his own novel, Wonderstruck is the story of a young deaf boy whose story parallels with the story of a deaf young girl from 50 years before as they try to find some mysterious connection that only they know. The film is a story about two kids who encounter something that only they can understand in a world that is complicated. Starring Oakes Fegley, Millicent Simmonds, James Urbaniak, Amy Hargreaves, Tom Noonan, Michelle Williams, and Julianne Moore. Wonderstruck is a majestic and ravishing film from Todd Haynes.

Set in both 1927 and 1977, the film follows two paralleling narratives involving two different kids who both embark on a journey of self-discovery as it relates to their own families but also a place where they can belong despite their deafness. It’s a film that is about not just loss but also the need to find some idea of family and a sense of belonging where the centerpiece of this journey relates to an exhibit in a museum. Brian Selznick’s screenplay does follow this paralleling narrative that takes place both in 1927 for this young girl named Rose (Millicent Simmonds) and in 1977 for this boy named Ben (Oakes Fegley) who are both connected in some way though the latter became deaf in a strange freak accident. The former is a young girl who lives at her father’s house in New Jersey who collects clipping of pictures of this famous silent film actress in Lillian Mayhew (Julianne Moore) just before the emergence of sound would come into cinema.

The latter is a boy who just lost his mother Elaine (Michelle Williams) in an accident as he lives with his aunt and cousins where he finds one of his mother’s belongings believing that’s where his long-lost father is. Rose is someone who is fascinated by this actress as well as create paper sculptures that would annoy her father prompting her to run away from home as it would be a similar situation for Ben as he decides to leave Minnesota to find his father as the destination for both Rose and Ben is New York City. Both of them are in the search for someone yet they also encounter an exhibit at a museum as the stories parallel one another with some surprising revelations that connects them both.

Todd Haynes’ direction is definitely stylish yet also magical in the fact it takes place in two different time periods with the 1927 portion shot in black-and-white and the 1977 portion shot in color. Shot on location in New York City for both settings but also in Peekskill, New York as some of the scenes in the older parts of the city as well as parts of Minnesota. Haynes employs a lot of paralleling imagery in some of the wide and medium shots in some of the locations that both Rose and Ben would venture into as well as some of the intimate moments as Rose often comes into conflict with her father while Ben is just trying to get to his old cabin that he lived with his mother unaware that it’s going to be sold. There are also some close-ups as it often play into the plight that Rose and Ben have with Rose being someone who was born deaf and is just eager to be loved while Ben is just confused as he can hear very little but has a hard time with his newfound deafness where Haynes’ camera is often playing up this sense of anguish and confusion.

Haynes’ presentation in some of the silent films that Lillian Mayhew stars in is a homage to the silent films of the past but also this emergence of change that is to emerge as there’s a lightness to the camera movements as it include a lot of scenes without sound to show the idea of being deaf. There are also scenes during the third act as it play into revelations that both Rose and Ben endure into their own destination but also their fascination into the world themselves when they both visit the Metropolitan Museum of Arts as it relates to a book about a certain exhibit that Rose encountered. A book that Ben believes belonged to his father with a bookmark from a store that maybe the key to the whereabouts of his father. What Haynes does is parallel these events which would represent an air of salvation for not just Rose and Ben but also in how they’re connected. Overall, Haynes craft an intoxicating and touching film about two deaf kids from different periods of time trying to find themselves and to be loved.

Cinematographer Edward Lachman does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of stylish lighting textures and schemes for many of the scenes set in 1977 to play up the look of the films of the 70s while the scenes in 1927 are shot in black-and-white to play into the world that Rose encounters. Editor Affonso Goncalves does amazing work with the editing in creating some stylish yet seamless cuts to create transitions for the two narratives and find a way to match them that include a few stylish montages. Production designer Mark Friedberg, with set decorator Debra Schutt plus art directors Ryan Heck and Kim Jennings, does brilliant work with the look of the cabin Ben and his mom used to stay in as well as the house Rose lived in with her father as well as some of the panoramas and such the two protagonists would encounter. Costume designer Sandy Powell does excellent work with the costumes from the dress that Mayhew wears for a play rehearsal and some of the clothes of 1927 to the stylish yet colorful clothing of the 70s.

Special effects makeup artists Adam Bailey and Michael Maddi do fantastic work with the look of a few characters including an old woman that Ben sees whom he would meet later on. Visual effects supervisor Louis Morin does nice work with the visual effects as it largely feature some set-dressing for some scenes in New York City in both 1927 and 1977 along with some other visuals in the panoramas that both kids encounter. Sound mixer Drew Kunin does superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of some of the locations but also the little bits of sound that Ben would hear in his growing deafness along with the lack of actual sounds to play into Rose’s perspective. The film’s music by Carter Burwell is incredible for its somber orchestral score that appears mainly in the Rose sequences with its string arrangement flourishes but also in some playful organ music for Mayhew’s film as well as some stylish ambient-style pieces while music supervisor Randall Poster cultivate this wondrous music soundtrack that features pieces by Robert Fripp & Brian Eno, Little Esther Phillips, Rose Royce, Gene Austin, Sweet, Eumir Deodato, and David Bowie including a performance of Space Oddity by the Langley Schools Music Project.

The casting by Laura Rosenthal is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Lauren Ridloff as a maid at Rose’s home in Pearl, Amy Hargreaves as Ben’s Aunt Jenny, Murphy Guyver as a security officer who catches Rose, Morgan Turner as one of Ben’s cousins in Janet who goes to his cabin to smoke and wear her aunt Elaine’s clothes, Raul Torres as a museum worker in 1977, James Urbaniak as Rose’s father Dr. Kincaid, Jaden Michael as a kid named Jamie that Ben meets who helps him out as his father works at the museum, Corey Michael Smith as a museum worker that Rose meets in Walter, and Tom Noonan as a bookstore owner. Michelle Williams is brilliant in her small role as Ben’s mother Elaine as she is seen in flashbacks as someone who doesn’t tell Ben about his father while is trying to maintain her own life not knowing what is going to happen.

Julianne Moore is incredible in a dual role as the silent film actress Lilian Mayhew and an old woman that Ben sees at the museum as the latter is someone that is a frequent visitor as Ben would see her again later while the former is this luminous presence as an actress on the screen while is also someone else off-screen upon her meeting with Rose. Oakes Fegley is remarkable as Ben as a young kid in the 1970s who becomes deaf in a freak accident as he deals with his newfound deafness but also the loss of his mother as well as the need to find his father. Finally, there’s Millicent Simmonds in a phenomenal performance as Rose as a deaf girl who is enamored with this silent film star while dealing with the cruelty she gets from her father. Though it is a largely silent performance, Simmonds conveys a lot of angst and emotion into her performance as she is a true discovery.

