Based on the non-fiction novel Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory, Pitch Perfect is the story of a college freshman who joins an all-girl a cappella group to compete against a rival all-male group from the same school for an a cappella singing competition. Directed by Jason Moore and screenplay by Kay Cannon, the film explores the world of singing competitions and the dynamics of a group as a young woman tries to bring something fresh to her team. Starring Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Alexis Knapp, Adam DeVine, Ben Platt, John Michael Higgins, and Elizabeth Banks. Pitch Perfect is an exciting and entertaining film about singing and having fun.
The film revolves around an all-female a cappella singing group known as the Bellas where it’s a new season as its leader Aubrey Posen (Anna Camp) is seeking to redeem herself after a humiliating incident she caused at the national collegiate finals. Joining the Bellas is a music-loving freshman named Beca Mitchell (Anna Kendrick) who reluctantly takes part in the group to appease her father (John Benjamin Hickey) as she learns about the world of a cappella singing competition where it’s quite brutal at times. Notably as the more traditional Aubrey and the rebellious Beca butt heads a bit about what to sing in order to win where the two eventually find a way to beat their rivals in the Treblemakers led by the egotistical Bumper Allen (Adam DeVine).
Kay Cannon’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the politics and the rules of what it takes to be a powerful a cappella singing group but also how fierce the competition can be. Though Beca is an outsider of sorts who listens to all sorts of music and creates her own vocal mixes from her laptop as she aspires to become a DJ. She takes part of the group because of her college professor father who makes a deal with her to take part in something for a year and if it doesn’t work out, he can send her to Los Angeles to become a DJ. Though the Bellas are this very talented singing group that sings mostly pop songs, their act is unfortunately a bit tiresome as they sing to an indifferent audience as its leader Aubrey has a hard time trying to get everyone to stick to the game plan.
Especially as the new version of the Bellas consists of an eccentric group of characters like the comedic Tasmania student Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), the lesbian Cynthia-Rose Adams (Ester Dean), the very sexual Stacie (Alexis Knapp), and the very quiet yet strange Lily (Hana Mae Lee). While there are elements of the script that is quite formulaic in terms of its plot where it does climax with the Bellas and the Treblemakers facing off again in the finals. The script allows the audience to want to root for the Bellas and the obstacles they face though the Treblemakers are actually a singing group that do have respect for the Bellas despite their leader Bumper who is very full of himself. Particularly as Beca is sort of falling one of the Treblemakers in a freshman named Jesse (Skylar Astin).
Jason Moore’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of compositions and such while he does infuse a lot of energy into the musical performances and rehearsals. Notably the audition sequence where he creates a lot of moments to reveal many new characters as they’re singing Kelly Clarkson’s Since You’ve Been Gone in a very creative montage. The direction also gets the chance to let scenes play out while reveling into the characters as Moore gives them the time to develop in terms of the drama and comedy that’s happening. In the musical performances, Moore keeps things simple and natural to create something that is happening while using some of the performances to help tell the story including the tension between Aubrey and Beca. The comedy also has a sense of looseness where it has moments of improvisation but also doesn’t deter from the story. Overall, Moore creates a very funny and engaging film about singing and being part of a group.
Cinematographer Julio Macat does excellent work with the cinematography to give the film a very naturalistic look for many of its daytime exterior scenes while using more stylish lighting schemes for the concert scenes. Editor Zach Chemberlene does amazing work with the editing in creating montages and rhythmic cuts to play out some of the training sessions and auditions. Production designer Barry Robison, with set decorator David Hack and art director Jeremy Woolsey, does nice work with the set pieces from the stages where the singers perform to the look of the college campuses.
Costume designer Salvador Perez Jr. does terrific work with the costumes from the more casual look of the Treblemakers to the more refined look of the Bellas in their stage performances. Sound editors Sean McCormack and Erin Oakley do brilliant work with the sound editing to capture the intimacy of the singing as well as some of the comedic moments in the film. The film’s music by Christoph Beck and Mark Kilian is quite good as it‘s mostly alternative-rock based while music supervisors Sarah Webster and Angela Leus do fantastic work with the film’s soundtrack as it consists a wide range of music styles from pop, hip-hop, R&B, and rock while many of the actors in the film do their actual singing which helps elevate the music as a major highlight of the film.
The casting by Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee is marvelous for the ensemble that is assembled as it features some appearances from Christopher Mintz-Plasse as an audition launcher, Donald Faison, Har Mar Superstar, and Joe Lo Truglio as a singing group, Freddie Stroma as a college radio deejay whom Beca and Jesse intern for, Jinhee Joung as Beca’s very chilly roommate, and John Benjamin Hickey as Beca’s college professor father who insists that Beca takes part in a group just so she can have a good college experience. John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks are excellent as singing competition commentators John Smith and Gail Abernathy-McKadden, respectively, as both of them bring some very funny comments to the singing. Utkarsh Ambudkar and Ben Platt are terrific as the Treblemakers vocalist/beat boxer Donald and Jesse’s nerdy/illusionist roommate Benji as the latter is a big fan of the Treblemakers.
Adam DeVine is brilliant as the Treblemakers leader Bumper as a guy who is so full of himself and loves to win while being a jerk to everyone as even his own teammates don’t like him very much. Hana Me Lee is fantastic as the strange yet very quite Lily as she someone who speaks so quietly that she’s barely audible yet is revealed to be a gifted beat-boxer. Ester Dean is wonderful as the soulful lesbian Cynthia-Rose while Alexis Knapp is superb as the very sexual and energetic Stacie. Brittany Snow is amazing as the very kind Bella vocalist Chloe who tries to get Aubrey to do something new while convincing Beca to join the Bellas. Rebel Wilson is very funny as the comedic Fat Amy as someone who is a very talented vocalist who brings excitement to the Bellas. Skylar Astin is stellar as Jesse as a talented singer who befriends Beca as he tries to show her films as well as being the guy in the Treblemakers that can ground them.
