Based on the novel by Alex Garland, The Beach is the story of an American college student who travels to Thailand to find a mysterious island with a couple of young French people as they find all of the splendor as well as danger about its secrecy. Directed by Danny Boyle and screenplay by John Hodge, the film is an exploration into the idea of paradise only for things to go wrong when there isn’t such a thing. Starring Leonardo diCaprio, Virginie Ledoyen, Robert Carlyle, Guillaume Canet, and Tilda Swinton. The Beach is a mesmerizing yet uneven film from Danny Boyle.
Set largely in Thailand, the film follows an American college student who is given a map to a mysterious island as he brings along a French couple to join him where they find paradise but have to take great risks to maintain its secrecy. It’s a film that isn’t about people trying to find something different from the many conventional ideas of being on vacation but also wanting something more. Yet, their discovery of a secret community who wants to maintain that sense of paradise eventually becomes uneasy where it is clear that its habitants are sharing the island with Thai cannabis farmers who aren’t so keen in letting anymore outsiders into the island. John Lodge’s screenplay is largely told from the perspective of its protagonist in Richard (Leonardo diCaprio) as this young American college student who goes to Thailand seeking adventure and something different from the banality of conventional society.
Lodge’s script succeeds in exploring the island and why it’s so secretive as well as establish the characters such as Richard, the French couple Etienne (Guillaume Canet) and Francoise (Virginie Ledoyen), one of the island community’s founder in Daffy (Robert Carlyle) who would give Richard the map to the island, and the community’s leader Sal (Tilda Swinton). Yet, it’s in the narrative and its tone where the script falters as the first half starts off as this adventure for paradise where everything seems fine. Then it darkens once it moves into the second half where a community resident’s death starts to shake things where it goes into bits of surrealism as well as some dark suspense about what some will do to maintain this place a secret. It becomes a different film as well as something very strange where Richard is forced to watch outsiders who have a copy of a map that Richard drew for these American stoners as it would lead to all sorts of trouble.
Danny Boyle’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of not just the setting of the locations but also in the surreal elements in the film. Shot on location in parts of Bangkok and at the Maya Bay at Ko Phi Phi Lee in Thailand, the film plays into a world that is in conflict with the chaos of modernism and the serenity of this beach that Richard, Etienne, and Francoise would discover and live at for a time. Boyle’s usage of the wide and medium shots would play into the beauty of the locations as well as the sense of community in the people who live near the beach. Boyle would also use close-ups and some gorgeous shots for some of the intimate moments yet he is faltered by the film’s uneven script. Notably in the second half where it gets dark as it does feel like a different movie as it includes this very weird video game sequence where Richard pretends to be in a video game as it also include some references to Apocalypse Now as its third act is a really messy one. Though it would have a strong conclusion as it play into the fallacy of paradise, it also shows some of the ugliness in humanity that is no different from the chaos that is happening in the modern world. Overall, Boyle creates a compelling yet flawed film about a young man finding a map leading to paradise only it isn’t what it really seems to be.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji does brilliant work with the film‘s colorful cinematography in capturing the beauty of the beach locations in the day as well as some of the scenes set at night along with some of the scenes set in Bangkok. Editor Masahiro Hirakubo does nice work with the editing as it has some stylish rhythmic cuts and jump-cuts to play into the frenetic energy as well as in some of the low-key dramatic moments. Production designer Andrew McAlpine, with set decorator Anna Pinnock and supervising art director Rod McLean, does fantastic work with the look of the hotel rooms in Bangkok as well as the little resort the residents of the beach live at. Costume designer Rachel Fleming does terrific work with the costumes as it is mostly casual with the exception of the clothes that Sal wears that emphasizes her role as a leader.
Special effects supervisor Clive Beard and digital visual effects supervisor Robert Duncan do some fine work with the minimal visual effects as it involve a sequence with sharks as well as a balloon ceremony. Sound designer Glenn Freemantle does superb work with the sound as it play into some of the sparse and intimate moments at the beach to the layers of sound in Bangkok as it‘s unruly. The film’s music by Angelo Badalamenti is wonderful for its ambient-based score to play into the serenity of the island while music supervisor Pete Tong provide a fun soundtrack that features a few score pieces from John Cale and Brian Eno plus contributions by New Order, Blur, Moby, Faithless, Barry Adamson, Sugar Ray, All Saints, the Chemical Brothers, Unkle with Richard Ashcroft, Orbital, Leftfield, Underworld, and Asian Dub Foundation.