Wonderstruck is a sensational film from Todd Haynes that feature two great leading performances from Oakes Fegley and Millicent Simmonds. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, study of identity and family, a mesmerizing music score and soundtrack, and its study of living with deafness. The film is an enchanting film that doesn’t just explore two kids dealing with their deafness and place in the world as it is a film about the desire to connect as it is one of Haynes’ more accessible films. In the end, Wonderstruck is a spectacular film from Todd Haynes.

Todd Haynes Films: Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story - Poison - Dottie Gets Spanked - Safe (1995 film) - Velvet Goldmine - Far from Heaven - I'm Not There - Mildred Pierce (2011 TV Miniseries) - Carol (2015 film) - Dark Waters (2019 film) – The Velvet Underground – The Auteurs #3: Todd Haynes

© thevoid99 2022

Manhunter

Based on the novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, Manhunter is the story of a FBI profiler who comes out of retirement to find a serial killer and capture him while dealing with his own past and demons relating to another serial killer he had captured years ago. Written for the screen and directed by Michael Mann, the film is a suspense-thriller that has a man trying to find a killer and his approach to murder as he also has to get help from the man who had been haunting him for much of his life. Starring William Petersen, Kim Greist, Joan Allen, Dennis Farina, Stephen Lang, Tom Noonan, and Brian Cox as Dr. Hannibal Lecktor. Manhunter is a riveting and eerie film from Michael Mann.

The film revolves around a FBI profiler who is coaxed out of retirement to find a serial killer as he tries to understand what the killer is doing while still reeling from past demons relating to capturing another serial killer in Dr. Hannibal Lecktor. It’s a film that is more about a man trying to understand what this killer is doing after he had killed a couple of families in Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta while is aware that the killer is trying to play mind games on him. Michael Mann’s screenplay is a character study of sorts as it relates to the FBI profiler Will Graham (William Petersen) who had retired a few years ago after capturing Dr. Lecktor where he later had a mental breakdown that lead to his retirement. It was friend and fellow FBI agent Jack Crawford (Dennis Farina) who asked Graham to come out of retirement due to a series of murders as Graham reluctantly agree as a promise to his wife Molly (Kim Greist) to not be involved in any action other than examine.

Graham’s method in trying to see what a killer is thinking and how he would approach things added to his mental breakdown as he would turn to Dr. Lecktor for advice which would only make things worse as Graham is trying to maintain his sanity. The killer known as the Tooth Fairy (Tom Noonan) because of the bite marks he would leave on his victims wouldn’t be seen until the film’s second half as he is revealed to be an admirer of Dr. Lecktor’s work as a reporter in Freddy Lounds (Stephen Lang) would complicate things for Graham who would use Lounds to lure the Tooth Fairy with Graham choosing to be bait. Yet, the Tooth Fairy is a man that is entranced by certain details and has a hard time coping with reality leading to an eventual showdown between him and Graham.

Mann’s direction is definitely stylish for some of the visual presentation he creates in a film that is more about a man trying to understand a killer rather than go after him in a frantic manhunt. Shot on various locations in Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, St. Louis, Washington D.C., and parts of Alabama, the film does play into an investigation that is filled with intrigue but also uncertainty into what is happening as two of the murders happened in Atlanta and Birmingham where Mann uses the locations to help play into the atmosphere along with these family home movies of the victims. While Mann uses wide shots to establish some of the locations as well as the attention to detail in the home of the Tooth Fairy. Much of his direction emphasizes on close-ups and medium shots to get some of the details into what Graham is trying to look for. Notably in the camera movements where Graham would go into the homes of the victims to see how the Tooth Fairy might’ve done his murders as well as the surroundings outside of the house for clues.

The scenes with Dr. Lecktor are very low-key and intimate where even though the character only appears in three scenes in the film. He does make a chilling impression as someone that feels vindicated that he’s managed to make Graham uneasy but is willing to help him to see who is trying to copy him which adds to the dark nature of the film. There aren’t many moments in the film that are violent other than the killing of a few characters and its climax involving the Tooth Fairy, a blind woman named Reba McClaine (Joan Allen), and Graham. Still, Mann maintains that need to understand what the Tooth Fairy is doing and where he might be just as the man seems to be finding a sense of normalcy only to deal with the realities of the world and what he must do. Overall, Mann creates a gripping and evocative film about a FBI profiler trying to catch a killer and understand his methods without trying to lose his sanity.

Cinematographer Dante Spinotti does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as it is infused with style with some bluish filters for a few scenes at night involving Graham and his wife along with the usage of green lights to play into the world of the Tooth Fairy as well as exterior scenes at night including its climax with stylish approach to lighting. Editor Dov Hoenig does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, slow-motion freeze-frame shots, and other stylish cuts that play into the suspense. Production designer Mel Bourne and art director Jack Blackman do amazing work with the look of the Tooth Fairy’s home as well as the offices and home that Graham and his family live in. Costume designer Colleen Atwood does nice work with the costumes as it is mainly straightforward that include some of the clothes that the Tooth Fairy wears including his disguise which has an element of dark humor.

Special makeup designers John Caglione Jr. and Doug Drexler do terrific work with the look of the Tooth Fairy as it has this creepiness to who he really is. Special effects supervisor Joe Digaetano does wonderful work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects that play into a dream sequence of Graham seeing one of the victims. Sound editor Robert R. Rutledge does superb work with the sound in creating an atmosphere as well as capturing sound for tape recorders and other effects that help add to the suspense. The film’s music by Michel Rubini and the Reds is brilliant for its electronic-based score with some ambient textures and eerie synthesizer arrangements that add to the drama and suspense with a few songs from the Prime Movers, Red 7, and Shriekback to add to some of the drama as well as a chilling usage of Iron Butterfly’s In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida for its climax.