Anna Camp is a delight as the Bellas’ leader Aubrey as a woman trying to redeem herself following an embarrassing incident as she wants to win but is unable to take risks that would help her group. Finally, there’s Anna Kendrick in a remarkable performance as Beca as an aspiring musician/DJ who reluctantly takes part in the Bellas due to her singing ability as she also wants to do something that can help them as a group.
Pitch Perfect is an extraordinary film from Jason Moore that features a wonderful leading performance from Anna Kendrick. Along with a great supporting cast as well as an amazing soundtrack. It’s a film that plays into the love of music as well as being part of a group that allows someone to have fun as it is also quite funny. In the end, Pitch Perfect is a superb film from Jason Moore.
Pitch Perfect 2
© thevoid99 2013
Written and directed by Woody Allen, Another Woman is the story about a philosophy professor whose life unravels after listening to a private psychoanalyst on another woman as she starts to question about her own life. The film is an exploration into the world of identity as well as the choices one makes in a person’s life. Starring Gena Rowlands, Mia Farrow, Ian Holm, Gene Hackman, Harris Yulin, Frances Conroy, Betty Buckley, Blythe Danner, Martha Plimpton, John Houseman, and Philip Bosco. Another Woman is an engrossing yet mesmerizing film from Woody Allen.
What happens when a woman accidentally listens to another woman talking about her own problems leading for this woman to deal with her own life? That’s essentially the premise of the film where a philosophy professor named Marion (Gena Rowlands) finds herself questioning about not just herself but the way she treated the people in her life as she‘s always been judgmental and at times, quite cruel. The revelations that Marion faces about herself and the people in her life forces her to reflect on her past while continually listen to the psychiatric sessions of this pregnant yet troubled woman (Mia Farrow). What Woody Allen does with the script is create a story about a woman’s life being told where Marion often narrates to play into her feelings as well as thinking about the people in her life such as her brother Paul (Harris Yulin) and father (John Houseman) as well as her own marriage to Ken (Ian Holm).
Allen’s direction definitely recalls the work of Ingmar Bergman, most notably Wild Strawberries, in terms of its visual language and its intimacy towards drama. Notably as it plays into the idea of memory and fantasy where this woman has to look back in parts of her life including the way she realizes how complicated things are. Allen’s direction is straightforward though there is a sense of style in terms of close-ups and compositions where Allen goes to Bergman for inspiration. Still, Allen does instill some of his own ideas such as a scene where Marion watches a recreation of a conversation she had with Ken as Marion is being played by her former friend Claire (Sandy Dennis) to establish some ideas about not just who Marion but also a look into her own marriage. Notably as it would force Marion to see her life and what can she do to regain some sense of who she is. Overall, Allen creates a very engaging yet captivating film about a woman reflecting on her life.
Cinematographer Sven Nykvist does brilliant work with the film‘s photography as it recalls many of his work with Ingmar Bergman from the lush look of some of its exterior scenes in the flashbacks to the more colorful look of the locations in New York City. Editor Susan E. Morse does excellent work with the editing to help create seamless transitions from reality to fantasy while keeping things straightforward without any overly-stylized cuts. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorator George DeTitta Jr. and art director Speed Hopkins, does nice work with the look of the NYC apartments and homes the characters live including the look of an antiques shop where Marion meets the woman she‘s been listening to.
Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly sort of colorless and bland to represent the world of the characters and their sort of lack of emotions. Sound editor Robert Hein does wonderful work with the sound from the way Marion listens to the other woman in a session to some of the scenes set in New York City. The film’s music soundtrack is mostly a mix of jazz and classical music that includes a piece Erik Satie that often dominates the film.
The casting by Juliet Taylor is fantastic for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Fred Melamed as a guest at an engagement party for Ken and Marion in a flashback, Josh Hamilton as the boyfriend of Ken’s daughter, David Odgen Stiers as the younger version of Marion and Paul’s father, Stephen Mailer and Margaret Marx in their respective roles as the young Paul and Marion, Philip Bosco as Marion’s first husband Sam, Frances Conroy as Marion’s sister-in-law Lynn, and Betty Buckley as Ken’s ex-wife Kathy whose sole appearance at Ken and Marion’s engagement party is chilling to watch. Martha Plimpton is excellent as Ken’s daughter Laura who always turn to Marion for advice while Blythe Danner is very good as Marion’s friend Lydia who always likes to socialize with her and Ken. Harris Yulin is terrific as Marion’s brother Paul who is a man that lacks ambition but wants to do right for his family.
Gene Hackman is great in a small but memorable performance as Ken’s friend Larry who admits to having feelings for Marion as he would play a key part into Marion’s own revelations about her life. John Houseman is amazing as Marion and Paul’s father as a man who also thinks about his life while appearing in a fantasy where he expresses his own regrets. Sandy Dennis is wonderful as Marion’s old friend Claire who expresses her own bitterness towards Marion about their friendship as she later plays Marion in a recreation of a conversation scene. Mia Farrow is superb as the mysterious woman Marion discovers as she is a woman anguished by her own problems in life as she would play a key role into Marion’s own discovery.
Ian Holm is brilliant as Marion’s husband Ken as a man who seems to be content with his life but is sort of aloof in the fact that he and Marion don’t spend a lot of alone time together. Finally, there’s Gena Rowlands in a remarkable performance as Marion where Rowlands display a sense of restraint to a woman who becomes unaware of the life she’s leading. Notably as Rowlands adds that sense of distance to her character as someone who is sort of cruel as well as judgmental as she starts to realize some of the trouble aspects of her life as it’s a very mesmerizing performance from Rowlands.
