Set in the early 1960s, the film revolves around Ford who found themselves struggling with low sales as well as losing the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France to the Italian car manufacturer Ferrari where Ford’s vice president Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) turns to a designer and a hot-headed British driver for help in the upcoming 1966 race. It’s a film that explores these two men who agree to help for the Ford motor company not only to try and defeat Ferrari but also prove what a car can do. The film’s screenplay takes place largely in the mid-1960s where sports car designer and racer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) who won Le Mans back in 1959 but is forced to retire due to his heart condition as he is approached by Iacocca to create a car that can compete against Ferrari who had been dominating Le Mans for years. Shelby agrees to help but wants to bring in the British driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) to the fold despite the fact that he is hot-tempered yet knows more about cars than anyone else.
The film also showcased why this rivalry between Ford and Ferrari has intensified where the film has Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) trying to figure out what to do with Iacocca being the one man who has an understand of what Americans want as Ford’s company tried to buy Ferrari (Remo Girone) who felt insulted by their deal as he ends up choosing to make a deal with Fiat that at least gives Ferrari more control on what he could and participate in Le Mans. With Ford reluctantly giving Shelby and Miles the chance to create a car for Ford, Miles does the job so he can help his family as they’re going through debt as his wife Mollie (Caitriona Balfe) and son Peter (Noah Jupe) are able to watch closely with the latter befriending Shelby and Shelby’s chief engineer Phil Remington (Ray McKinnon). The script also showcase the tension between Shelby and Miles though both are able to be on the same page with the latter focusing on improvements of the GT40 Mk II while the former tries to deal with Ford executive Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas) who despises both Shelby and Miles.
James Mangold’s direction does have elements of style as it play into the world of the 1960s though it begins with Shelby being a racer and being able to finish it despite his growing heart condition. Shot largely on location in California with additional locations in Georgia, Louisiana, and bits of Le Mans in France, Mangold does use these locations not just as race tracks but to showcase a world where the auto industry is going through changing times as it play into what consumers want as they want the cars that James Bond wants to drive. Mangold’s usage of wide and medium shots do play into these locations including the California race tracks and the places where Shelby runs his company. There are also close-ups that do play into the character interaction including a scene where Mollie is angry about her husband returning to racing as she is driving the car ferociously in a way that even scares Miles. It is a moment that does play into some of the humanistic moments in Miles’ life as he is someone that does care for his family but knows more about cars and how they should be driven better than anyone.
Mangold also uses a lot of point-of-view shots of what it’s like inside a car when it’s going fast to nearly 218 miles per hour as it was the highest speed at the time and what it took for that car to be intact. The film’s second act is about these tests for the GT40 as well as Shelby’s war with Beebe who wants to play it safe as it leads to a race in Daytona where Miles succeeds with the Mk II that leads to Le Mans for the film’s third act. The Le Mans race is intense where it’s not about what is going on at the track but also what is happening behind the scenes with Beebe trying to assert his authority and what both Ford and Ferrari are watching as Miles is part of a team representing Ford going against racers representing Ferrari. There is a lot of drama on and off the track where Mangold manages to maintain that air of suspense that plays into Miles’ skill as a driver who is willing to push the limits of what a race car can do. Overall, Mangold crafts a mesmerizing and riveting film about two outsiders who help Ford create the ultimate race car against the brilliance of Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of natural lighting for many of the daytime exteriors with some lighting schemes for scenes at night along with low-key interior lighting for some scenes at night. Editors Michael McCusker, Andrew Buckland, and Dirk Westervelt do amazing work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts and rhythmic cuts doesn’t just capture the frenetic energy of the races but also has this rhythm that play into the excitement and terror of those races while the editing is also straightforward for the non-racing scenes. Production designer Francois Audouy, with set decorator Peter Lando and supervising art director Maya Shimoguchi, does excellent work with the look of Shelby’s home base, the Ford factory, Miles’ home, and the race stand at Le Mans. Costume designer Daniel Orlandi does fantastic work with the costumes as it play into the looks of the time that include some of the clothes that Mollie wears and the suits that the men wear in those times.
Special effects supervisors Mark R. Byers and Charles-Axel Vollard, with visual effects supervisors Olivier Dumont and Kiruba Nanthan, do brilliant work with the way cars crash as well as scenes involving the races as well as some visual effects to play into some of the landscape that does a bit more than just do set-dressing. Sound designer David Giammarco and sound editor Donald Sylvester do phenomenal work with the sound as it play into the way a car sounds and how tires sound when it’s on the ground as it’s being driven as the attention to detail in the sound work as it is a major highlight of the film. The film's music by Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders do superb work with the film’s music with its mixture of orchestral bombast and low-key electronics to play up the thrill of Le Mans while music supervisor Ted Caplan provides a fun soundtrack consisting of music of the times from acts and artists like James Burton, the Kingsmen, the Sonics, Nina Simone, Lucky Blondo, Buck Owens, the Byrds, Link Wray, the Shadows of Knight, the Sparkles, Billy Riley and His Little Green Men, and Les Baxter.