The casting by Bonnie Timmerman is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Paul Perri as Dr. Sidney Bloom who is concerned about Graham’s mental condition, David Seaman as Will and Molly’s son Kevin Graham who would ask his father about what happened to him and Dr. Lecktor, Frankie Faison as a St. Louis police lieutenant, Chris Elliott as a FBI official, and Benjamin Hendrickson as Dr. Frederick Chilton who is the warden at the prison that is holding Dr. Lecktor. Stephen Lang is superb as the reporter Freddy Lounds whom Graham doesn’t like as he would stir trouble forcing Graham and Crawford to use him as a way to get the Tooth Fairy’s attention for an ad that eventually leads to trouble. Kim Greist is terrific as Graham’s wife Molly as a woman who is worried for her husband as she knows what he has to do as she would have a moment to deal with the possible presence of the Tooth Fairy.

Joan Allen is fantastic as Reba McClaine as a blind co-worker of the Tooth Fairy that would fall for him unaware of who he really is as she would also unknowingly spark jealousy for him. Dennis Farina is excellent as Jack Crawford as Graham’s partner who coaxes Graham out of retirement while helping him with the investigation while also keeping an eye on him for Graham’s wife to ensure that Graham doesn’t lose it. Tom Noonan is amazing as Francis Dollarhyde/the Tooth Fairy as a mysterious serial killer who is a fan of Dr. Lecktor’s works prompting him to do his own killings as a way to deal with ills of the world as well as his fascination for certain individuals and the world they live as it’s a restrained yet chilling performance from Noonan.

Brian Cox is incredible as Dr. Hannibal Lecktor in a role that is small yet impactful in terms of the discomfort he brings into the film. It’s a performance that also requires restraint where Cox doesn’t do anything creepy other than just talk and showcase some dark humor as it is his most iconic performance of his career. Finally, there’s William Petersen in a phenomenal performance as Will Graham as a FBI profiler who is coaxed out of retirement to investigate a series of murders where he tries to understand what Dollarhyde is doing while coping with his own demons following his capture of Dr. Lecktor forcing him to take action to find the Tooth Fairy.

Manhunter is a spectacular film from Michael Mann that features tremendous performances from William Petersen, Tom Noonan, and Brian Cox. Along with its ensemble cast, study on forensics and investigation, chilling tone, Dante Spinotti’s entrancing photography, and a haunting music soundtrack. The film is definitely a tier-top suspense drama that is more about character and ideas rather than action that adds to the sense of intrigue not often common with suspense films. In the end, Manhunter is a sensational film from Michael Mann.

Michael Mann Films: The Jericho Mile – Thief (1981 film) - The Keep – L.A. Takedown – The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film) - Heat – The Insider – Ali – Collateral – Miami Vice – Public Enemies (2009 film) – Blackhat - Blackhat - Ferrari - (Heat 2)

Related: (Silence of the Lambs) – (Hannibal) – (Red Dragon) – (Hannibal Rising) - The Auteurs #73: Michael Mann Pt.1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2019

Anomalisa

Directed by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson and written by Kaufman that is based on his own play under the pseudonym Francis Fregoli, Anomalisa is the story of a lonely man who meets a woman at a hotel in Cincinnati prompting him to realize not everyone is identical to him. Presented in a stop-motion animated film, the film is an exploration of a world where everyone is the same as a man copes with that sense of loneliness in his life. Featuring the voices of David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tom Noonan. Anomalisa is a mesmerizing yet evocative film from Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson.

The film revolves around a man who is arriving to Cincinnati for a conference he’s holding on customer service as he copes with his loneliness and the decisions he’s made in his life as he meets a woman he would fall for. It takes place in the span of 24 hours as this man is dealing with the fact that he is probably one of the few who feels different as everyone else around sounds or look the same. Charlie Kaufman’s screenplay is filled with a lot of dialogue that play into the internal and emotional crisis that the film’s protagonist in Michael Stone (David Thewlis) is going through. Many of the people he encounter all kind of have the same face in some ways and all with the same voice in different ways as he also copes with the fact that he still carries a letter from a former lover who lives in the city.

When he encounters a woman named Lisa Hesselman (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Stone begins to feel more upbeat as well as open himself to Lisa who is quite insecure herself as she is in the city with a friend to attend Stone’s conference. The two would have a drink with Lisa’s friend Emily as it would lead to Stone’s fascination with Lisa as it is clear they have a lot in common. Notably as they’re two people unhappy in their life as Kaufman’s script doesn’t really have much of a plot in favor of exploring these characters who both don’t feel like they fit in with anyone.

The direction of Kaufman and Duke Johnson is definitely entrancing for the way they present the film in this form of stop-motion animation in the way the characters look as well as the world they’re in. With the help of animation director Dan Driscoll, the film’s direction would have Kaufman and Johnson create some unique camera movements as well as some tracking shots for some long takes in some scenes though the camera has to move one frame at a time as it relates to form of stop-motion animation. There are also some unique compositions with the usage of the wide and medium shots in the way Kaufman and Johnson would film the conversations. Part of the animation’s look of the characters are reminiscent of the art of puppetry as there’s outlines of the character’s faces in the eyes and jaws so that they can move their body parts while they talk or display some form of emotional expression. 

There are also moments in the film where the animation takes some risk such as a sex scene between Michael and Lisa as it does have a lot of emotional weight. Even as it play into the former’s need to find himself and what he wants in life as it would culminate with this conference that would be the catalyst for the anguish he’s dealing with in his life. Overall, Kaufman and Johnson create a compelling and riveting film about a man dealing with an existential crisis while meeting another lost woman at a hotel in Cincinnati.

Cinematographer Joe Passarelli does brilliant work with the cinematography from the way all of the interiors are lit as well as how the exterior settings are presented in the lighting. Editor Garret Elkins does excellent work with the editing as it is quite straightforward to play into the drama and bits of humor while there are a few stylish cuts for a surreal sequence late in the film. Production designers John Joyce and Huy Vu do amazing work with the look of the hotel halls, the hotel rooms, and other places including some of the exteriors of the city. Costume designer Susan Donym does fantastic work with the look of the clothes and how they would move as well as play into the personality of the characters.

Visual effects supervisors Billy Brooks, Culley Bunker, Stuart Cripps, and Derek Smith do terrific work with the visual effects which is essentially a bit of set-dressing as well as a key moment in a surreal sequence. Sound editors Christopher S. Aud and Aaron Glascock do superb work with the sound as it captures some of the atmosphere of the hotel bars, the conference room, and other sound effects that was created for the film. The film’s music by Carter Burwell is wonderful as it is this very low-key score with its somber orchestral score and jazz-like music to play into some of the dramatic moments of the film where there is also an original song in the film sung by Tom Noonan as well as a cover of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun sung by Jennifer Jason Leigh.