Another Woman is a marvelous film from Woody Allen that features tremendous performance from Gena Rowlands. Armed with a great ensemble cast as well as themes of regrets and identity, the film isn’t just a fantastic tribute to the works of Ingmar Bergman. It’s also a drama that explores a woman searching for herself in a crucial period in her life as she ponders about the choices she’s made. In the end, Another Woman is a phenomenal film from Woody Allen.
Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money & Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don’t Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra’s Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2013
Written and directed by Woody Allen, September is the story of a woman who stays at a country home following a suicide attempt as she befriends a widower while getting visitors who are concerned for her well-being. The film is one of Allen’s more straightforward dramas to play out the idea of death as it is inspired by Chekov’s Uncle Vanya. Starring Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Elaine Stricht, Sam Waterston, Denholm Elliot, and Jack Warden. September is a harrowing yet chilling film from Woody Allen.
The film is about a weekend in the country where a woman is in recovering from a suicide attempt as she is living at the house with her mother, her stepfather, and a friend. Meanwhile, two more visitors come to the house to hang out and such where things start to get a little crazy involving the attraction of two people as well a stormy night where a lot of uncertainty happens. Notably as this woman in Lane (Mia Farrow) is trying to sort out her own feelings just as some of the people around her start to unravel in their own messy lives. Woody Allen’s script is quite minimalist as it plays into the life a woman and the people she’s with in the course of a weekend. One of which is a widower named Howard (Denholm Elliot) who admits to Lane that he has feelings for her which surprises Lane though she knows that he’s a good kind man.
Another man in the house is a struggling writer named Peter (Sam Waterston) whom Lane has feelings for but Peter is more interested in Lane’s married friend Stephanie (Dianne Wiest) who is going through her own personal problems relating to her marriage. Adding to the chaos is Lane’s mother Diane (Elaine Stricht) who is aware of Lane’s problems as she is more concerned with having a good time and telling Peter about her life for a possible memoir. Diane’s husband Lloyd (Jack Warden) prefers to be in the background while trying to keep things peaceful as he also chats with Peter about his life as a physicist. All of it would play into some of the feelings that had been building in Lane as well as the dark secrets that she had to carry all of her life.
Allen’s direction is quite straightforward as he sets the film entirely in the house with no scenes set outside of the home. There’s an intimacy to the direction but also it is engaging for the way Allen puts the actors into the frame to showcase the intensity and restraint of the drama. While there are a few humorous moments in the dialogue, it is mostly presented as a drama where Allen uses a lot of close-ups and medium shots to capture the action. Even as he uses some tracking shots and slow pans to play out the atmosphere in the house. Overall, Allen creates a chilling yet interesting drama about death and secrets.
Cinematographer Carlo Di Palma does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography to create a colorful yet low-key approach to the look as well as its lighting schemes. Editor Susan E. Morse does nice work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward while using fade-outs to emphasize the story‘s structure. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorator George DeTitta Jr. and art director Speed Hopkins, does wonderful work with the look of the house to play out the sense of intimacy that the people are in.
Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly straightforward with the exception of the clothes that Diane wears. Sound mixer James Sabat does some fine work with the sound to capture some of the sound effects outside of the house while maintaining the intimacy of the house from inside. The film’s soundtrack consists of mostly jazz music from Art Tatum, Bernie Leighton and Bert Ambrose playing the standards of the 30s and 40s.
The casting by Juliet Taylor is brilliant as it features appearances from Rosemary Murphy as a real estate agent and Ira Wheeler and Jane Cecil as a couple interested in buying Lane’s home. Jack Warden is excellent as Lane’s stepfather Lloyd who tries to keep everything peaceful while dealing with some of Diane’s flighty decisions and such. Elaine Stricht is wonderful as the very lively Diane as a woman who wants to feel young despite her age while trying to help out Lane though her approach isn’t very good. Sam Waterston is terrific as the struggling writer Peter who is trying to sort out his ideas as a writer and his feelings for Stephanie.
Denholm Elliot is superb as Howard as a widower who befriends Stephanie while talking with Lane about his own loss. Dianne Wiest is amazing as Lane’s friend Stephanie who is trying to sort out her own personal issues while finding herself attractive towards Peter. Finally, there’s Mia Farrow in a remarkable performance as Lane as a woman trying to sort out her issues while dealing with all of the chaos at home as it’s a very intense performance from Farrow.
September is an excellent film from Woody Allen. Armed with a great cast, the film is an intriguing drama that explores family secrets and death as well as a woman’s difficulty with depression. Though it’s kind of a minor work from Allen, it is still interesting for the way he approaches something that is quite heavy in its themes of depression. In the end, September is a stellar film from Woody Allen.
Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money & Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don’t Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra’s Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2013
Written, directed, and narrated by Woody Allen, Radio Days is about the life of an American family during the Golden Age of Radio where a man recalls his childhood during the late 1930s. The film explores the world of nostalgia and childhood innocence as it plays to a period in time when people gathered to find an escape from their dreary lives. Also starring Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Seth Green, Michael Tucker, Tony Roberts, Julie Kavner, Danny Aiello, Jeff Daniels, and a special appearance from Diane Keaton. Radio Days is a ravishing yet heartfelt film from Woody Allen.
The film is about a man named Joe recalling his life as a child (Seth Green) in the late 1930s and early 1940s during the Golden Age of Radio. Notably as he thinks about a time when families gathered to listen to the radio for different programs as he was one of those families living in Rockaway Beach in New Jersey with his parents (Michael Tucker and Julie Kavner) and relatives including his aunt Bea (Dianne Wiest). During these years, young Joe would go through many moments in his life impacted by the radio including the attacks on Pearl Harbor and all sorts of things while the older Joe would also talk about the tumultuous life of a woman named Sally White (Mia Farrow) who would eventually become a star in the radio.