The casting by Gail Stevens is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Peter Youngblood Hills and Jerry Swindall as a couple of American tourists Richard meet on the way to the mysterious beach, Saskia Mulder and Simone Huber as the German girlfriends of those American tourists, Staffan Kihlbom, Jukka Hiltunen, and Magnus Lindgren as a trio of Swedish residents of the beach, Daniel Caltagirone as the community’s chef Unhygienix who has an unhealthy obsession with being clean, and Lars Arentz-Hansen as Sal’s boyfriend/community carpenter Bugs who has a dislike towards Richard and vice versa. Paterson Joseph is superb as Keaty as a member of the community who is kind of the film’s conscience as he starts to see the community unravel following an incident as well as try to get Richard to see reason when he is tasked by Sal to do something about the unwelcome visitors. Abhijati “Meuk” Jasakul is terrific as the head cannabis farmer who doesn’t like outsiders as he has this very eerie presence as well as someone who has found a way to live outside of the modern world without compromise. Robert Carlyle is fantastic as Daffy as a founder of the beach whom Richard meets in Bangkok as a man who has become insane and displays his own disdain towards modern society as he would give Richard the map to the beach.
Tilda Swinton is brilliant as Sal as the beach community’s leader who allows Richard, Etienne, and Francoise to be part of the community as she is intent on keeping the secrecy of the beach by any means necessary. Guillaume Canet is excellent as Etienne as a young Frenchman who is the most helpful and skilled person of the trio as he also finds himself competing with Richard for Francoise’s affection. Virginie Ledoyen is amazing as Francoise as a young Frenchwoman who goes on the journey as she is the most artistic as she is charmed by Richard as well as become disenchanted with Sal’s refusal to accept the real consequences of some of the tragedies that occur. Finally, there’s Leonardo diCaprio in a remarkable performance as Richard as a young American college student seeking adventure only to find horror later on as he nearly loses it as it one of diCaprio’s more overlooked performances that has him be full of energy as well as display some eerie moments.
The Beach is a terrific yet flawed film from Danny Boyle. Despite its messy and inconsistent script, the film does feature an excellent soundtrack, beautiful locations, and a fantastic cast led by Leonardo diCaprio. In the end, The Beach is a stellar film from Danny Boyle.
Danny Boyle Films: Shallow Grave - Trainspotting - A Life Less Ordinary - 28 Days Later - Millions - Sunshine - Slumdog Millionare - 127 Hours - Trance - Steve Jobs - T2 Trainspotting - (Yesterday (2019 film))
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel by Chantal Thomas, Les adieux a la reine (Farewell, My Queen) is the story about the final days of Marie Antoinette’s reign as the Queen of France told from the perspective of a young servant. Directed by Benoit Jacquot and screenplay by Jacquot, Thomas, and Gilles Taurand, the film explores the life of a young woman as she watches a world crumble in the wake of the French Revolution. Starring Lea Seydoux, Virginie Ledoyen, Xavier Beauvois, and Diane Kruger as Marie Antoinette. Les adieux a la reine is an exquisite yet mesmerizing drama from Benoit Jacquot.
The film explores four days in the life of Marie Antoinette in July of 1789 as the French Revolution is underway. Yet, the story is told from the perspective of her reader Sidonie (Lea Seydoux) whose job is to read books for the Queen of France during a tumultuous moment in France. During the course of the film, Sidonie works as a servant to the Queen though there is never much information about this young woman as all she wants to do is fulfill her duties. Still, the chaos in Versailles couldn’t be ignored as Sidonie has to watch people flee in fear as she also encounters moments of despair from fellow servants and such. Particularly as the Queen’s relationship with the Duchess of Polignac (Virginie Ledoyen) no longer becomes secret where the Queen makes a drastic decision that will involve Sidonie.
The film’s script plays into these four days in Versailles where it starts off very peaceful where the first day reveals a day in the life of Sidonie where she works as the Queen’s reader and do other duties around the palace. While there’s small moments of chaos, it would build up to the point where Sidonie is unable to do her duties as she and other servants have to watch everything unfolding including brief glimpses of King Louis XVI (Xavier Beauvois) who is always surrounded by counsel. Though Sidonie is just a servant, she is treated the Queen as one of the few people in the palace she can trust while Sidonie has to watch from a far to see the Queen’s world unravel including a rare moment with the King to talk about their next move. Sidonie’s life outside of her duties with the Queen doesn’t reveal much as she’s a very mysterious woman as fellow servants are surprised by how little they know about her.
Benoit Jacquot’s direction is definitely engaging as it is shot on location in the palace of Versailles where Jacquot not only uses some stylistic wide and medium shots for some of the compositions. He also utilizes some intimate hand-held shots including scenes of Sidonie walking through a very crowded hallway late at night to display the sense of chaos in the palace. While there are moments where Sidonie isn’t in a scene or in the frame, Jacquot does make sure that she’s still present somewhere such as the Queen’s private meetings with the King and the Duchess of Polignac to see what exactly is happening. The film’s climax plays to Sidonie’s final assignment for the Queen which also relates to the Duchess of Polignac where it would reveal Sidonie’s true devotion for the Queen. Overall, Jacquot creates a compelling yet intoxicating film about a young woman’s loyalty to Marie Antoinette.