The film’s cast mainly consists of three actors with Tom Noonan providing the voice for pretty much all of the characters with the exception of the two protagonists as he provides a variation of voices the many characters in the film as if they’re all the same. The voice performances of Jennifer Jason Leigh and David Thewlis in their respective roles as Lisa Hesselman and Michael Stone are incredible as they both provide the sense of loneliness and despair into their roles with Leigh being very lively in her voice role with Thewlis in a more dry and cynical approach that would loosen up as the story progresses.

Anomalisa is a phenomenal film from Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson. It’s a film that doesn’t play by the rules while showcasing that animated films can explore adult subject matters as well as be racy. Even as it’s a film that is quite complex and dares to ask big questions about life and what it means to live. In the end, Anomalisa is a spectacular film from Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson.

Related: Synecdoche, New York

© thevoid99 2017

Mystery Train

Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, Mystery Train is a trilogy of stories set in Memphis, Tennessee that involve different visitors arriving into the city where they encounter all sorts of things in the city. One story entitled Far from Yokohama revolves around two Japanese tourists going on a pilgrimage to learn about the American blues. The second entitled A Ghost is about an Italian widow who stays at a hotel overnight. The third and final story called Lost in Space is about the adventures of an Englishman and his two friends. Starring Youki Kudoh, Masatoshi Nagase, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Cinque Lee, Nicoletta Braschi, Elizabeth Bracco, Rick Aviles, Steve Buscemi, and Joe Strummer. Mystery Train is an extraordinary film from Jim Jarmusch.

The film is essentially about different strangers who find themselves in the city of Memphis, Tennessee where they would all later stay at a hotel all in the course of one strange day. The first of which involves a young Japanese couple in Mitsuko (Youki Kudoh) and Jun (Masatoshi Nagase) who arrive to the city on a pilgrimage on the American blues where they arrive to Memphis earlier than they expected where they argue over who was better, Elvis Presley or Carl Perkins. The second story involves an Italian widow named Luisa (Nicoletta Braschi) who reluctantly stays in the city overnight where she shares a hotel room with a woman named Dee Dee (Elizabeth Bracco) who just left her boyfriend. The third story involves an angry Englishman named Johnny (Joe Strummer) who decides to go into a drunken adventure with his friends Will Robinson (Rick Aviles) and Charlie (Steve Buscemi) that gets bad. All of which has these characters staying in different rooms at a hotel run by the clerk (Screamin’ Jay Hawkins) and a bellboy (Cinque Lee).

Jim Jarmusch’s screenplay has these three very different stories all take place in a very simple narrative yet there’s moments where the three stories connect as characters from one story briefly interact with another and so on. Yet, these are all characters who feel sort of entranced but also lost in this strange city of Memphis as it is a character in the film. Mitsuko and Jun are these two young Japanese tourists who want to see Sun Studios and Graceland where Mitsuko is very upbeat but Jun is more reserved about everything as he doesn’t smile. Luisa is this Italian who finds herself having to stay to Memphis where she is conned into buying magazines and such as well as meeting a strange man (Tom Noonan) who claims to have met the ghost of Elvis where the most normal person she meets is Dee Dee who is just upset over her boyfriend getting laid off.

Mitsuko, Jun, and Luisa are these people who are fascinated by their surroundings where they’re just visitors in this strange land that is a bit decayed and sort of wild. Yet, they’re only staying there for one night as they know how chaotic the place is as the only other foreigner that is roaming around Memphis is Johnny who is just lamenting that he just got dumped. Drowning his sorrows in booze and carrying a loaded pistol, it’s obvious that this character is trouble but he’s sort of this charming character who feels bad over what he did as he has no clue on what is to do where he ends up causing more trouble for himself and his friends. All of these characters would stay in different hotel rooms where the clerk and the bellboy would meet these different characters and often make a few comments about what is going on and such where they would also listen to Elvis Presley’s cover of Blue Moon at certain points in the film as it plays on the radio.

Jarmusch’s direction is quite simple for much of the film while he does create some amazing compositions in the way he presents Memphis as well as the hotel the characters stay in. Memphis acts like this strange ghost town of sorts where some of places are abandoned or decaying while there’s also something vibrant that goes on in the city. It’s a true reflection of Americana that its foreign characters can seem overwhelmed by as Mitsuko and Jun are always staring though neither of them speak much English. There’s a lot of humor in the way these characters react to their surroundings where Mitsuko and Jun have a hard time listening to the Sun Studios tour guide who talks very fast in English. That is among some of the humorous moments as well as the scene of Luisa being conned to buy all of these magazines where it showcases that sense of alienation that can be quite funny.

There are also moments that include the hotel room scenes as there’s always a different painting of Elvis Presley in that hotel room. A lot of which showcases a man who represents everything that is an icon where Mitsuko and Jun are fascinated by how influential he is while Luisa is also transfixed by his presence. Johnny however, isn’t enthused about Elvis as he’s also called by Elvis by some of the locals. His story is definitely one of the darker moments of the film as well as one that is also quite mysterious as Johnny is someone who is connected to a character in another story as it all plays to these characters dealing with the strangeness of the city all in the span of one entire day. Overall, Jarmusch creates a very mesmerizing yet sensational film about people looking for something in the city of Memphis.

Cinematographer Robby Muller does amazing work with the film‘s very colorful and exotic photography from the look of Memphis in the daytime with the use of lights and such to play into the scenes set at night. Editor Melody London does excellent work with the editing by going for a straightforward approach while using some rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s humorous moments. Production designer Dan Bishop and set decorator Dianna Freas do wonderful work with the look of the hotel rooms the characters stay in that features a different painting of Elvis Presley in each room.

Costume designer Carol Wood does terrific work with the clothes from the youthful look of Mitsuko and Jun to the more old-fashioned look of Luisa. Sound editor Robert Hein does superb work with the sound to convey the atmosphere of the locations as well as moments to link the other stories as a whole piece such as the music and a gunshot that is heard in the morning. The film’s music by John Lurie is fantastic for its low-key yet blues-based score to play into the world of Memphis while its soundtrack features an array of music from soul and rockabilly that includes music by Elvis Presley to play into the mysticism that is Memphis.

