While his name maybe synonymous more with musical theatre and Broadway, Bob Fosse does hold an important place in the world of cinema. Despite only making five feature films and a TV concert special that was shot on film, Fosse’s contributions remain vital for its approach to choreography and how musical numbers are captured on film. Even as he would break the rules of what could be done in a musical as well as delve into elements of darkness that the genre wouldn’t venture into. Though it has been nearly 30 years since his passing, Fosse remains an important figure in the world of entertainment whether it’s through film, dance, or the musical theatre.
Born in Chicago, Illinois on June 23, 1927, Robert Louis Fosse was second youngest of six children to Cyril and Alice Fosse as he was raised in an environment surrounded by music. Upon meeting dancer Charles Grass where they formed a dance duo that played several theatres in Chicago, Fosse would later be recruited to dance for a variety show that played in military bases in the Pacific. After moving to New York City where he married dancer Mary Ann Niles, Fosse and Niles would be a dance duo in the city as they got the attention of the comedy duo of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin in 1950 where they would be part of Lewis and Martin’s act until a year later where Fosse and Niles divorced. In 1953, Fosse would sign a contract with MGM where he appeared in a few films as a dancer as well as choreograph one of the dances in the film Kiss Me Kate. Yet, Fosse didn’t enjoy his time with Hollywood as he took the risk of going back to theatre where he would choreograph the stage musical The Pajama Game to great success.
While getting work as a choreographer where he would work on George Abbott’s Damn Yankees, Fosse met dancer Gwen Verdon who would become his third wife as Fosse would later choreograph the film version of Abbott’s musical play. Despite getting work in both film and theatre as a choreographer, Fosse realized he wanted to do more as he would get the chance to direct a musical play in Redhead as he would also do the choreography. The play won five Tony Awards which includes Fosse for choreography and a Best Actress prize to Verdon. Throughout the 60s, Fosse was a big name in the world of stage theatre as he was also considered an innovator for fusing different dance styles into one as part of the choreography. Fosse also would use lighting as a tool in how to stage his production and dance numbers as it raised his reputation as the go-to man for lavish musical stage productions.
Sweet Charity
In 1966, Fosse directed and choreographed a musical stage production of Sweet Charity that was written by Neil Simon with lyrics by Dorothy Fields and music by Cy Coleman as it was based on Federico Fellini’s 1957 film Nights of Cabiria. The story revolved around a woman who works as a taxi dancer for a dancehall as she seeks love in New York City while enduring many trials and tribulations in her quest. The play was a smash both on Broadway and at London’s West End a year later where Fosse was offered the chance to make his feature-film debut as a director on a film version of the play. Fosse said yes though he knew he couldn’t have wife Gwen Verdon to play the lead role of Charity as Fosse would get Shirley MacLaine to play the role. While Fosse was able to get John McMartin to play the role of Oscar like he did in the play, Fosse would get a big ensemble in the likes of Ricardo Montalban, Chita Riviera, Barbara Bouchet, and Sammy Davis Jr.
Despite his inexperience in directing film, Fosse knew he didn’t want the film to be set too much into the confines of a soundstage as he would also shoot the film entirely in Manhattan which was considered risky. Even as he was given a $20 million budget from Universal where Fosse would shoot a different ending to appease them. Still, Fosse was able to get things his way in sticking with the film’s original ending as it plays into elements of reality as much of the film is about reality vs. fantasy just like in the play. Fosse also wanted to incorporate some of the visual elements of Fellini whom he is fond of as a way to give the film a unique look that was different from many of the musicals that were coming out at the time.
The film made its premiere in April of 1969 where despite some excellent reviews, the film was a commercial disappointment making only $8 million against its $20 million budget. Despite receiving a rousing reception at the Cannes Film Festival a month later and receiving three Oscar nominations for its art direction, score, and costume design. The film’s box office failure was something becoming common with the musical genre as it was in decline due to audiences wanting something more real. Nevertheless, Fosse was proud of the film as he went back to the world of theatre as he would do so whenever he isn’t making a film.