The casting by Ronna Kress is wonderful as it features some notable small roles from Joe Williamson as a chief engineer for Ford in Donald N. Frey, Corrado Invernizzi as Ferrari’s right-hand man Franco Gozzi, Jack McMullen as the mechanic Charlie Agapiou, JJ Feild as the famed British engineer Roy Lunn who works for Ford yet helps Shelby and Miles with what cars can do, and Remo Girone as Enzo Ferrari as the famed Italian sports car maker who is intent on creating the perfect car while having issues with the ways Americans do business. Josh Lucas’ performance as Ford executive Leo Beebe is good as it allows Lucas to be the smarmy douchebag that hates Shelby and Miles because they don’t fit in with what Ford should be. Noah Jupe is superb as Miles’ son Peter as kid who enjoys seeing his father race as well as having an interest in cars as he does serve as a rock of sorts for his father but also understands some things that helps cars work where he befriends Shelby and Remington.
Ray McKinnon is fantastic as Shelby’s engineer Phil Remington as a man that knows cars but also understands what can work and what can’t work where he often finds a solution to a problem. Tracy Letts is excellent as Henry Ford II as the CEO of Ford and the grandson of Henry Ford as a man trying to find out how to get Americans to buy his cars but also deal with the fact that times are changing where he is eager to beat Ferrari at Le Mans. Jon Bernthal is brilliant as Lee Iacocca as the vice president of Ford who goes to Shelby for help as he understands what consumers want while trying to deal with the presence of Beebe whom he feels doesn’t understand change. Caitriona Balfe is amazing as Miles’ wife Mollie as a woman who understands her husband’s love and knowledge for cars though she isn’t happy about him returning to racing knowing he might do something dangerous as she does manage to hold her own.
Finally, there’s the duo of Christian Bale and Matt Damon in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby. Bale brings in that performance of a man who knows a lot about cars but is also hot-tempered and frustrated by people’s lack of respect for cars as he’s also an intense driver that is aware of what a car could do within its limitations. Damon is more reserved as a former racer who designs and sells sports cars as he is also aware of what needs to be done to beat Ford while having to deal with some of the business aspects including Beebe whom he despises. Bale and Damon together have this amazing rapport together as they not only showcase two men who have a love of cars but also know what it takes to win in the world in racing as they’re a big highlight of the film.
Ford v Ferrari is a tremendous film from James Mangold that features great leading performances from Christian Bale and Matt Damon. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, incredible sound work, and exhilarating music score, the film is definitely a rapturous film that explores the world of racing and what a group of outsiders try to do to compete with Ferrari and help Ford become important again during the 1960s. In the end, Ford v Ferrari is a spectacular film from James Mangold.
James Mangold Films: (Heavy) – (Cop Land) – (Girl, Interrupted) - (Kate & Leopold) – (Identity (2003 film)) – (Walk the Line) – 3:10 to Yuma (2007 film) - (Knight and Day) – The Wolverine - Logan - (Indiana Jones 5)
© thevoid99 2021
Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott, Little Women is the story about the lives of four sisters who embark on different lives as one of them aspires to be a writer as well as trying to find herself during and after the American Civil War. Written for the screen and directed by Greta Gerwig, the film is a coming-of-age drama that explore four young women trying to find themselves as well as their roles in lives as well as rely on each other. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet, Louis Garrel, Chris Cooper, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, and Meryl Streep. Little Women is a ravishing and vivacious film from Greta Gerwig.
The film revolves around four sisters living in Concord, Massachusetts during the American Civil War as their father is away as they all have different ambitions and dreams that they want to do while eventually finding their own identities in the years after the war. It’s a film that play into a world where women are expected to have certain roles for the world yet one of them wants to write while another wants to be an artist while another sister wants to belong and be part of society and another sister just wants to simply play piano. Greta Gerwig’s screenplay doesn’t aim for a traditional narrative but rather a somewhat non-linear narrative that is more deconstructive in order to explore the four March sisters in Margaret “Meg” (Emma Watson), Josephine “Jo” (Saoirse Ronan), Elizabeth “Beth” (Eliza Scanlen), and the youngest Amy (Florence Pugh).
The narrative opens with Jo trying to sell her stories and hoping to get published yet she chooses to remain anonymous as a writer and have her work be re-edited for money that she uses to help her family back in Concord while she’s in New York teaching at a boarding house. Much of the narrative have the sisters often looking back at certain moments of their lives during the final years of the American Civil War where their father (Bob Odenkirk) is serving for the Union as they live with their mother Marmee (Laura Dern) and family maid Hannah (Jayne Houdyshell) whom they consider family than a servant. Gerwig’s script does focus largely on Jo yet she does give a lot of considerable attention to the bratty but artistic Amy, the proper Meg, and the shy Beth. While Amy and Meg are given arcs that play into their development, Beth’s role is more at the center as she represents the best of the sisters while being a source of comfort to the elderly neighbor Mr. Laurence (Chris Cooper) through her piano playing while his grandson Theodore “Laurie” (Timothee Chamalet) becomes a friend of the sisters.
Gerwig’s direction is definitely rapturous in not just its presentation but also in some of the choices she makes in the way she presents the characters and their arcs. Shot largely on location in Boston as well as Concord, Massachusetts and parts of Harvard including the Arnold Arboretum as Paris, Gerwig recreates the world of mid-19th Century Massachusetts as there’s some wide shots of the locations while Gerwig would also use medium shots to get a look into Concord in the mid-19th Century and how it would change when Jo was living in the town to her return years later to help the ailing Beth. The usage of dolly tracking shots for a scene where Jo dances with Laurie outside of a party that Meg is attending as there is this air of energy and looseness that makes it so compelling as it play into Jo’s friendship with Laurie. Gerwig also creates matching compositions in the way to create shifting transitions where it would focus on a character from a certain moment in time to then where that person is years later as they reflect on the past.