The film’s incredible cast includes some notable small roles from people like Sara Driver as an airport clerk, Sy Richardson as a magazine clerk, famed Memphis musician Rufus Thomas as a man who greets the Mitsuko and Jun at the Memphis train station, Rockets Redglare as a liquor store clerk, Tom Noonan as a mysterious man Luisa meets at a diner, and Tom Waits as the voice of a local radio DJ who plays the music that appears in the film. Cinque Lee is very funny as the young bellboy while the late yet legendary Screamin’ Jay Hawkins is superb as the hotel night clerk who dazzles in his red suit. Youki Kudoh and Masatoshi Nagase are fantastic as the young Japanese couple Mitsuko and Jun with Kudoh as the more upbeat and quirky Mitsuko while Nagase displays a low-key melancholia to his rule as Jun.

Nicoletta Braschi is amazing as Italian widow Luisa who is bewildered by her surroundings as she has no idea what is going on while being fascinated by the presence of Elvis Presley. Elizabeth Bracco is excellent as Dee Dee as this woman who just left her boyfriend as she is a very talkative person who is just upset over her day. Rick Aviles is terrific as Johnny’s friend Will Robinson who is frustrated over Johnny’s antics as well as the fact that he is named after a character in the TV show Lost in Space. Steve Buscemi is brilliant as Johnny’s friend Charlie who reluctantly helps Will out to sort out Johnny while trying to deal with the chaos of the night. Finally, there’s the late Joe Strummer in a marvelous performance as Johnny as this troubled Englishman who is upset over losing his job and his girl as he just wants to lash out at whatever is around him as he’s just got this presence that is unforgettable.

Mystery Train is a magnificent film from Jim Jarmusch. Armed with a remarkable ensemble cast as well as an intoxicating sense of mysticism. The film is an entrancing look into the world of alienation as well as a look into a world that is changing but also in decay where many of its traditions try to stay on. Notably in a city that is vibrant as Memphis, Tennessee that is full of culture and mystery that is still exciting to watch. In the end, Mystery Train is a phenomenal film from Jim Jarmusch.

Jim Jarmusch Films: Permanent Vacation - Stranger Than Paradise - Down by Law - Night on Earth - Dead Man - Year of the Horse - Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai - Coffee & Cigarettes - Broken Flowers - The Limits of Control - Only Lovers Left Alive - Paterson - Gimme Danger - The Dead Don’t Die - (Father Mother Sister Brother) - The Auteurs #27: Jim Jarmusch

© thevoid99 2013

Gloria (1980 film)

Written and directed by John Cassavetes, Gloria is the story about a gangster’s ex-girlfriend who is protecting a boy who carries crucial information that can bring down the mob as she and the boy are in pursuit. The film is a simple story in which a woman is forced to protect a boy as she comes into conflict into either saving the boy or herself. Starring Gena Rowlands, Julie Carmen, Buck Henry, and John Adames. Gloria is a captivating suspense-drama from John Cassavetes.

The film revolves around this titular character (Gena Rowlands) who is asked by a woman and her husband to protect their son Phil (John Adames) as the husband is already in trouble for leaking information to the FBI as he works as a mob accountant. Though Gloria is a woman who has connections to the mob and was once the girlfriend of a famed gangster. She is reluctant to help take care of Phil as she wanted no involvement in the matter as the people who are going after the boy are her friends. Eventually, Gloria has to deal with various conflicts in her situation as she admittedly doesn’t like kids while she realizes that having this kid killed because of some money figures isn’t the honorable thing to do. Especially as this six-year old Puerto Rican kid is having a hard time understanding the situation as he isn’t sure what side to turn as he and Gloria have to stick together.

John Cassavetes’ screenplay doesn’t really do much to flesh out the plot by focusing more on a woman trying to protect a boy as well as deal with her loyalties to the mob. While the script is filled with dialogue that is intense and frenetic to showcase the tension between Gloria and Phil as the latter is already ravaged by the fact that he is in the care of a very tough woman. Gloria is someone who isn’t afraid to get shot as she always carries a gun and is always ready yet she doesn’t like the fact that she’s being put into a dangerous situation by taking care of a kid as she’s not really a very maternal person. Still, the fact that this kid is in danger because of his father’s actions makes Gloria realize that the mob are doing things that are really cruel where she eventually realizes what she must do for Phil. Though Phil has reservations about Gloria, he does realize that she’s the only person he has right now as the two have to work together to survive.

Cassavetes’ direction is quite intriguing in not just the way he maintains an air of realism in the drama but also in creating an air of suspense where Gloria and Phil are trapped in the middle of New York City and the borough of the Bronx. Cassavetes uses the city as a character in the film where it plays to the idea that Gloria and Phil have to go into places where they can’t hide or go into an area that is dangerous as they’re constantly on the run. Still, Cassavetes maintains that atmosphere where there is this air of uncertainty about the two being captured while taking its time to give the characters a breather as they get to know each other. Particularly as it plays to the idea that the boy needs a mother and the woman has to be there for that boy. By using some wide shots and other stylized moments to play out the element of suspense without getting into any kind of gory violence. Cassavetes creates a very engrossing yet mesmerizing suspense-drama about a woman protecting a boy from the mob.

Cinematographer Fred Schuler does fantastic work with the cinematography to maintain that sense of realism while using some low-key lighting schemes for some of the film‘s interior settings. Editor George C. Villasenor does brilliant work with the editing to create some rhythmic cuts to play out some of its suspenseful moments. Art director Rende D’Auriac and set decorator John Godfrey do terrific work with the set pieces from the secret apartment that Gloria lived in to some of the hotel rooms she and Phil hide out at.

Costume designer Peggy Farrell does wonderful work with the costumes in the way many of the suits the men wear in the film while Emanuel Ungaro creates more stylish clothing that Gloria wears. The sound work of Stan Gordon is superb for the atmosphere that is created including the smaller moments to help build up the suspense. The film’s music by Bill Conti is amazing for its soaring orchestral score that is mixed in with plaintive folk guitars and jazz arrangements to capture the atmosphere of New York City.

The casting by Vic Ramos is great as it features an interesting ensemble that features appearances from Tom Noonan as a henchman, Lawrence Tierney as a bartender, Basilio Franchina as Gloria’s former boyfriend in mob boss Tony Tanzini, Lupe Garnica as Phil’s grandmother, Jessica Castillo as Phil’s sister, Julie Carmen as Phil’s worried mother, and Buck Henry as Phil’s troubled father who puts the family in danger. John Adames is wonderful as the young Phil as a boy who has to endure the new reality he’s in as he is forced to grow up at a very young age and survive against the mob. Finally, there’s Gena Rowlands in a remarkable performance as the titular character as a woman conflicted in her loyalties to the mob while trying to protect a young boy as it’s a riveting performance that allows Rowlands to portray a character that is tough and not willing to back down no matter how grim the situation is.