Woody Allen’s screenplay is told in a reflective manner as he does the voice of the older Joe as a man who is fascinated by that period when he was a kid. Notably as he recalls the many different programs the people in his family listen to whether it’s sports, soap operas, or comedies that they listen to while Joe’s favorite program is the Masked Avenger. Allen moves the narrative back-and-forth from Joe’s childhood adventures to the story of Sally White as she goes from working at a nightclub to becoming a radio star in the span of a few years. Both narratives would play into major developments where Joe would deal with a lot of the changes in his life as would Sally who starts off as this dim-witted woman into an actress of the radio.
Allen’s direction definitely recalls some of the visual ideas but also the sensibility of Federico Fellini. Notably in capturing the idea of nostalgia and the innocence of youth as it is told from the perspective of a man thinking about a special moment in time. A lot of contains moments of great humor including a scene where young Joe and some friends try to look for Nazi planes and U-boats only to get a glimpse at a naked woman. There’s also moments where there’s some suspense but also in a comical moment involving Sally and a mob hitman (Danny Aiello) where she witnesses a murder as she pleas to not kill her where a lot of sweet moments happen. There’s also a sequence involving a moment of tragedy through the radio where it would play into an entire family coming together despite all of their dysfunctional aspects.
It all plays to something that Allen wanted to recapture in that period where people gathered to listen to something and talk about with friends and family. Especially in a period where technology was primitive and wasn’t as distracting. There’s a sadness that is prevalent in Allen’s narration over the fact that everything he’s telling are based on what his character remembers as it plays into that moment that will never be replicated. Even in scenes set in New York City where it is grand and full of life that carries a similarity to the moment Joe’s family are in this little house as they’re also having fun. Overall, Allen creates a very majestic and exhilarating film about nostalgia and the innocence of childhood.
Cinematographer Carlo Di Palma does fantastic work with the film‘s gorgeous cinematography from many of the colorless yet vibrant cinematography of the New Jersey exteriors to more exquisite lighting schemes for some of the posh interior settings. Editor Susan E. Morse does brilliant work with the editing to find ways to help the narrative move back and forth while using some rhythmic cuts to play out its humor. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with art director Speed Hopkins and set decorators Carol Joffe, Leslie Bloom, and George DeTitta Jr., does fabulous work with the set pieces from the cramped intimacy of Joe’s home as well as the look of Rockaway Beach, New Jersey to some scenes in New York City including the nightclub rooftop.
Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does excellent work with the costumes to create that period in time from the fashionable clothes that Bea wears to the many different dresses that Sally wears. Sound editor Robert Hein does terrific work with the sound to create layers of mixing for the way the radio sounds from its soundstage to the people listening to it. Music supervisor Dick Hyman creates a very dazzling soundtrack that features a lot of the music of the times from Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Guy Lombardo, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and many others.
The casting by Juliet Taylor is amazing for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from William H. Macy as a radio actor, Todd Field as a crooner, Don Pardo and Tony Roberts as radio hosts, Wallace Shawn as the voice of the Masked Avenger, Kenneth Mars as Joe’s rabbi, Larry David as a Communist neighbor, Jeff Daniels as revered radio actor Biff Baxter, Danny Aiello as mob hitman Rocco, Sydney Blake as the naked woman Joe and his friends saw, and Diane Keaton as the New Year’s Eve singer in the film’s final moments. Other notable performances include Zero Mostel as Joe’s uncle Abe, Renee Lipin as his aunt Ceil, Leah Carey and William Magerman as Joe’s grandparents, and Dianne Wiest in a wonderful performance as the dreamy Aunt Bea who is always searching for love.
Michael Tucker and Julie Kavner are great as Joe’s parents as a couple who often bicker towards each other as they also love each other no matter how much they get on each other’s nerves. Seth Green is excellent as the young Joe as a kid who is amazed by his surroundings as Green brings a sense of charm and energy to his role. Finally, there’s Mia Farrow in a remarkable performance as Sally White as an aspiring actress who starts at the bottom being a mistress for a radio star to finally becoming one as Farrow brings a lot of humor and strange voice accents to her character.
Radio Days is a magnificent film from Woody Allen. Armed with a great cast and an engaging yet touching theme on nostalgia, it is a film that is definitely one of Allen’s most entertaining and heartfelt films. Notably as it showcases a place in time where the radio brought people together. In the end, Radio Days is a triumphant film from Woody Allen.
Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money & Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don’t Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra’s Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2013
Written and directed by Paul Schrader, American Gigolo is the story of a male escort who finds himself in danger after the death of a client just as his life becomes more complicated when he falls for a politician’s wife. The film is an exploration into the world of a man who lives to give women pleasure while he deals with some of the drawbacks of his world. Starring Richard Gere, Lauren Hutton, Hector Elizondo, Nina van Pallandt, and Bill Duke. American Gigolo is an entrancing yet provocative film from Paul Schrader.
The film explores the life of Julian Kaye (Richard Gere) who is an escort that sleeps with many women all over the posh areas of Southern California as he works alone with the exception of a madam named Anne (Nina van Pallandt) who offers him assignments. Kaye’s life becomes complicated following a trick where he is paid by a man named Rheiman (Tom Stewart) to have sex with his wife (Patricia Carr) while he watches as she is later killed that night with Kaye being the suspect. Though he was somewhere else that night, Kaye is unable to find help just as he is starting a relationship with Michelle Stratton (Lauren Hutton) whose husband is a powerful senator. Michelle knows that he’s telling the truth as his life starts to unravel as he seeks to find answers about why he’s being targeted.
Paul Schrader’s script is full of complexities into the life of this man who loves to have sex with various rich women in Southern California as some of them are married. Kaye is good at what he does but some believe he’s becoming too good at his job where pimps like Anne and Leon (Bill Duke) want him to work for them full-time. Still, Kaye just wants to live a life where he can drive his Mercedes SL, listen to music with his expensive stereo equipment, and wear the finest clothes that is available. It’s a life that is flawed as Kaye is also somewhat full of himself as he wants no complications as he demands to have control. After a trick involving a rich man and his wife that led to the death of the latter, Kaye’s life starts to lose control as he becomes a suspect.