Gerwig’s direction also has this atmosphere to the period while emphasizing on different seasons to help play into the mood of a scene as well as the journey that a character takes. Amy would be in Paris trying to learn how to paint like the greats while dealing with Laurie’s presence who is trying to woo her while Meg is in Concord trying to be a good wife but also wanting to fit in with the other women in Concord. The scenes of Jo with Beth play into their relationship but also how important Beth was to the family as someone who really did a lot more behind the scenes as well as encourage Jo to not stop writing. Gerwig would also find a way to wrap things up as it relate to Jo eventually finding herself as well as what she wants as a writer and as a woman along with her sisters finding their own identities with the people they care about around them. Overall, Gerwig crafts an evocative and intoxicating film about four sisters trying to find themselves in mid-19th Century America.
Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of natural blue lighting for some of the scenes in the winter as well as to create a mood along with some naturalistic photography in some of the daytime interiors and usage of candles at night. Editor Nick Houy does brilliant work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts, montages, and slow-motion as it help play into the drama and some of the humor. Production designer Jess Gonchor, with set decorator Claire Kaufman and supervising art director Chris Farmer, does excellent work with the look of the March home as well as the Laurence estate as well as the home of Aunt March (Meryl Streep) as there’s a lot of great detail that play into the homes and how it reflect those characters. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran is amazing for its costumes in the design of the dresses that the women wear as it so much detail that play into the personalities of the characters with the clothes that the men wear throughout the film.
Visual effects supervisor Blake Goedde does terrific work with the visual effects as it is largely set dressing to help create the look of some of the places the characters go to in its exterior. Sound editors Skip Lievsay and Paul Urmsom do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the parties as well as the scenes on the beach and the pub scenes in New York. The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is phenomenal for its rich and lush orchestral score that help play into the drama and some of its livelier moments as it is a highlight of the film as the music soundtrack also feature some classical pieces and traditional music pieces of the time.
The casting by Kathy Driscoll and Francine Maisler is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Maryanne Plunkett as the boarding house landlord Mrs. Kirke, Abby Quinn as a young society woman in Annie Moffat, Dash Barber as Amy’s beau Fred Vaughn, Sasha Frovola as the ailing German immigrant Mrs. Hummel, Jayne Houdyshell as the March’s longtime maid Hannah whom the girls treat as family, Bob Odenkirk as Father March, and Tracy Letts as the newspaper publisher Mr. Dashwood who is baffled by Jo’s stories as he reluctantly publishes them. James Norton is terrific as Laurie’s tutor John Brooke who would become Meg’s husband as he is concerned with her desire to fit in despite their lack of finances while Louis Garrel is superb as Friedrich Bhaer as a European literature professor who befriends Jo in New York while gives her some serious criticism about her work.
Chris Cooper is fantastic as Mr. Laurence as Laurie’s grandfather who laments over the loss of his daughter many years ago as he sees Beth as someone close to his daughter due to her love for the piano. Timothee Chalamet is excellent as Theodore “Laurie” Laurence as the grandson of Mr. Laurence who befriends Jo and the March sisters as he helps them be part of their plays as well as observe everything else while later falling for Amy in Paris. Meryl Streep is brilliant as Aunt March as Father March’s older sister who is rich while always offering the March girls advice about life and such as she often brings a lot of humor to her role. Laura Dern is amazing as Marmee as the March family matriarch who is always trying to bring some guidance and warmth to her daughters as well as someone who is also willing to help no matter how little her family have.
Eliza Scanlen is incredible as Elizabeth “Beth” March as the third older sister of the family who is shy as she prefers to play the piano to entertain others while is also the most observant as she would fall ill twice through scarlet fever where she would give Jo the motivation to keep on writing. Emma Watson is remarkable as Margaret “Meg” March as the eldest of the four sisters who wants to fit in and wear the finest clothes as she also acts in Jo’s plays but wants to have a family as she later deals with the desires to conform as well as be a good wife and mother to her children. Florence Pugh is phenomenal as Amy March as the youngest of the four sisters who is wild and bratty but also manages to be caring as she later goes to France to learn to be an artist as she copes with her work as well as her love life as she becomes unsure about Laurie. Finally, there’s Saoirse Ronan in a sensational performance as Josephine “Jo” March as the second oldest of the four sisters that wants to write and create stories while trying to stand out on her own as Ronan radiates with charisma as well as restraint to convey her own setbacks as it is a career-defining performance for Ronan.
Little Women is a tremendous film from Greta Gerwig that features top-notch performances from Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern, Chris Cooper, Timothee Chalamet, and Meryl Streep. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, Alexandre Desplat’s rapturous score, amazing set and costume design, and an inventive and compelling script. The film is definitely an adaptation that manages to be not just a fascinating character study and coming-of-age drama but also so much more in its take on identity, womanhood, and the dreams of these four sisters. In the end, Little Women is a magnificent film from Greta Gerwig.