Cabaret
Having seen the Broadway musical play Cabaret, Fosse was interested in turning the play that was based on Christopher Isherwood’s short novel about a cabaret singer and her relationship with an American writer in 1931 Berlin in the early days of Nazi Germany. While he wanted to helm the film version of the play, many weren’t sure due to the commercial failure of Sweet Charity. Still, executives Fosse would be the right filmmaker as he teamed with screenwriter Jay Allen in turning the play into script while retaining the songs written by John Kander and Fred Ebb. During the pre-production, Fosse wasn’t happy with Allen’s script as he asked Hugh Wheeler to do re-writes though Allen would retain credit and Wheeler credited for research as the latter wasn’t a member of the Writer’s Guild of America.
While Liza Minnelli had been attached to the project before Fosse’s involvement, Fosse was excited to work with Minnelli while he also succeeded in getting Michael York to play the role of writer Brian Roberts while Minnelli played the lead of Sally Bowles. Joel Grey, who had played the emcee in the theatrical versions, would also be in the film as the cast would include Marisa Berenson, Helmut Griem, and Fritz Wepper. Fosse would receive the services of cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth to shoot the film as much of it was shot near Munich. Not wanting to make the film to bear many elements of the musicals of the past, Fosse decided to have the musical be sung live at the club where Bowles’ character would often sing at. There, Fosse would add some realism as well as a sense of danger to the choreography as it plays into this conflict of a club trying to stay alive during this emergence of Nazism in Germany.
The film made its premiere in February of 1972 where it drew rave reviews while also becoming a major hit in the box office grossing more than $42 million against its $3 million budget. The film’s success would be huge as it would win 8 Oscars for its art direction, sound, score, editing, cinematography, a Best Supporting Actor prize to Joel Grey, Best Actress to Liza Minnelli, and Best Director to Bob Fosse while also being nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. While the film did court some controversy over its content and sexually-provocative dancing, the film did prove that the musical was still alive as it needed a makeover in the era of New Hollywood.
Liza with a Z
With the massive success of Cabaret being big news, Fosse and Minnelli decided to create a special that was based on the latter’s talents as an entertainer with Fosse directing the production. Made as a TV concert special, Fosse would have the show be presented at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City with Minnelli singing sings as well as doing dance numbers with numerous dancers to Fosse’s own choreography. Having noticed that many TV concert special were shot on video, Fosse hired cinematographer Owen Roizman to shoot the special on 16mm film. Fosse hired film composer Marvin Hamlisch to be the special music coordinator as the concert was filmed on May 31, 1972. The special featured numerous dance numbers and witty monologues from Minnelli as it would be more than just a showcase of her talents.
The special made its TV premiere in September of 1972 on NBC where it was ratings smash as it would win Fosse two Emmys for its direction and choreography as well as two more as overall special and for its music. While the special would air a few more times during the 70s, it wouldn’t be seen for years until Minnelli, who had a copy of special, gave it a re-release in the early 2000s in a new remastered print as it drew rave reviews once again. Around the same year, Fosse directed a stage presentation of Pippin which won him two Tony Awards for its direction and choreography. In the span of a year, Fosse would become one of the most powerful and celebrated men in the world of entertainment.
Lenny
After a whirlwind year that had Fosse win nearly every accolade in entertainment, Fosse decided to take a detour from the world of musicals by going into another project that revolved around his fascination with the dark side of entertainment. Having seen Julian Barry’s play on the life of the controversial comedian Lenny Bruce, Fosse asked Barry to write a script that would be an unconventional bio-pic on Bruce. Especially as it plays into his work as a stand-up comic who would push the envelope on what could be said and the things he would talk about. Fosse and Barry both agreed that the narrative would largely be based on Bruce doing his standup as well as commenting on his own legal issues that would ultimately be his downfall as well as have the story told from his lover in a stripper named Honey.