Gloria is a marvelous film from John Cassavetes that features a brilliant leading performance from Gena Rowlands. While it is a film that is different from Cassavetes’ previous films in terms of a more tightened filmmaking style. It is still a film that is engaging especially as it’s a thriller that is engrossing over its situations and the drama that is presented. In the end, Gloria is a phenomenal film from John Cassavetes.

John Cassavetes Films: (Shadows (1959 film)) - (Too Late Blues) - (A Child is Waiting) - (Faces) - Husbands - (Minnie and Moskowitz) - A Woman Under the Influence - (The Killing of a Chinese Bookie) - (Opening Night) - Love Streams - (Big Trouble)

© thevoid99 2013

Synecdoche, New York

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/6/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Written and directed by Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York tells the story of a playwright who tries to work on a play that goes on 40 years as he questions his own mortality and the women in his life as he struggles to create his most ambitious play yet. Inspired by Kaufman's own work in the theater, the film explores Kaufman's themes of surrealism and the creative process in this complex, high-art story. With an all-star cast that includes Kaufman regular Catherine Keener along with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Williams, Samantha Morton, Emily Watson, Tom Noonan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hope Davis, and Dianne Wiest. Synecdoche, New York is a high-concept, complex, and provocative directorial debut from Charlie Kaufman.

Playwright Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman) has just mounted a play of Death of a Salesman that features a young actress named Claire Keen (Michelle Williams). While Cotard has a nice home life with wife/painter Adele (Catherine Keener) and their 4-year old daughter Olive (Sadie Goldstein), an incident involving a sink has him going to doctor where he's ill with numerous diseases. After attending couples counseling with therapist Madeline Gravis (Hope Davis), Adele leaves Cotard as she and her friend Maria (Jennifer Jason Leigh) take Olive to Berlin to venture into the city's art world. Caden befriends box office holder Hazel (Samantha Morton) as he deals with sudden success and own personal issues. While he and Hazel have a brief affair, Caden finds companionship with Claire as he receives a prestigious grant where he would stage a grand play based on his own life.

Claire joins Caden in the development of the play, Caden decides to stage it in an old factory where the staging of the play would become bigger for several years as he later marries Claire. After a trip to Berlin to meet Olive only to discover that she's grown under Maria's influence into a dark world. Caden's relationship with Claire falters as Hazel returns to his life as a married woman where she would assist Caden in the play's development. After casting an unknown named Sammy Barnathan (Tom Noonan) to play Caden, things become confusing prompting Claire to leave with their daughter Ariel while Sammy starts to put his own ideas about the play. When a British actress named Tammy (Emily Watson) comes in to play Hazel, things eventually become confusing as reality and fiction blurs for the overwhelmed Caden.

With Hazel hung up on Sammy, Caden tries to deal with Adele's success in the art world where he would sneak into her apartment and clean her place in the guise of a maid named Ellen. The character would eventually be played by Millicent Weems (Dianne Wiest) where things would unravel due to Sammy's presence as he becomes too much like Caden. With his own health failing and learning about what Olive had become, many around Caden wonder if the play will ever open.

If Charlie Kaufman has a theme that's prominent with some of work, it's about the artist and how the artist struggles to create that great work. While scripts like Being John Malkovich, Adaptation., Human Nature, and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind explore the mind of the creators in a humorous way. Synecdoche, New York is far different as the film explores an artist's mind as he creates something from his own life as it's continuing where reality and fiction blur. The film also explores death as this man is aware that he's sick and not feeling well realizing he's about to die. Yet, it becomes this long, 40 year period where he's trying to keep himself alive while seeing everything around him evaporate as well as his world between reality and fiction.

Kaufman's screenplay is definitely complex in this story about a man dealing with his own mortality and life with women as he creates a play about his life. Filled with funny dialogue, heartbreaking stories, and such. There's also something loose about the way Kaufman is telling the story as he has the characters make things up as they go along. While there's time where the idea of reality and fiction blur, Kaufman as a storyteller is trying to challenge the audience in the world of the creative process. The result isn't perfect depending on what type of audience Kaufman is aiming for as the pacing of the film and story drags at times. Notably its ending where people wonder how it's going to end as it's definitely drawn out. Still, Kaufman creates something with his screenplay that is definitely provocative and intelligent.

Kaufman's direction is definitely surprising as he uses some unconventional styles of coverage in creating the film. Taking his background in theater, he definitely uses many of the film's rehearsal scenes where the actors in the background are acting while whoever is in that scene are acting. Yet, Kaufman doesn't go for conventional styles of coverage as he sticks to where the emotion of the performances are as he's capturing it as he's just filming it and knowing when not to cut. Kaufman definitely has learned from people like Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry where as a director. He's definitely creating a style of his own. While there's flaws in the direction due to its pacing, drawn-out ending, and his unconventional approach to telling the story. Kaufman overall creates a film that is truly original and mesmerizing.

Cinematographer Frederick Elmes does an amazing with the film's stylish photography with some moody interior shots of the smoky-fire house with soft lens in those scenes. In some of the hospital and hallway scenes, it's in a blue-green style that's effective with the mood of its protagonist. Elmes' work in the exterior is great as he keeps the camera on the protagonist as it moves constantly and stopping at times to see where everything is taking place. Elmes work is truly magnificent in its photography and camera work as he reveals a wide scope into the world of theater and its ambitions. Editor Robert Frazen does fine work with the film's rhythmic cutting and transitional cuts that work in keeping the story moving despite its slow, turgid pacing.

Production designer Mark Friedberg, along with set decorator Lydia Marks and art director Adam Stockhausen, does spectacular work with the film's set designs. Notably in the big play scene where they create numerous replicas of the warehouse inside of the warehouse and another inside. With the look of the town and everything else, it's truly amazing as Friedberg's design is definitely brilliant in its staging and look. Other scenes shot in the homes are done wonderfully to reveal the contrasting world between Adele's posh lifestyle and the drab world that Caden lives in. Costume designer Melissa Toth does fantastic work with the evolving style of the female characters as the film goes on where the character of Hazel had this look, frizzy look to something more sophisticated as it progresses. The clothes that the women wear are superb while the look of Caden in all of its blandness is excellent for the way his character is.