Kaye is known as a professional but his life becomes more complicated by the appearance of Michelle Stratton who is intrigued by what he does as she wants the same things that other women want from him. Yet, they eventually get close as she knows that he didn’t kill Mrs. Ryman but their affair is complicated when Senator Stratton (Brian Davies) becomes aware of what is happening. Schrader’s script is filled with some very rhythmic and stylish dialogue to play out the world that Kaye is in as well as the kind of language he and Michelle talk into as it would also play into the third act when Kaye is targeted by the police led by Detective Sunday (Hector Elizondo). Particularly as paranoia would emerge in Kaye as he is dealing with the mystery over the murder and why is he being framed for it.
Schrader’s direction is very stylized in the way he presents this film as this sort of slick yet gritty film that plays to that sense of excitement and decadence in the life of an escort. Notably as it plays off with a sense of look where Kaye wears Giorgio Armani clothes and lives in a posh apartment complex where Schrader goes for a lot of wide and medium shots to showcase this world that is enthralling but also sort of cold. Schrader also uses a lot of tracking shots to play out some of the suspense as well as close-ups to play into the emotions involving Kaye and Michelle. Largely as Schrader wants to keep many of the scenes low-key and simple while having this air of style that is happening including some chilling moments such as Kaye meeting Leon at a gay disco.
Schrader also manages for the film’s sexual content to be presented in a sense of style that includes a wide full-frontal shot of Kaye as he’s standing in his room while talking to Michelle who is lying in bed. Still, Schrader doesn’t make the sexual content to be overwhelming to the story where he is more focused on the life of this man who is sort of a loner as he starts to unravel by something he didn’t do. Schrader invests a lot of chilling moments into the third act where Kaye becomes more concerned with who is framing him as he no longer cares about how he looks or what car he’s driving. There is still that chill that occurs in the way Schrader presents the mystery and its eventual outcome where it plays to Kaye’s development and the fate that is set for him. Overall, Schrader creates a very harrowing yet mesmerizing film about the life of an escort gone wrong by accusations of murder.
Cinematographer John Bailey does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful and stylized photography where it has this sense of vibrancy for many of its daytime exterior scenes while using lots of low-key lighting schemes and shades for some of its nighttime interior and exterior scenes. Editor Richard Halsey does fantastic work with the editing to create some unique montages for a sex scene between Kaye and Michelle along with some methodical cuts for the film‘s suspense. Art director Edward Richardson and set decorator George Gaines do amazing work with the look of some of the film’s set pieces from the gay disco club to some of the restaurants that Kaye goes to as well as his apartment that features additional contributions from production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti.
Sound mixer Barry Thomas does terrific work with the sound to play up the atmosphere of some of the film‘s suspense including some of the intimate moments in Kaye‘s apartment and at the restaurants he goes to. The film’s music by Giorgio Moroder is wonderful for its synthesizer-based score to play up the world that Kaye lives in with its eerie notes as the soundtrack also includes contributions from John Hiatt, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, and Blondie whose song Call Me appears in the opening credits as it’s written by Moroder and Blondie vocalist Debbie Harry.
The casting by Vic Ramos is excellent as it features appearances from K Callan as a woman who is a friend of Kaye as she doesn’t want to help him because of her reputation, Tom Stewart and Patricia Carr as the Rheimans who would put Kaye into trouble, Brian Davies as Michelle’s husband, Jessica Potter as Kaye’s neighbor Jill, and Gordon Haight as a mysterious blond boy that hangs around with Leon. Bill Duke is terrific as the more street-wise pimp Leon who was the one that put Kaye into the Rheiman assignment that would get him in trouble while Nina van Pallandt is wonderful as the more refined madam Anne who respects Kaye but feels unappreciated for the things she’s done for him. Hector Elizondo is superb as Detective Sunday as a man who believes that Kaye knows a lot more about what happened to Mrs. Rheiman while trying to see if Kaye is really innocent.
Lauren Hutton is amazing as Michelle Stratton as a woman who is intrigued by Kaye and what he does as she finds someone who she can talk to and have sex with while becoming the one person that might be able to help him with his troubles. Finally, there’s Richard Gere in an incredible performance as Julian Kaye as a male escort who loves his job and what he gets out of it where Gere can be charming but also kind of smug at times. Once Kaye gets in trouble, Gere puts in a lot of humility and intensity as a man who is trying to found out the truth and why he’s being framed as it’s definitely one of Gere’s most iconic performances.
American Gigolo is a remarkable film from Paul Schrader that features a riveting performance from Richard Gere. Along with a great supporting cast and eerie soundtrack by Giorgio Moroder, the film is definitely one of the most provocative and haunting films about sex and murder. Notably as it plays into the life of an escort and some of the flaws in his life as he is also a very lonely man. In the end, American Gigolo is a phenomenal film from Paul Schrader.
Paul Schrader Films: Blue Collar - Hardcore - Cat People (1982 film) - Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters - (Light of Day) - (Patty Hearst) - (The Comfort of Strangers) - (Light Sleeper) - (Witch Hunt) - (Touch) - Affliction - (Forever Mine) - (Auto Focus) - (Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist) - (The Walker) - (Adam Resurrected) - (The Canyons) - Dying of the Light - (Dog Eat Dog) - First Reformed - (The Card Counter)
© thevoid99 2013
Based on the graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, Poulet aux prunes (Chicken with Plums) is the story about the final days of a violinist as he recalls his life and the love that he lost. Written for the screen and directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parronaud, the film is a look into the life of a musician whose passion for music has him being conflicted with the realities of his own life as he continually thinks about the woman he loved and lost. Starring Mathieu Almaric, Edouard Baer, Maria de Medeiros, Golshifteh Farahani, Eric Caravaca, Chiara Mastroianni, Jamel Debbouze, and Isabella Rossellini. Poulet aux prunes is a ravishing yet heartfelt film from Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parronaud.