Cinematographer Romain Winding does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography to capture the lush beauty of the daytime interiors and exteriors of Versailles as well as more low-key yet naturalistic lighting schemes for the scenes at night. Editors Luc Barnier and Nelly Ollivault do excellent work with the editing to play up with some of the chaotic energy that occurs in the film while some of the editing is quite straightforward. Production designer Katia Wyszkop does brilliant work with the look of some of the rooms in the palaces along with the places where the servants live and eat at.
Costume designers Christian Gasc and Valerie Ranchoux do fantastic work with the costumes from the look of the dresses that many of the women wear to the clothes that the men wear in the palace. Sound editor Francis Wargnier does terrific work with the sound to create the intimacy of the scenes in the palace as well as the layers of people talking and such to establish the sense of unraveling in the palace. The film’s music by Bruno Coulais is wonderful for its lush, orchestral score to play out the drama as well as some of the film’s suspenseful moments as it relates to the uncertainty in the palace.
The casting by Antoinette Boulat is superb for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small performances from Anne Benoit as the lady-in-waiting Rose Bertin, Lolita Chammah and Marthe Caufman as a couple of fellow servants, Julie-Marie Parmentier as the servant Honorine who is a friend of Sidonie, Noemie Lvovsky as the Queen’s lady-in-waiting Madame Campan, Michel Robin as the palace historian Nicolas Moreau who is another person Sidonie likes, and Xavier Beauvois in a terrific performance as King Louis XVI. Virginie Ledoyen is excellent as the Duchess of Polignac as the Queen’s best friend who has to deal with the chaos of Versailles as well as having to part with the Queen.
Diane Kruger is brilliant as Marie Antoinette as a woman who is dealing with the unraveling of her world as she tries to maintain a brave face while being in anguish over what she’s losing as she turns to Sidonie for help. Finally, there’s Lea Seydoux in a riveting performance as Sidonie as a young woman who is trying to do whatever to be there for her queen despite the chaos that is around her as she also tries to maintain a brave face for the queen as it’s a very exquisite performance for the young actress.
Les adieux a la reine is a marvelous film from Benoit Jacquot that features amazing performances from Diane Kruger and Lea Seydoux. The film isn’t just an engaging drama about a servant’s loyalty to the Queen of France but also an interesting historical drama that explores the final days of the French monarchy during the French Revolution. In the end, Les adieux a la reine is an extraordinary film from Benoit Jacquot.
Related Films: Marie Antoinette (1936 film) - Marie Antoinette (2006 film)
© thevoid99 2013
Based on the play Huit Femmes by Robert Thomas, 8 Femmes is a who-dun-it set during the Christmas holidays at the French countryside as a matriarch, her mother, her sister, her two daughters, her two maids, and her sister-in-law are all suspected of killing the man of the house as they’re force to reveal secrets and in song. Directed by Francois Ozon and screenplay by Ozon and Marina de Van, the film is a mixture of the colorful melodramas of Douglas Sirk with the mysteries of Agatha Christie with a bit of the musical told in the film. Starring Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Danielle Darrieux, Fanny Ardant, Emmanuelle Beart, Virginie Ledoyen, Ludivine Sagnier, and Firmine Richard. 8 Femmes is an exhilarating yet entertaining genre-bending film from Francois Ozon.
The film is essentially a quirky take on the who-dun-it that mixes suspense, comedy, melodrama, and the musical all into a mish-mash of fun where eight women ranging from different ages and such all try to figure out who killed the man in the house as they’re all suspects. Throughout the film, family secrets are unveiled as tension come ahead between the eight women in the story as well as an act of defiance from the two maids who are upset over the way things are handled. Adding to the chaos is the unexpected visit of the man’s sister Pierrette (Fanny Ardant) as she helps stir the pot where she and the seven other women start to figure out who did what as they also sing a song in turn to express their own feelings and such.
The screenplay by Francois Ozon and Marina de Van definitely takes it time to play with the expectations of a who-dun-it as they also explore the dysfunctional relationship between this group of women as it involve the man’s wife Gaby (Catherine Deneuve), her uptight sister Augustine (Isabelle Huppert), her wheelchair-bound mother Mamy (Danielle Darrieux), and her two daughters in Suzon (Virginie Ledoyen) and Catherine (Ludivine Sagnier). Then there’s the two servants in the longtime cook Madame Chanel (Firmine Richard) and the new chambermaid Louise (Emmanuelle Beart) as they observe everything while they become suspects over their motives and some secrets that they carry. Eventually, more secrets are unveiled as well as clues into who killed the man known as Marcel. The screenplay also plays with the structure of the suspense where it does give one character a reprieve of sorts as she is no longer a suspect allowing the others to figure things out.