Related: (Little Women (1917 film)) – (Little Women (1918 film)) – (Little Women (1933 film)) – (Little Women (1949 film)) – (Little Women (1994 film)) – (Little Women (2018 film))
Greta Gerwig Films: (Nights and Weekends) – Lady Bird - Barbie
© thevoid99 2019
Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird is the story of a Catholic high school senior dealing with growing pains and her troubled relationship with her mother. Set in 2002 Sacramento, the film is a look into the life of a young woman as she tries to find herself as well as dealing with all of the challenges in becoming a woman. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Timothee Chalamet, Lucas Hedges, Beanie Feldstein, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Lois Smith. Lady Bird is a delightful yet witty film from Greta Gerwig.
The film follows a year in the life of a young woman as she is about to become a senior where she deals with her identity, her surroundings, and her family including her mother. It plays into the world of growing pains for this 17-year old woman in Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) who wants to go to a college in the East Coast and away from her old life of Sacramento. Having to go to a Catholic high school since her older brother had been stabbed at a public school, Lady Bird also deals with that situation though she has company in her best friend Julianne “Julie” Steffans (Beanie Feldstein) only to become infatuated with a musician in Kyle Scheible (Timothee Chalamet) where she tries to fit in with the popular crowd. Greta Gerwig’s screenplay follows Lady Bird’s own search for an identity as well as doing things that upset her mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf) who is struggling with all sorts of things as her husband Larry (Tracy Letts) had just been laid off.
The script opens with Lady Bird and Marion driving around in the middle of California looking for colleges as it showcases the turbulent relationship they have as the former wants something more while the latter feels like Lady Bird should settle for less and accept the realities of her situation. Lady Bird is moody as she also feels like her mother hates her as she can turn to her easy-going father who is encouraging her despite some of the financial difficulties at home. Yet, Lady Bird also struggles to find love as she would befriend a classmate in Danny O’Neill (Lucas Hedges) who would act in the play she and Julie take part in. Still, Lady Bird becomes attracted to Kyle during Thanksgiving night with Danny, Julie, and a friend as it would lead to trouble with Lady Bird spending time with Kyle and a popular girl in Jenna Walton (Odeya Rush). It adds to Lady Bird’s growing confusion and desire to leave Sacramento but revelations about Kyle as well as dealing with her ambition knowing it would cause some pain between her and her mother.
Gerwig’s direction is very simple as she doesn’t go for a lot of stylistic shots to capture a moment in time in an environment that is quaint and interesting in a city like Sacramento. The city itself is a major character in the film while Gerwig would also shoot on location in Los Angeles and New York City for small bits with the latter is a place that Lady Bird wants to go. While there are some wide shots of the locations including certain places that is key to Sacramento, Gerwig would emphasize more on intimate and simpler compositions in using medium shots and close-ups. Even in the way she captures the interaction between Lady Bird and Marion such as the opening scene of the two listening to a reading of The Grapes of Wrath as it starts off as quaint until they start to argue. It’s among these offbeat moments that add to the humor including Lady Bird’s audition scene for a play and her own campaign posters that she created for class president. Gerwig would also showcase Lady Bird’s need to fit in as she claimed to live in this house that she and Julie would walk pass every once in a while.
Gerwig would also maintain something low-key in the drama to play into the relationship between Lady Bird and Marion in how they react toward one another. Notably in the third act as it relates to Lady Bird’s audition and where she wants to go as Marion’s response is one that is surprising in its restraint. It would showcase that sense of difference in the two women but also how similar they are with Lady Bird forcing to think about the essay she wrote as it relates to her hometown. Especially as the film’s ending has Lady Bird make a decision that would show the sense of maturity that she needs into becoming a young woman but also hold on to the bond between mother and daughter. Overall, Gerwig crafts a compelling and intoxicating film about a young woman dealing with growing pains and her tumultuous relationship with her mother.
Cinematographer Sam Levy does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward for many of the scenes set in the day including the daytime exteriors with some low-key lighting for the scenes set at night. Editor Nick Houy does terrific work with the editing as it is very straightforward without delving into a lot of style but does provide some nice rhythmic cuts for some of the film’s humor. Production designer Chris Jones and set decorator Traci Spadorcia do fantastic work with the look of Lady Bird’s room at her house as well as the classrooms and some of the places she goes to.
Costume designer April Napier does nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual with the exception of the school uniforms the kid wears as well as the Goth clothing Lady Bird’s brother and his girlfriend wears. Sound editor Paul Hsu does terrific work with the sound as it play into the way music is heard on location as well as some of the sounds that happen at Lady Bird’s home. The film’s music by Jon Brion is brilliant for its low-key score with elements of jazz and pop to play into the humor and drama while music supervisor Michael Hill and Brian Ross provide a fun soundtrack of the kind of music that was being played in the early 2000s such as Bone Thugs N Harmony, Justin Timberlake, and Dave Matthews Band along with a mixture of classical, indie, and folk music that is played throughout the film.
The casting by Heidi Griffiths, Allison Jones, and Jordan Thaler is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Kristen Cloke as Julie’s mother, Kathryn Newton as Lady Bird’s classmate Darlene, Laura Marano as a theater performer/classmate in Diana, Marielle Scott as Miguel’s girlfriend Shelly, Jake McDorman as the school’s math teacher Mr. Bruno whom Julie has a crush on, Odeya Rush as a popular girl in Jenna Walton that Lady Bird befriends, and Stephen McKinley Henderson as the school’s drama teacher in Father Leviatch as a man that is still dealing with loss as he tries to teach the kids drama. Jordan Rodrigues is terrific as Lady Bird’s older half-brother Miguel who is trying to find his own path in life after college where he also deals with his sister’s attitude. Lois Smith is fantastic as Sister Sarah Joan as this teacher at the Catholic school who understands Lady Bird’s rebellion as she is this unconventional authority figure that is offbeat but also very funny. Lucas Hedges is superb as Danny O’Neill as a classmate who joins drama as he is someone Lady Bird has feelings for only to see that he is dealing with some personal issues.