Visual effects supervisor Mark Russell does excellent work with the recreation of the buildings as well as the zeppelin that flies around in the city. Makeup designer head Judy Chin does brilliant work with the aging look of the characters with the use of wigs and such along with the tattoo designs by Tim Kern for the adult Olive character. Sound designer Eugene Gearty and editor Philip Stockton do terrific work in the sound in capturing the atmosphere of the theater as well as other sounds to convey the troubled mind of Caden. Music composer Jon Brion creates a melancholic, heavy score filled with somber notes and jazz touches to help create the mood of Caden's mind along with original songs co-written with Kaufman done in a jazz style. With vocals by Sadie Goldstein on one track and Deanna Storey on three other songs. It's definitely a noteworthy yet haunting soundtrack from Jon Brion.

The casting by Jeanne McCarthy is phenomenal for its array of actors that she assembled. Small performances from Jerry Adler and Lynn Cohen as Caden's parents, Peter Friedman as a doctor, Josh Pais as an opthamologist, Amy Wright as the burning house realtor, Rosemary Murphy as the woman at the hallway Caden meets, Christopher Evan Welch as a pastor, Robin Weigert as the adult Olive, Deidre O'Connell as Ellen's mother, Kat Peters as the young Ellen, Daisy Tahan as Caden and Claire's daughter Ariel, and Paul Sparks as Derek are all memorable in their individual scenes. Sadie Goldstein is wonderful as the young Olive with some funny lines and some great scenes with Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Jennifer Jason Leigh is good in her small role as Maria, Adele's friend who manipulates Olive into becoming a tattoo model while later sporting a German accent to be an enemy of Caden.

Hope Davis is funny as a manipulative, sexy therapist who helps Caden with his problems but only for her own gain. Tom Noonan is great as Sammy, a doppelganger of Caden who plays the part of Caden so well that he ends up charming Hazel. Emily Watson is wonderfully funny as Hazel's doppelganger as she mimics everything Hazel does on character but as herself, she's a dreary Briton who threatens to change things for the play. Dianne Wiest is amazing as a dual role of Adele's maid Ellen with her dreary life and the actress Millicent who ends up becoming a driving force to the play late in the film as Weist's performance is phenomenal. Catherine Keener is excellent as Adele, Caden's sympathetic first wife who couldn't deal with the fact that her marriage to Caden is going to work as she leaves to become the person that shadows Caden for the rest of his life.

Michelle Williams is brilliant as Claire, Caden's second wife and then-leading actress who becomes supportive only to later be frustrated by the prolonging of the play as she seeks other ventures. Samantha Morton is great as Hazel, the woman who longed to be with Caden only to be rejected at first and move on, then become his creative partner and later, equal. Morton's performance is just wonderful as she and Hoffman have amazing chemistry that is touching and funny. Finally, there's Philip Seymour Hoffman in a tour-de-force performance as Caden Cotard. Hoffman's performance is just great in revealing the anguished and tortured soul of a man who loses himself into his own creation while his own life falls apart. Yet, Hoffman carries the film with such pain and humor that it's definitely his best performance to date as an actor.

Synecdoche, New York is a brilliant, provocative, and highly-original film from Charlie Kaufman. Fans of Kaufman's view of surrealism, the artistic process, and the tortured soul will enjoy the film for its high-concept and intense exploration into the world of theater and art. Mainstream audiences though, might be baffled by the film's concept and story along with its slow pacing and unconventional humor. It's definitely a film for an art-house film-going audience as they often wanted to be challenged by something like this. The average movie-goer might not understand the film in its concept though the performances by the ensemble cast led by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Samantha Morton do bring something accessible. It might not be for the average movie-goer but this isn't something they shouldn't entirely dismiss. In the end, Synecdoche, New York is a wild, imaginative, and innovative film from Charlie Kaufman.

Related: Anomalisa

© thevoid99 2012

Snow Angels

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 4/15/09.

With three acclaimed films to his credit by 2007, David Gordon Green is considered to be one of American cinema's most promising young directors. Since his 2000 landmark debut film George Washington, Green's dream-like yet harrowing portrait of life in the American South has earned him praised from critics, notably Roger Ebert. Compared in some respects to the legendary yet elusive Terrence Malick, Green followed up his debut with 2003's romantic-drama All the Real Girls and 2004's thriller Undertow in which the latter was co-produced by Malick. After an attempt to get an adaption of the legendary John Kennedy Toole classic novel A Confederacy of Dunces with help from Steven Soderbergh as one of the screenwriters failed to get off the ground. Green took a break to plan several projects before taking on an adaptation of Stewart O'Nan's small-town drama Snow Angels.

A multi-layered story about young teenager dealing with the disintegration of his parents marriage as well as a long-standing crush with a former babysitter who is currently having relationship problems with her ex-husband. When the woman and her ex-husband starts to boil over due to an affair, the young man suddenly finds himself falling for a quirky young high school girl as a small town begins to lose its innocence. Written for the screen and directed by David Gordon Green, Snow Angels marks as a huge departure for the director as he moves North to create an enchanting yet eerie tale of small town life that is close to his own small town world in the South. With an all-star cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Angarano, Nicky Katt, Olivia Thirlby, Jeanetta Arnette, Amy Sedaris, Tom Noonan, and Griffin Dunne. Snow Angels is an enchanting yet harrowing drama from David Gordon Green.

Arthur Parkinson (Michael Angarano) is a high school teenager dealing with new changes in his life. His parents Don (Griffin Dunne) and Louise (Jeanetta Arnette) are splitting up as Arthur tries to cope with it with school work and marching band practice. Around the same time, Arthur works as a bus boy at a local Chinese restaurant with his former babysitter Annie (Kate Beckinsale) whom he's had a crush on. Annie is dealing with her own problems raising her four-year old daughter Tara (Gracie Hudson) by herself while her ex-husband Glenn (Sam Rockwell) has become a Born-again Christian and just landing a job selling carpets. Though Glenn does get to see Tara from time to time, he hopes to have Annie back in his life while maintaining his own sobriety. It's around the same time Arthur befriends a new student in the nerdy yet charismatic Lila (Olivia Thirlby).

With Glenn starting to get things in order, Annie has an affair with a cop named Nate (Nicky Katt) who is married to Annie's friend Barb (Amy Sedaris) who also works with her as a waitress at the Chinese restaurant. The affair becomes secretive for awhile until Glenn starts to suspect something as Barb also finds out. With Annie stressed out in her own life while trying to raise Tara, Glenn starts to confront Annie and Nate over this affair as trouble starts to brew. Arthur meanwhile, learns that his dad is seeing someone as he starts to get close with Lila whom he's becoming attracted to. Then one day, a sick Annie is at home with a cold when her daughter is suddenly gone. Turning to Barb for help, a whole town tries to find something. What happens would change things forcing Glenn to become insane while a distraught, angry Arthur leans closer towards Lila. Then comes a day when the lives of an entire town would change forever.