The screenplay also plays into many things such as equality, homosexuality, and repression as these eight women all want something just as they are all dealing with themselves and their relationship with Marcel. The songs that are chosen for the film for each character reveal a lot into who these women are as well as what they have to say. It also helps play into some of the emotional aspects of the story that adds a layer to the melodrama.
Ozon’s direction definitely recalls a lot of the visual motifs of Douglas Sirk in terms of staging and framing as well as the meticulous attention to detail in every set piece. From the way Ozon creates an atmosphere in his framing to how he is willing to let things loose in the humor and drama. Even in the musical moments where some of it is choreographed while some of it is presented in a simple manner. Ozon does use some unique framing devices to present these musical numbers in the way he place the actors in a frame or have them be in the background for someone’s musical number with the help of choreographer Sebastian Charles. There is something intoxicating to the way Ozon presents the film as it plays as a theater piece but also take his time to subvert these moments for everyone to play loose. Overall, Ozon creates a very delightful and compelling who-dun-it that is presented in song and in humor.
Cinematographer Jeanne Lapoirie does exquisite work with the film‘s colorful cinematography to create a sense of beauty as a lot of it is shot inside the house where Lapoirie uses some gorgeous lighting schemes for some of the musical numbers as well as the dramatic moments. Editor Laurence Bawedin does excellent work with the editing to capture some of the intensity of the drama and the rhythm of the musical numbers. Production designer Arnaud de Moleron and set decorator Marie-Claire Quin do amazing work with the set pieces with its attention to detail in the carpets and the presentation of the main room as it is definitely a highlight of the film.
Costume designer Pascaline Chavanne does brilliant work with the clothes as Chavanne designs a lot of specific clothing for each women to wear to display their personalities. Sound editor Benoit Hillebrant does nice work with the sound to capture some of the sound effects in the film to help maintain the air of suspense. The film’s music by Krishna Levy is wonderful for its lush orchestral score that recalls some of the sweeping musical styles of Bernard Herrmann. Music supervisors Amelie de Chassey and Delphine Mathieu do fantastic work with the selection of the songs as they go for pop for the songs sung by Catherine, Suzon, and Louise as well as more mid-tempo pieces for Gaby and Pierrette while Antoinette, Madame Chanel, and Mamy are given ballads.
The casting by Antoinette Boulat is marvelous for casting a great array of actresses to appear in the film as they span countless generations and periods. With Dominique Lamure only making a brief appearance as Marcel though he doesn’t show his face, the film definitely belongs to these women. Ludivine Sagnier is wonderful as the youngest in Catherine who is full of energy while Virginie Ledoyen is superb as the older sister Suzon who is carrying a secret of her own while dealing with all of the family chaos. Firmine Richard is great as the family cook Madame Chanel who is the most reserved character of the group as well as the one person who knows more than everyone else. Emmanuelle Beart is remarkable as the chambermaid Louise who is quite defiant in her role while having some secrets of her own as it concerns Marcel.
Danielle Darrieux is excellent as the family matriarch Mamy as a woman who claims she couldn’t walk as she’s often full of lies as well as being greedy. Fanny Ardant is amazing as Pierrette who makes a surprise visit to the house as she is definitely someone in a bit of control as she also has a real standout moment with her musical number. Isabelle Huppert is brilliant as Antoinette who represents a woman who is uptight and repressed as she is the most dramatic as well as being very funny. Catherine Deneuve is just divine as Gaby as a woman dealing with all of the chaos while facing herself and her own troubled relationship with her husband.
8 Femmes is an incredible film from Francois Ozon. Armed with a brilliant ensemble cast of some of France’s finest actresses as well as amazing technical work. It’s definitely a film that plays to the who-dun-it genre while doing it in song to create something that is full of joy and goes all out to entertain. In the end, 8 Femmes is a phenomenal film from Francois Ozon.
Francois Ozon Films: See the Sea - Sitcom - Criminal Lovers - Water Drops on Burning Rocks - Under the Sand - Swimming Pool - 5x2 - Time to Leave - Angel (2007 film) - Ricky - The Refuge - Potiche - In the House - Jeune & Jolie - (The New Girlfriend) - (Frantz (2016 film)) - (Double Lover) - (By the Grace of God) - Summer of 85 - (Everything Went Fine) - (Peter von Kant) - The Auteurs #33: Francois Ozon
© thevoid99 2013