Beanie Feldstein is excellent as Julie as Lady Bird’s best friend who feels left out when Lady Bird hangs out with Jenna as she is just trying to deal with high school and finding herself as it’s a funny and heartfelt performance from Feldstein. Timothee Chalamet is brilliant as Kyle as this kid who is also a musician that Lady Bird falls for as he is her idea of what is cool as he is someone that is intriguing although very flawed. Tracy Letts is amazing as Lady Bird’s father Larry as a man dealing with depression over losing his job as he does whatever it takes to encourage Lady Bird and make her feel good. Laurie Metcalf is remarkable as Lady Bird’s mother Marion as a woman that is dealing with her daughter as well as not wanting her to go far away as she also cope with the financial issues as it add to the tension between mother and daughter. Finally, there’s Saoirse Ronan in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as a young woman trying to figure out her identity and desire for culture where Ronan displays that air of humor and humility as a young woman just trying to figure things out as it is a career-defining performance for the actress.
Lady Bird is a sensational film from Greta Gerwig that features incredible performances from Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf. Along with its supporting cast, engaging story, sumptuous music soundtrack, and its themes on growing up and trying to find an identity at a young age. It’s a film that showcases life of a young woman dealing with many issues as well as turbulent relationship with her mother who doesn’t want her to deal with disappointment. In the end, Lady Bird is a spectacular film from Greta Gerwig.
Greta Gerwig Films: (Nights and Weekends) - Little Women (2019 film) - Barbie
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel by Philip Roth, Indignation is the story of a Jewish student who begins a relationship with a mentally ill student at a small Ohio college as he also spars with its dean over religion and individuality in the life of academics. Written for the screen and directed by James Schamus, the film is a period drama of sorts set in the 1950s as it revolves around morality as a young man copes with his faith and his own sexual awakening. Starring Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon, Linda Edmond, Ben Rosenfield, Danny Burstein, Pico Alexander, and Tracy Letts. Indignation is a riveting and compelling film from James Schamus.
Set in 1951 at a college in Ohio, the film follows a Jewish student who arrives as a freshman where he meets a beautiful student as they would have a strange sexual moment that would later get the two into some trouble involving gossip as he gets the attention of the school’s dean. The film is a complex story in which a young man with strong views on the world as he prefers to keep things to himself as he deals with the expectations he’s laid upon from his parents as well as the faculty until a date with this young woman would change things. James Schamus’ screenplay opens and ends with this old woman at a hospital staring at the wall as it then goes into a scene during the Korean War where a North Korean soldier fights with an American. It would then cut into a funeral service that the film’s protagonist Marcus Messner (Logan Lerman) attends for someone who was killed at the war as he copes with his father (Danny Burstein) who has been acting erratic lately as well as the need to socialize with other Jewish students despite the fact that he’s an Atheist.
When he meets Olivia Hutton (Sarah Gadon) at a history class and asks her out, he is unaware of what kind of person she is as she would give him a blow job inside a car as their relationship would be awkward until Marcus wonders about Olivia’s frequent absences at school. Especially as he learns about the fact that she’s had a history of mental illness and an undeserved reputation for being loose which gets him upset as he would lash out at his roommates and eventually move into his own room at another dorm. This would get the attention of the school’s dean Hawes D. Caudwell (Tracy Letts) who would ask a lot of questions that would annoy Marcus and his own beliefs including having to attend chapel forty times during his entire time at the school as requirement to graduate. It is a key moment in the story as it shows the expectations laid upon Marcus, Olivia, and other students in what they had to do in order to move forward as a society yet Marcus and Olivia have a hard time sticking to those ideals which has the former be outspoken and the latter coming apart.
Schamus’ direction is quite straightforward yet does contain some very entrancing compositions in the way he looks at college life in the 1950s where it’s a world that is quite square in its surroundings. Shot on location around various parts of New York City, the film does play into this look that is quite idyllic for the look of the college as well as Schamus’ precise framing into every image including the scenes at the chapel where a speaker tries to instill Christian ideals into the students including non-Christians. The usage of wide and medium shots play into this institution that may seem like idyllic but also quite stifling which is definitely what Schamus is doing while he also uses close-ups for the characters including Marcus who narrates the film via voiceover. There are a few scenes outside of the college as it relates to the working-class Jewish community that Marcus live in as it has a similar presentation visually but it’s a grimy world that includes the butcher shop that Marcus’ father runs.
The sexual content in the film is actually very tame since Schamus doesn’t show anything at all but rather Marcus’ own reaction to getting a blowjob from Olivia as well as her visits at the hospital during the second half of the film. Schamus’ approach to the drama is very simple yet he would also maintain some ambiguity as it relates to Olivia where he only display a few things about her with the exception of a flashback sequence relating to her mental history. The third act isn’t just about Marcus and Olivia’s relationship which is considered taboo given Marcus’ own idealism and Olivia’s reputation as well as the fact that they both come from different social circles. It also play into this growing decline of the ideas and demands of conformity at the college as it would play into Marcus’ growing disdain for everything Dean Caudwell stands for. Overall, Schamus creates a provocative yet haunting film about a young man’s relationship with a troubled young woman at a college in the early 1950s.
Cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key lighting for some of the interiors at night as it play into this idyllic of 1950s society with the only scene of brightness is in the hospital scenes. Editor Andrew Marcus does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward in terms of the cutting as it strays from anything stylized. Production designer Inbal Weinberg, with set decorator Philippa Culpepper and art director Derek Wang, does amazing work with the look of the college dorms and classrooms as well as Marcus’ hospital room and the butcher shop that his father owns.
Costume designer Amy Roth does fantastic work with the costumes from the look of what students wore during that time including the dresses that Olivia wore. Sound editor Lewis Goldstein is terrific from the way a record sounds inside Marcus’ dorm to some of the low-key yet raucous moments at the campus as well as the tense scenes inside the chapel. The film’s music by Jay Wadley is superb for its orchestral-based score that is also low-key in its string arrangements as it help play into the somber tones of the film while the soundtrack features music of the times including the folk and pop music of the times.
The casting by Avy Kaufman is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Sue Dahlman as this old woman at the film’s beginning and ending, Noah Robbins as a Jewish fraternity brother who would help Marcus deal with appearing at chapel, Philip Ettinger as a roommate of Marcus early in the film who would lend Marcus his car for his date with Olivia, Ben Rosenfield as another of Marcus’ roommate earlier in the film whose fondness for loud records and Shakespeare would annoy Marcus, and Pico Alexander as Jewish fraternity president who would try to invite Marcus to the fraternity as he’s a mutual friend of Marcus’ family. Danny Burstein is superb as Marcus’ father Max who starts to behave erratically as he believes something bad is going to happen where he would eventually lash out at those around him. Linda Emond is excellent as Marcus’ mother Esther as a woman who has been very supportive of Marcus as she would visit him at the hospital while getting to meet Olivia which would worry her.
Tracy Letts is brilliant as Dean Caudwell as the college dean who is eager to instill his own rule and ideals into the college that he runs as he finds himself challenged by Marcus where Letts’ performance is quite unusual in its restraint as he comes off more as a man who seems concerned and intrigued but it’s just a cover for someone who is really quite dark. Sarah Gadon is amazing as Olivia Hutton as a young woman from an upper-class family that is sexually-experienced yet is also quite off as someone who is also very fragile as she doesn’t want to reveal much about herself to Marcus. Finally, there’s Logan Lerman in a remarkable performance as Marcus Messner as this young Jewish freshman that is an Atheist who isn’t eager to fit in with the rest of the campus in order to focus on his studies only to find himself challenged by Dean Caudwell and find someone he is intrigued by in Olivia as it’s a very complex performance from Lerman who has this defiance but also weariness to someone trying to find his place in the world.
Indignation is an incredible film from James Schamus that features phenomenal performances from Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon, and Tracy Letts. Along with its gorgeous visuals and compelling themes on individualism during the early 1950s, it’s a film that explores a young man dealing with the expectations of society where he finds solace in a troubled young woman. In the end, Indignation is a sensational film from James Schamus.
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by William Friedkin and written by Tracy Letts that is based on his 1996 play, Bug is the story of a woman who finds herself in a rural Oklahoma motel with a paranoid man whose obsession with conspiracy theories has him thinking that bugs and the government are out to get him. The film is a return to the horror genre that Friedkin was known for back in the 1970s as it also explores a world filled with terror in the most unlikeliest of places. Starring Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon, Lynn Collins, Brian F. O’Byrne, and Harry Connick Jr. Bug is a terrifying and chilling film from William Friedkin.
Set almost entirely in a motel room in the middle of nowhere in Oklahoma, the film revolves a bar waitress who meets a former war veteran who believes that bugs and the government are out to get him. In turn, the waitress starts to believe that everything this man says is real as forces try to interfere. It’s a film that plays into the world of paranoia as well as a woman dealing with loneliness as the well as the presence of her abusive ex-husband. The film’s screenplay by Tracy Letts maintains a sense of intimacy as it plays to the loneliness of bar waitress Agnes (Ashley Judd) who is still reeling from the disappearance of her child years ago where she parties with her friend R. C. (Lynn Collins) who invites this drifter named Peter (Michael Shannon).
Peter is a man that just went AWOL from an experiment that has him believing that bugs are inside of him as he is this unlikely quiet fellow who intrigues Agnes. Yet, Peter’s belief that bugs are trying to kill him has Agnes bewildered until she starts to believe as it raises questions about if anything Peter is saying is true or is he delusional. Even as Agnes doesn’t trust anyone but Peter as she starts to have bruises and such where it plays into a sense of mystery in the film.
William Friedkin’s direction is very intimate but also stylish in the way he plays into the lonely life of a waitress who keeps being stalked by her ex-husband Jerry (Harry Connick Jr.) as she numbs herself with drugs and partying. Much of Friedkin’s direction features some tight-close-ups and medium shots with very few wide shots where it’s only used in a scene where a helicopter is flying above this motel in the middle of Oklahoma. While there’s some scenes shot outside of the motel room, most of the film takes place inside this motel room where it’s intimate but also very chilling in its cramped setting as it gets more troubling as the film progresses. Especially where Friedkin just keeps the setting tighter and more unsettling where there’s an uncertainty by what is really happening as there’s some moments that are very violent as well as shocking that proves that Friedkin still has that ability to create some high-octane scares. Overall, Friedkin creates a very scary and compelling film about paranoia.