With Dustin Hoffman cast as Bruce and Valerie Perrine cast in the role of Honey, Fosse knew that he didn’t want to go for something lavish as he chose to shoot the film in black-and-white film with cinematographer Bruce Surtees. It was to give the film a distinctive look that played more into classic cinema but also with a sense of grit. Notably in the scenes where Bruce does his standup as it’s never shown with a sense of polish as Fosse makes it direct and to the point. Even as Fosse wanted to play into that air of realism as it once again marked a recurring theme of fantasy vs. reality that had been prevalent in his previous films. After doing much of the shooting in early 1974, Fosse would take a break to act and choreograph The Little Prince for Stanley Donen where he would return to work on editing the film with editor Alan Heim who would become a key collaborator for Fosse throughout his film career.
The film was released in the U.S. in November of 1974 where it was well-received while doing modestly well in the American box office making more than $11 million. While it would receive six Oscar nominations including a Best Director nod for Fosse, it didn’t win anything. In May of 1975, the film played at the Cannes Film Festival where Valerie Perrine won the festival’s Best Actress prize. Yet, making the film as well as juggling other projects including another stage show for Liza Minnelli was starting to strain Fosse just as he was about to mount one of his most successful projects in a musical play called Chicago that some called one of his crowning achievements.
All That Jazz
Despite all of the success he’s garnered in film and theatre, Fosse was burned out as he would stage another musical production in 1978’s Dancin’ that won him another Tony for its choreography. Still, the experience of trying to stage Chicago and edit Lenny in 1974 forced him to create a project that would reflect not just his manic creativity but also his near-flirtation with death. Teaming up with writer Robert Alan Aurthur in creating a script, the film would be a mixture of fantasy vs. reality as well as the struggle to make art as it would revolve around a workaholic director trying to finish a film as well as a stage a musical production. There, he would have several encounters with the Angel of Death while living on the edge as he stubbornly tries to work as well as do other self-destructive habits that would eventually catch up with him.
While he retained a few of his collaborators in editor Alan Heim, music composer Ralph Burns, and costume designer Albert Wolksy as well as a few of his theatre collaborators in actors Ben Vereen and Ann Reinking as the latter was his girlfriend at the time. The cast would also include Leland Palmer, John Lithgow, Erzsebet Foldi, and Jessica Lange as the Angel of Death while the lead role of Joe Gideon was given to Roy Scheider. To shoot the film, Fosse brought in renowned cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno who had worked with Federico Fellini in recent years as Fosse cited Fellini as a key influence in the film. The production was ambitious though the budget of $12 million was small in comparison to the budget of his first film. Especially as it played into many of the things Fosse faced in his life as he was trying to slow things down.
Following another extensive post-production period, the film was finally released in December of 1979 where it drew rave reviews as well as grossing $37 million in the U.S. box office giving Fosse another hit. Months later, the film would win four Oscars for its costume design, art direction, music, and editing while receiving five more including Best Picture and Best Director for Fosse. In May of 1980, Fosse showcased the film at the Cannes Film Festival where it share the festival’s top prize in the Palme d’Or with Akira Kurosawa’s Kagemusha. While the film did maintain Fosse’s stature as a top figure in entertainment, the specter of death still loomed over him as another project relating to the film in a documentary about why people want to perform fell apart as it would be one of many Fosse would abandon.
Star 80
After a break between projects, Fosse decided to make another film that explored the dark aspects of fame and celebrity as he had been intrigued about the life and death of Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten who had been killed in a murder suicide by her husband/manager Paul Snider in August of 1980. Despite the fact that a 1981 made-for-TV movie was made about Stratten that starred Jamie Lee Curtis in the role, Fosse chose to adapt his own version based on Teresa Carpenter’s Village Voice article that won her the Pulitzer Prize. Knowing that certain legalities would prevent him from using certain names including filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich who had been involved with Stratten in her final days. Fosse still wanted to tell the story about Stratten as well as her troubled relationship with Snider.