The film is this visually-imaginative tale about the life of Nasser Ali Khan (Mathieu Almaric) in the eight final days of his life as he is a man eager to find the right violin to replace the one his wife Faranguisse (Maria de Medeiros) had destroyed out of anger. After some trials and tribulations where he traveled all the way to find the right one, it becomes clear that his journey had been unfulfilling as he spends these last eight days wanting to die and thinking about his life. Notably as he thinks about the love of his life in Iran (Golshifteh Farahani) whom he had fallen in love with when he was a young man but circumstances kept them apart forcing him to channel his pain through his playing where they wouldn’t see each other for more than 20 years.
The screenplay by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parronaud takes Satrapi’s story about this man who is really her uncle as he had led a life that was quite adventurous but also troubled due to the heartbreak he endures as well as how his life turned out. Yet, the narrative isn’t told in a conventional manner as it sort of moves back-and-forth to those eight final days to the life that Nasser Ali had as a child to an adult. The material about Nasser Ali’s life is also told in an unconventional manner by showing parts of his life in a non-linear manner as it relates to his relationship with his mother (Isabella Rossellini) and his younger brother Abdi (Eric Caravaca). There’s also moments in the story where Nasser Ali thinks about his children when they become adults where his daughter Lili (Chiara Mastroianni) would endure her own troubles while his son Cyrus (Christian Friedel) conforms to the mediocre life in America. Though Nasser Ali wasn’t the perfect father, he was at least there for his kids as it would involve their more uptight mother.
The film’s direction is definitely full of imagination in the way they recreate 1958 Tehran and the years before that as it has a wonderful sense of style where a lot of its dramatic moments are straightforward but are filled with very mesmerizing shots. Some of the more stranger moments involves lots of bizarre visual effects and makeup work to play up the sense of fantasy that Nasser Ali had lived in as it includes moments of death and other strange sequences. Some of which involved animated sequences where it plays to the story about Azrael, the Angel of Death (Edouard Baer) during a meeting with Nasser Ali. There are also moments where reality clashes with surrealism in a scene where Nasser Ali meets a strange man about the ideas of death. It all plays into this journey of loss as the overall result is a fascinating yet enchanting tale in the life of a man by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parronaud.
Cinematographer Christopher Beaucarne does amazing work with the film‘s colorful photography from the look of 1958 Tehran with some of its lighting schemes to the more entrancing shading for some of the film’s interior scenes. Editor Stephane Roche does brilliant work with the editing in creating some montages to play up Nasser Ali‘s love life with Iran to some of the more comical moments involving the life of the adult Cyrus. Production designer Udo Kramer and set decorator Bernhard Henrich do fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of 1958 Tehran and some of the strange set pieces involving Nasser Ali’s life and his family.
Costume designer Madeline Fontaine does wonderful work with the period costumes from the suits that Nasser Ali wears to the colorful dresses of the women in Nasser Ali‘s life. Makeup supervisor Nathalie Tissier does terrific work with some of the makeup from the look of Azrael to the look of Iran in the years of her life. Visual effects supervisor Damien Stumpf does excellent work with some of the backdrops of Tehran of the times to some of the stranger moments to play up the idea of soul and faith. Sound designer Yves Renard and sound editor David Vranken do superb work with the sound to create some sound effects to the intimate moments involving his family. The film’s music by Olivier Bernet is exquisite for its mixture of classical music to more traditional Iranian music to play up the sense of melancholia in the film while music supervisor Elisse Luguren provides some of the classical pieces that Nasser Ali plays.
The casting by Anja Dihrberg does phenomenal work with the ensemble as it features appearances from Mathis Bour and Enna Balland in their respective roles as the young Cyrus and Lili, Julia Goldstern as the adult Cyrus’ wife, Chiara Mastroianni as the mysterious adult Lili, Christian Friedel as the dim-witted adult version of Cyrus, Serge Avedikian as Iran’s father, and Isabella Rossellini in a wonderful performance as Nasser Ali’s mother. Jamel Debbouze is excellent in a dual performance as an antiques dealer and a mysterious homeless man while Edouard Baer is terrific as the very chilling Azrael. Eric Caravaca is superb as Nasser Ali’s younger brother Abdi who always care for him while dealing with the decision he’s making in his life.
Maria de Medeiros is brilliant as Nasser Ali’s very proper but uptight wife Faranguisse as a woman who doesn’t understand what it’s like to be with an artist while being unaware of how much pain he has endured in his life. Golshifteh Farahani is fantastic as Iran as a woman who falls for Nasser Ali only to be forced to leave him as she would also endure the kind of pain of what she loses. Finally, there’s Mathieu Almaric in a remarkable performance as Nasser Ali Khan as a man who is a gifted violinist that is adored by everyone but hides the pain of his loss as he becomes more lost in his final days as he looks back as it’s one of Almaric’s finest performances.
Poulet aux prunes is a dazzling and imaginative film from Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parronaud that features a brilliant performance from Mathieu Almaric. It’s a film that is filled with amazing images and a heartfelt story about the life of a musician that is told with an element of fantasy and drama. Especially as it carries something very personal as it is about Satrapi’s uncle. In the end, Poulet aux prunes is a sensational film from Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parronaud.