Cinematographer Michael Grady does excellent work with the cinematography from the grimy look of its daytime exterior/interior settings to its exterior look at night as well as the use of blue for a very chilling third act inside the motel room. Editor Darrin Navarro does brilliant work with the editing as it has this sense of style in its approach to jump-cut and rhythms while knowing when not to cut in certain scenes involving dialogue. Production designer Franco-Giacomo Carbone and set decorator Frank Zito do fantastic work with look of Agnes‘ motel room in its grimy look as well as what it would look like with tin foil in the film‘s third act. Costume designer Peggy A. Schnitzer does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual to play into the film‘s American Midwest tone.
Sound designer Steve Boeddeker and sound editor Ronald Eng do superb work with the sound from the way the helicopter sounds from inside the hotel to the sparse sound textures that play into Agnes and Peter‘s paranoia.. The film’s music by Brian Tyler is wonderful as it‘s very low-key in its electronic setting while there‘s some additional music by Serj Tankian who provides some fast-paced metal music that. Music supervisor Jay Faires brings in a soundtrack that features a diverse array of music from country, rock, blues, and metal to play into the world of the Midwest.
The casting by Bonnie Timmerman is great as it features a notable appearance from Brian F. O’Byrne who appears in the film’s third act as someone looking for Peter. Harry Connick Jr. is fantastic as Agnes’ ex-husband Jerry who wants to get back with her but is often stalking her as he wants her money. Lynn Collins is superb as R.C. as Agnes’ lesbian friend who introduces her to Peter as she would eventually question Peter’s state of mind. Ashley Judd is amazing as Agnes as a lonely waitress who is reeling from loss as her friendship with Peter has her questioning about her surroundings and everything in the world where Judd goes all out in being insane. Finally, there’s Michael Shannon in an incredible performance as Peter as a former war veteran who went AWOL as he believes that bugs and the government are out to get him where there’s a crazed element to his performance as it’s one full of terror but also complex as there’s an ambiguity into whether he’s crazy or it is really happening to him.
Bug is a remarkably riveting and horrifying film from William Friedkin. Armed with great performances from Michael Shannon and Ashley Judd as well as Tracy Letts’ haunting script. The film is definitely a return-to-form of sorts for Friedkin after a period of hit-and-miss film as it showcases his mastery in suspense and horror. In the end, Bug is a phenomenal film from William Friedkin.
William Friedkin Films: (Good Times) - (The Birthday Party) - (The Night They Raided Minsky’s) - (The Boys in the Band) - The French Connection - The Exorcist - Sorcerer - (Brink’s Job) - Cruising - (Deal of the Century) - To Live and Die in L.A. - (Rampage (1987 film)) - (The Guardian (1990 film)) - (Blue Chips) - (Jailbreakers) - (Jade) - (12 Angry Men (1997 TV film)) - (Rules of Engagement) - (The Hunted (2003 film)) - Killer Joe
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by William Friedkin and written by Tracy Letts from his play, Killer Joe is the story about a young drug dealer who is going through money troubles as he and his family hire a contract killer to his mother so that he can collect the insurance money. The film revolves around a family trying to get money from someone they despise only to make a deal with someone they shouldn’t have trusted. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Thomas Haden Church, Gina Gershon, and Juno Temple. Killer Joe is a grimy yet unsettling film from William Friedkin.
The film is a look into the troubled world of a very dysfunctional family living in West Dallas, Texas where a young drug dealer named Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch) is in deep debt as he owes a lot of money to loan sharks. The only way he can get the money is to have his mother killed so his younger sister Dottie (Juno Temple) can collect the insurance money worth $50,000 and he can split the money between himself, his sister, their father Ansel (Thomas Haden Church), and their stepmother Sharla (Gina Gershon). By hiring the detective/contract killer Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), they hope the plan would work but since the Smith family has no money. Dottie becomes Joe’s retainer until the money is given to Dottie but things become complicated leading to all sorts of trouble. Notably as Joe has some specific rules for Chris and Ansel to follow along with some secrets that could ruin things.
Tracy Letts’ screenplay plays into the dysfunctional world of this family where Chris is a young dealer who is in trouble because of his mother as he owes a lot of money. Though Chris is a fuck-up, he is desperate to get out of debt as he turns to his father for help but Ansel doesn’t have the money to help him out as Chris ropes the family in on the solution of how they can get some big money. By hiring Joe Cooper to do the job, Chris is unaware of the implications that he has bargained for as well as the danger he’s putting Dottie in. Especially as she’s this young, child-like woman who is kind of eccentric but also a representation of innocence though she too doesn’t like her mother very much as she’s also on board with the idea of having her mother dead. Joe is intrigued by Dottie as he wants to do a lot for her but is also a man who is a complete professional in what he does.