With collaborators in editor Alan Heim, costume designer Albert Wolsky, and music composer Ralph Burns taking part in the production, Fosse received the services of the famed cinematographer Sven Nykvist to shoot the film as it would be set on location in Los Angeles and Vancouver as Stratten was from the latter. With a cast that would include Carroll Baker as Stratten’s mother, Cliff Robertson as Hugh Hefner, and Roger Rees in his film debut as a fictionalized version of Peter Bogdanovich. Mariel Hemingway was cast as Dorothy Stratten while Eric Roberts was cast as Paul Snider. With a $12 million budget, the film was presented in an unconventional narrative as it is told through flashbacks, interviews, and other events as it opens with a bloody Snider looking over Stratten’s corpse. Fosse wanted to play into the concept of jealousy and obsession as it relates to Snider being left out while Stratten would mature and find a happier life outside of his control that was unfortunately brief.
The film made its U.S. premiere in November of 1983 where despite excellent reviews including raves for Eric Roberts, the film was a commercial disappointment only grossing $6 million. Months later at the 1984 Berlin Film Festival that February, the film played in competition for the Golden Bear where it was well-received but didn’t win anything. The film would unfortunately be the last feature film Fosse would make in his lifetime as he was dealing with health issues in the remaining years of his life.
Unrealized Projects & Final Years
In 1986, Fosse would stage what would be his last Broadway musical in a production called Big Deal that was based on the 1958 Mario Monicelli film Big Deal on Madonna Street. The musical was well-received as Fosse another Tony Award for Best Choreography as well as four more nominations yet the show only lasted for 69 performances as Fosse was already considering about focusing more on films rather than musical theatres. While he had been attached to direct The King of Comedy, he passed on it despite its subject matter as he was also approached to do a remake of The Bad and the Beautiful but it never materialized. Other projects Fosse turned down was a film version of Dick Tracy and a bio-pic on cult actress Edie Sedgwick that was to star Michelle Pfeiffer in the role with Al Pacino as Andy Warhol.
Among the projects Fosse was interested in helming to the big screen was a bio-pic on the gossip columnist Walter Winchell as it played into Fosse’s fascination with the dark side of fame and celebrity. The other project that Fosse wanted to make into a film was a film version of his most celebrated musical Chicago just as it had returned to Broadway to great success. Sadly, neither projects would materialize as Fosse died of a heart attack on September 23, 1987 at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C.
It’s been 30 years since the passing of Bob Fosse yet his influence in theatre, dance, and film still remains just as the musical has been getting a resurgence in the world of film. Though his work in film is small, his contribution to the medium is still vital and important as he’s managed to influence so many not just in musicals but also other genres where filmmakers note his contribution and what it meant to them. Even as Fosse was someone that wasn’t afraid to go into dark places and make it entertaining as well as create something that is magical in an era where it was about pure entertainment. Even if it isn’t safe as Bob Fosse never played it safe as it’s a big reason why remains so important to the world of entertainment.
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel by Colin MacInnes, Absolute Beginners is the story of a young photographer who tries to deal with the changes in his life due to his girlfriend wanting to become a fashion designer while being lured by a businessman into a world that would cause trouble. Directed by Julien Temple and screenplay by Richard Burridge, Christopher Wicking, Don MacPherson, and additional dialogue by Terry Johnson, the film is a musical set in late 1950s London in its Soho district where young people deal with a changing world. Starring Eddie O’Connell, Patsy Kensit, James Fox, Anita Morris, Bruce Payne, Graham Fletcher-Clark, Sade Adu, Ray Davies, and David Bowie as Vendice Partners. Absolute Beginners is a dazzling yet flawed film from Julien Temple.