Marjane Satrapi Films: Persepolis - The Voices (2014 film) - (Gang of the Jota) - (Radioactive (2019 film)
© thevoid99 2013
Written, directed, and starring Woody Allen, Broadway Danny Rose is the story of a talent manager who is caught up in a world of trouble when he tries to retrieve his client‘s mistress from New Jersey only to get in trouble with the mob. The film explores the complications of love as well as a man’s desire to help out his client despite the fact that he’s sort of incompetent as Allen plays the titular character. Also starring Mia Farrow and Nick Apollo Forte. Broadway Danny Rose is a zany yet heartfelt comedy from Woody Allen.
The film is about this very caring yet somewhat incompetent talent manager who is always trying to do his best for the people he’s working for. Many of which are eccentric talent acts who don’t really get a lot of gigs and are sort of bad at what they do. One of them is a has-been lounge singer named Lou Canova (Nick Apollo Forte) who is playing at clubs as he’s got nowhere to go until the nostalgia crazes emerges where he’s on his way to a comeback that would culminate with a show opening for Milton Berle. Yet, in order for the show to be successful, Lou asks Danny Rose to get his mistress Tina Vitale (Mia Farrow) from New Jersey to attend the show but problems ensues involving jealous lovers and the Mafia as a lot of hilarity and strange moments ensue. All of which is told by a group of comedians eating at the Carnegie Deli in New York City.
Woody Allen’s screenplay creates a very unique narrative where these seven comedians are eating and chatting about everything as they tell the story about Danny Rose. A guy who is devoted to his clients in getting them gigs but they’re always something about them that never clicks with the audience as one of them is the worst ventriloquist in the world while another is a one-legged tap dancer. Then there’s Lou Canova who is this washed-up lounge singer who had his 15 minutes of fame in the 1950s as he is someone who sings standards to make a living until he gets a chance for the comeback that he’s craving for. Danny is hoping that Lou’s comeback would be great despite the fact that Lou is an egotistical and selfish drunk who can ruin things. Especially as Lou is married with kids as he’s also having an affair with this interior decorator from New Jersey.
Tina is a very unique woman who loves Lou but also can’t stand him sometimes as she is always go to a fortune teller for help to help guide her in life but there often complications. Notably as she hangs around with various people in New Jersey including a man who was an ex-boyfriend of Tina who accuses him of being with Danny which turns out to be a misunderstanding. The second act becomes about Danny and Tina as they become this unlikely pair who don’t really care for each other yet both realize their worth to Lou. There are some comical moments that happens as it does culminate with Lou’s comeback show in the third act but it’s later followed by some heartbreaking revelations that relates to Danny and his devotion to Lou.
Allen’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of the compositions he creates yet he does manage to maintain that sense of timelessness in his imagery. Notably as the film is shot in black-and-white where Allen does create something that is kind of magical but also engaging. Some of the compositions like the close-up of minor characters and such definitely recalls the work of Federico Fellini. There’s also moments where Allen’s approach to humor is quite subtle but also presented in some moments of silliness that involves a chase scene inside a parade storage building involving helium. There’s also some visually-striking moments that Allen creates while keeping the scenes in the deli low-key and intimate. The material in the third act is quite sobering not just in what happens to Danny Rose but also how it would play into Tina’s relationship with Lou. Overall, Allen creates a very mesmerizing yet entertaining film about loyalty and adventure.
Cinematographer Gordon Willis does brilliant with the film‘s black-and-white cinematography where it has this gorgeous look for many of the exterior scenes in New York City and New Jersey along with some usage of striking shadows for some of the film‘s interiors. Editor Susan E. Morse does excellent work with the editing to create a few montages as well as some rhythmic cuts for the film‘s funnier moments. Production designer Mel Bourne and set decorator Leslie Bloom do terrific work with the set pieces from the look of Danny’s apartment to the places in New Jersey.
Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does wonderful work with the clothes including Tina‘s more stylish look to play up her fierce persona. Sound editor Dan Sable does nice work with the sound to create some of the atmosphere of the club scenes as well as more crazier moments at a party scene where Danny gets into some big trouble over a misunderstanding. Music supervisor Dick Hyman brings in a very sensational soundtrack that is filled with some very upbeat Italian-based music for some of the humor while using some standards for the songs that Lou sings including a couple of originals written by Nick Apollo Forte.
The casting by Juliet Taylor is superb for the ensemble that is created that includes appearances from Milton Berle, Sammy Davis Jr., and Howard Cosell as themselves plus Edwin Bordo as Tina’s ex-boyfriend, Paul Greco and Frank Renzulli as the brothers of Tina’s ex, Herb Reynolds as the worst ventriloquist ever, and Gerald Schoenfeld as the revered talent manager Sid Bacharach. In the roles of the comedians at the deli, there’s Jack Rollins, Howard Storm, Will Jordan, Morty Gunty, Jackie Gayle, Sandy Baron, and Corbett Monica as they are just fun to watch as they tell this story about Danny Rose.
Nick Apollo Forte is excellent as Lou Canova as a man who still thinks he’s a star though is aware that his career is on the downswing until he catches on a nostalgia wave as he becomes intent on making his comeback. Mia Farrow is amazing as Tina Vitale as Lou’s mistress who is very fiery and street-smart as she and Danny try to avoid the mob while is someone who is a talented interior decorator but doesn’t carry much confidence. Finally, there’s Woody Allen in a wonderful performance as the titular character as a talent manager who is trying to do everything he can for his clients while dealing with the chaos of Lou’s life with Tina as he gets himself in trouble where it’s Allen being funny.
Broadway Danny Rose is a marvelous film from Woody Allen that features terrific supporting performances from Mia Farrow and Nick Apollo Forte. It’s a film that plays into the world of talent and one man’s attempt to do everything for that person. It’s also a comical film that displays Allen’s unique approach to humor while adding a sense of visual style to make it very engaging. In the end, Broadway Danny Rose is a fantastic film from Woody Allen.
Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money & Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don’t Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra’s Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2013
Based on the novel by Robert Kaplow, Me and Orson Welles is the story of a 17-year old kid who meets Orson Welles who is about to stage his production of Julius Caesar. Directed by Richard Linklater and written by Holly Gent Palmo and Vincent Palmo Jr., the film is an exploration into a young man discovering the world of theater and dealing with the big personality that is Orson Welles who is played by Christian McKay. Also starring Zac Efron, Claire Danes, and Ben Chaplin. Me and Orson Welles is an extraordinary film from Richard Linklater.
The film is about a 17-year old high school student who goes to New York City based on his interests in the arts where unexpectedly runs into Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater company who are doing a modern-day play of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The boy gets a small part as he also falls for a production assistant as he finds himself in the intense world of theatrical rehearsals as well as the massive personality of Welles. Notably as there’s egos involved as well as deadlines as it’s all seen by this kid who has to deal with all of that as well as doing whatever it takes to not upset Welles is a giant that can squash him.
The screenplay plays into a week in the life of Richard Samuels (Zac Efron) who is fascinated by the world of art and theater as he’s also a fan of Welles’ work in plays and radio. While Richard has aspirations to be part of it, he finds himself in that world by accident all because he wowed Welles with his charm and the ability to do a drum roll properly. The script showcases all the ins and outs of what happens in a play rehearsal where things can go wrong and there’s a lot of pressure out there. Yet, no one is as more intense than Welles as he’s a man who is a perfectionist and is hoping that everyone does their part right including the musicians in the background and the technical crew. Though Richard is aware of Welles’ personality, he has no idea how dangerous it can be to the point that Welles is also a man who sleeps with various women including the production assistant Sonja Jones (Claire Danes) whom Richard falls for.
Richard Linklater’s direction is quite engaging for the way he presents the world of theater in all of its moments on and off the stage where everyone is making sure nothing goes wrong. Notably as Welles is waiting for something bad to happen just to ensure that he can overcome that obstacle. Shot in Pinewood Studios in Britain with some locations in New York City, the film does play to a moment in time where America is coming out of the Great Depression and people are looking for art to find an escape from troubled times. Yet, there’s also moments that plays into Welles’ life such as a scene in an ambulance where Welles talks about The Magnificent Ambersons to Richard as a book as he hopes to make it something more in the future.
The direction has Linklater create some amazing compositions to showcase that world of late 1930s New York City that is very vibrant and colorful while maintaining that air of intimacy in the theater. The film’s climax comes in the performance of Julius Caesar where it is presented with such bravado and poignancy as it also shows how far Richard has come from this boy who knew very little into finally understanding his role as Lucius in the play. The film does play into that theme of someone coming-of-age in Richard as he goes into a major growth from boy to man while having a fuller understanding of what it means to be an artist. Overall, Linklater crafts a very dazzling yet captivating film about art and growth.
Cinematographer Dick Pope does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful yet lush cinematography from the scenes set in the exteriors in day and night to the more extravagant use of lights for the film‘s climatic play scene. Editor Sandra Adair does wonderful work with the editing to create some rhythmic cuts to capture the intensity of the stage performances as well as some lighter moments in the scenes outside of the theater. Production designer Laurence Dorman, with set decorator Richard Roberts and supervising art director Bill Crutcher, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of many of the sets in the city including a museum that Richard goes to as well as the stage setting for the climatic play.
Costume designer Nic Ede does excellent work with the costumes from the dresses the women wear to the suits and uniforms the men wear for the play. Visual effects supervisor Robert Duncan does terrific work with the minimal set dressing for many of the exteriors of 1937 New York City without embellishing things way too much. Sound editor Ian Wilson does superb work with the sound to capture the level of noise that happens throughout the rehearsals and the things that happens on and off the stage. The film’s music by Michael J. McEvoy is a delight as it plays to the upbeat jazz music of the late 1930s as music supervisor Marc Marot also uses music of that time including some notable standards.
The casting by Lucy Bevan is amazing for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable appearances from Saskia Reeves as voice actress Barbara Luddy, Imogen Poots as a radio broadcast assistant, Al Weaver as an unappreciated set designer named Sam, and Zoe Kazan as an aspiring writer named Gretta that Richard meets early in the film and later befriends her. Other memorable yet fantastic supporting roles include Kelly Reilly as the lead actress Muriel Brasser, James Tupper as the very generous Joseph Cotten, Leo Bill as the mischievous Norman Lloyd, Eddie Marsan as the very anxious stage manager John Houseman, and Ben Chaplin in a terrific performance as the very dramatic stage actor George Coulouris.
Claire Danes is wonderful as production assistant Sonja Jones as a woman who is driven by her career as she hopes to work for David O. Selznick while intrigued by the ambition of Richard whom she seduces. Christian McKay is phenomenal as Orson Welles as a man who is full of bravado and ambition as well as an intensity where McKay is able to bring Welles back to life. Finally, there’s Zac Efron in a marvelous performance as Richard Samuel as a 17-year old high school student who is fascinated by the world of theater and art as he becomes part of that world while knowing what he must do when dealing with someone like Welles as Efron is able to stand on his own and bring depth to his character.
Me and Orson Welles is a remarkable film from Richard Linklater that features superb performances from Zac Efron and Christian McKay. The film is definitely a very intriguing look into the world of theater as well as Orson Welles’ time as a playwright. It’s also a coming-of-age film that works in the way explores a young man discovering that world as he also learns what it means to be an actor. In the end, Me and Orson Welles is a riveting film from Richard Linklater.
Richard Linklater Films: It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books - Slacker - Dazed & Confused - Before Sunrise - subUrbia - The Newton Boys - Waking Life - Tape - School of Rock - Before sunset - Bad News Bears (2005 film) - A Scanner Darkly - Fast Food Nation - Bernie (2011 film) - Before Midnight - Boyhood - Everybody Want Some!! - The Auteurs #57: Richard Linklater Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2013