While Ansel and Sharla are characters who are only on board because of the money, once things become complicated in relation to what happens after Joe does the job. Notably as secrets are unveiled as well as resentment towards Chris over the danger they’re being put through as Joe is a man that is given a task for what he does and he wants what he’s being paid for. There were rules that Ansel and Chris had to follow but Chris’ conflict over what is happening to Dottie makes him uneasy as he tries to cancel the hit only to be reminded of the trouble he’s in. It adds to not just the conflict that Chris is facing but also the damage of his actions as he realizes how far down he’s in as he put his family in danger and has to deal with the consequences from not just the loan sharks but Joe as well.
The direction of William Friedkin is definitely unsafe and discomforting in not just the way he portrays a family that are dysfunctional and selfish but also the world they’re in as they live in a trailer park in the West Dallas, Texas. While there’s some scenes shot in New Orleans, Friedkin makes West Dallas into this very vast yet grimy place where things are in decay while and it’s a world where people tend to live by their own rules. It’s also a place where Friedkin uses Texas something that is considered Gothic with its images of lighting and rain where it plays a sense of doom that is to come while some of the locations showcase a place that had lost some of its splendor.
It’s not just West Dallas that’s a character in the film but also some of the presentation that Friedkin goes for as he maintains something that is stylish but also has this air of suspense in some of the film’s darker moments. Even in scenes between Joe and Dottie where Joe is entranced by Dottie’s innocence as there’s also an element of creepiness that occurs from Joe. The violence in the film is quite brutal that includes a scene where Chris is beaten by a couple of hoods. Yet, that is tame compared to the film’s final sequence where Joe confronts Sharla and Ansel over the insurance money where it involves some moments that will push the limits of how much someone can take. Even as it would later be followed by a chilly climax to showcase not just some dark truths but also something that is inevitable about everything else. Overall, William Friedkin creates a truly visceral yet mesmerizing film about greed and loyalty that refuses to play nice.
Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel does excellent work with the cinematography from a more naturalistic setting for the exterior scenes in the day to some more stylish use of lights in some of the nighttime interior and exteriors scenes including moments in the rain. Editor Darrin Navarro does fantastic work with the editing to play up the sensation of the violence as well as using some rhythmic yet methodical cuts to play out the film‘s suspenseful moments. Production designer Franco-Giacomo Carbone and set decorator Alice Baker do superb work with the set pieces from the empty pool hall where Joe meets Chris and Ansel to the trailer home the Smith family lives in that includes Dottie’s very innocent room that is filled with posters of pop idols.
Costume designer Peggy A. Schnitzer does nice work with the film‘s clothes as it‘s mostly casual and grimy though the look of Joe is very dark with his boots and black cowboy hat. Sound designer Steve Boeddeker and sound editors Aaron Levy and Mace Matiosian do amazing work with the sound to play out the air of suspense in some of the film‘s locations along with some moments where the sound creates an atmosphere to create something that is very intense. The film’s music by Tyler Bates is terrific as it‘s very low-key with its use of ambient music to underplay the suspense and drama. Music supervisor C.C. Adcock creates a soundtrack that is offbeat as it ranges from country music, rockabilly, folk music, and some reggae as it includes contributions from Lee Hazelwood, Clarence Carter, Southern Culture on the Skids, and Reverend Horton Heat.
The casting by Denise Chamian is brilliant as it features some notable small roles from Danny Epper and Jeff Galpin as a couple of biker thugs who beat up Chris, Marc Macauley as the loan shark Digger that Chris owes money to, Sean O’Hara as the boyfriend of Chris’ mother Rex, and Julia Adams as Chris and Dottie’s mother Adele. Gina Gershon is excellent as Ansel’s wife Sharla who doesn’t really like Chris very much as she goes for the plan only for the money as she is also carrying a secret that would later impact things. Thomas Haden Church is superb as Ansel as a man who is unsure about getting involved with the scheme only to realize how beneficial it would be until he realizes the consequences it would bring.
Juno Temple is wonderful as Dottie as this very innocent young woman who is kind of an eccentric but also who is also quite girlish as she doesn’t seem to know what is really going on other than the fact that her mom is going to be killed. Emile Hirsch is amazing as Chris Smith as a young man in a lot of trouble as he tries to get himself out of trouble only to realize he’s made a deal that will bring in some serious consequences. Finally, there’s Matthew McConaughey in a performance for the ages as Joe Cooper where McConaughey is a man that is about his job while knowing what he can get in return as he’s also a man that’s in control but also instills a sense of order in what he does and what he wants as it’s definitely a performance full of terror and charisma.
Killer Joe is a phenomenal film from William Friedkin that features an unforgettable performance from Matthew McConaughey and a chilling screenplay from Tracy Letts. Along with a great ensemble that includes Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Thomas Haden Church, and Gina Gershon, it’s a film that doesn’t want to play nice while not being afraid to be ugly and dirty. For William Friedkin, the film is certainly his most captivating but also his most harrowing as it shows a master returning to form. In the end, Killer Joe is an outstanding film from William Friedkin.
William Friedkin Films: (Good Times) - (The Birthday Party) - (The Night They Raided Minsky’s) - (The Boys in the Band) - The French Connection - The Exorcist - Sorcerer - (Brink’s Job) - Cruising - (Deal of the Century) - To Live and Die in L.A. - (Rampage (1987 film)) - (The Guardian (1990 film)) - (Blue Chips) - (Jailbreakers) - (Jade) - (12 Angry Men (1997 TV film)) - (Rules of Engagement) - (The Hunted (2003 film)) - Bug (2006 film)
© thevoid99 2013