The film is about disconnection and connections into the lives of various individuals in a small, Northern town in America. While small-town life isn't new to what screenwriter/director David Gordon Green has explored. The location and setting is very different from his three previous films as he goes into the north during a winter season. While Green's script definitely delves into the lives of the three main individuals of Arthur, Glenn, and Annie. He does create a faithful version of Stewart O'Nan's novel though the story overall is uneven. While there's enough work that's put into the coming-of-age story of Arthur, it's overshadowed by the drama of Glenn and Annie which reaches tragic proportions. Yet, it's setting and study of characters is what definitely attracted Green to this story as he puts enough attention towards major characters and supporting ones as he delves into a small town setting.

Green's direction is truly majestic in its setting though the film is shot mostly in Canada. Green's rich compositions and dramatic staging is what keeps this film compelling as he goes deep into the drama but knows when to pull away. While there's not much humor, Green knows when to use it when it's necessary. The drama is more theatrical in its performance but Green knows when to have his actors not delve into melodrama or high theatrics. It's all restrained except in parts for high drama as he knows when to place his camera to capture all that is going on. Even in getting shots from a character's perspective or a scenery that is enchanting with shots of nature that is reminiscent of the work of his mentor Terrence Malick. Overall, Green's direction shows a maturity in the young director who takes some of his old tricks and refine them for better dramatic effect.

Green's longtime cinematographer Tim Orr does brilliant work with the usage of snow and sunlight for the film's exterior, daytime scenes. Orr's photography maintains the richness that Green wanted for the film as there's a beauty to the look of small town life. Even the nighttime exteriors are well shot with low-lights and an intimacy for the drama with a beautiful shot one of the film's final scenes involving falling snow and a football field. Orr's camera work in the interiors is intimate as in a couple of bar scenes, it's low-lit to emphasize the dark mood of one of its major characters. The overall work of Tim Orr is truly phenomenal as he's one of the best young cinematographers working in the field.

Editor William M. Anderson does excellent work with the film's stylish editing with the use of fade-outs, jump-cuts, and rhythmic cutting to create transitions that seems abrupt yet energetic for the story. Green's longtime production designer Richard A. Wright, along with set decorator Ian Greig and art director Terry Quennell, does some fine work with the look of the high schools, Annie's home, and other locations that has a nice, quaint small-town feel. Costume designer Kate Rose does good work with the costumes in creating casual clothing for the actors with Olivia Thirlby's Lila character standing out the most with a yellow coat and hat along with cat-like glasses to create a unique look for her. Sound editor Larry Blake does brilliant work with the sound in capturing the quaint feel of the small town with layering of noises as well as the sounds of instruments and such for the film. Notably its opening sequence with the thundering sounds that would set the film's dramatic tone in place.

Green's longtime music composer David Wingo along with Jeff McIlwain brings a quiet yet plaintive score with acoustic guitars and ambient textures to play to the film's somber, small-town feel. The soundtrack consists of material ranging from blues to country with songs by Gene Autry, Shane Hartman, Tony Berg, Josh Crocker, Benji Hughes, indie-rock stalwarts Explosions in the Sky, and a soft-rock song from Bread. Another song that is used for humor and dramatic effect is Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer which is performed by a marching band.

The casting by Kerry Barden, Billy Hopkins, Paul Schnee, and Suzanne Smith is wonderfully assembled for its usage of big and small characters. Memorable small roles include Connor Paolo as Arthur's friend Warren, Deborah Allen as Annie's mom, Brian Downey and Carroll Godsman as Glenn's parents, Leah Ostry as Lila's sister, Daniel Lillford as Glenn's boss, Lita Llewellyn as a cop, Hugh Thompson as a police investigator, Angela Vemeir as Don's new girlfriend, and Tom Noonan in a funny role as the band leader. Gracie Hudson is good as Glenn and Annie's wild, energetic 4-year old girl Tara while Jeanetta Arnette is excellent as Arthur's mother Louise who is trying to deal with the split from her husband. Griffin Dunne is very good as Arthur's dad Don, a man confused about his role while trying to communicate with Arthur about the flaws of being a man.

Amy Sedaris is great as Barb, Annie's friend and co-worker who feels betrayed when she learns that her husband Nate is having an affair with Annie only to realize something more troubling. Nicky Katt is very good as Nate, a womanizer who is bored by his own marriage while his affair with Annie is also running out of steam. Olivia Thirlby is wonderful as Lila, the girl who would be a shining light to Arthur. Thirlby, known to audiences for her role as the best friend in Juno, is full of charm and wit while displaying an innocence to her that is insatiable to watch. Michael Angarano is excellent as Arthur, the young teen dealing with all that's going on around him as he comes of age in finding his first girlfriend and coping with the stuff that goes on his own. Angarano's performance is very realistic in the hang-ups of being a teenager while he has great chemistry with both Olivia Thirlby and Kate Beckinsale.

Kate Beckinsale, whose acting career in recent years has been spotty with action films and light drama, gives a performance that is describe as a return to form of sorts following her mid-90s breakout period. Stripping away the glamour for something more realistic and homegrown, Beckinsale's role as a stressed-out mother dealing with her child while juggling an affair and the presence of her ex-husband shows Beckinsale in playing a character that is realistic but also flawed. Along with a legitimate American accent, the British beauty displays grace and despair into her role as it's a phenomenal role for the actress. Finally, there's Sam Rockwell in a tour-de-force performance as Glenn. A man who is trying to improve himself though is often forgetful and pushy. Rockwell has some great scenes with Beckinsale as he displays a man who loses control while convinced he's doing what God asks him to do. It's a brilliant role for the actor who always gives a lot into his roles whether it's doing humor or drama as he's one of the best actors of his generation.

While it doesn't have the dreamy quality of George Washington, the romanticism of All the Real Girls, or the flat-out humor and entertainment factor of 2008's Pineapple Express. Snow Angels is still a harrowing yet intriguing drama from David Gordon Green featuring a superb ensemble led by Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Angarano, and Olivia Thirlby. Fans of Green's films will enjoy the richness and intimate small-town setting he creates while seeing that the Southern director is becoming more mature in his work. In the end, Snow Angels is an entrancing, dark, yet touching drama from David Gordon Green.

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

© thevoid99 2011