Set in the summer of 1958 in the Soho district of London during a youth boom, the film revolves around a photographer trying to live his life and impress his girlfriend only to lose her when she becomes a hit at a fashion show and be engaged to an aging fashion designer. In turn, he gets lured by an exploitive adman for his photographs where he becomes blind to what is happening in the streets of London as racial tension starts to occur from White Supremacists. It’s a film that is a young man trying to define himself as a photographer while hanging out with his friends and listen to jazz yet is unsure of what he has to do to impress his girlfriend who would unfortunately be part of a world that she would eventually not like.
The film’s script doesn’t just play into the world of the youth culture in the late 1950s but also into the conflict that its protagonist Colin (Eddie O’Connell) endures in trying to impress his girlfriend Suzette (Patsy Kensit) who wants to be a fashion designer. The film also has these characters who are willing to exploit the youth culture such as the fashion designer Henley of Mayfair (James Fox) and an adman in Vendice Partners. The latter of which is this eccentric yet charming man with a transatlantic accent who could convince anyone to sell out. The film’s third act becomes serious and changes its tone from being this whimsical and playful musical into a film about racial tension. While the first two acts would hint and reveal events slowly that would cause the tension, how it gets unveiled is clunky where it definitely feels like an entirely different film.
Julien Temple’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of the world he creates where it is largely shot at a studio to recreate the world of the Soho and neighborhoods in London. Featuring an intricate yet stylish tracking shot that goes on for several minutes early in the film, it does capture a lot of what was happening in Soho as Temple’s usage of wide and medium shots capture that vibrancy. Especially in the clubs where there is a lot of dancing as it was choreographed by David Toguri as well as moments where the dancing occurs in other sequences including the riots which is one of the odd moments in the film that doesn’t feel right. The scenes relating to the race riots, as it’s based on the real-life Notting Hills race riots of 1958, feels like it’s a different film where despite carrying similar visuals and compositions. It’s third act is quite problematic as it is clear Temple wasn’t sure what kind of film he wants to make but also is having trouble going back to just being an upbeat and lively musical despite its ending. Overall, Temple creates a messy yet enjoyable film about a young photographer trying to impress his girlfriend in late 1950s London.
Cinematographer Oliver Stapleton does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography in the way Soho was shot for the scenes set at night as well as its nightclubs along with the more lavish and brightened lights of people in London‘s high society. Editors Richard Bedford, Michael Bradsell, Gerry Hambling, and Russell Lloyd do nice work with the editing as it‘s very stylish in the jump-cuts, transitions, and other cuts to play into the energy of the film. Production designer John Beard, with art directors Stuart Rose and Ken Wheatley, does amazing work with the set design from the look of the clubs and posh homes to some of the musical numbers including the sequence where Partners wins over Colin by song.
Costume designers Sue Blane and David Perry do fantastic work with the costumes from the clothes that Henley creates to some of the suits of the men as well as the dresses that the women wear. Sound mixer David John does terrific work with the sound as it plays into the atmosphere of the clubs and parties that the characters venture into. The film’s music score by Gil Evans is wonderful for its mixture of jazz and early rock n‘ roll to play into that world of late 1950s Britain as the soundtrack itself would feature original songs sung by Ray Davies of the Kinks, the Style Council, Sade, Slim Gaillard, Tenpole Tudor, Smiley Culture, and three songs by David Bowie including its title track and a cover of Volare.
The casting by Leonara Davis, Susie Figgis, and Mary Selway is incredible as it features cameos from Robbie Coltrane as a shopkeeper, Sandie Shaw as a mother of a teen idol, Bruno Tonioli as a lodger at the home of Colin’s parents, Slim Gaillard as a singer at a posh party, and Smiley Culture as the reggae singer at the end of the film. Other notable small roles include Carmen Ejogo as Cool’s young sister Carmen, Julian Firth as the Misery Kid, Paul Rhys as the mod Dean, Joseph McKenna as Colin’s gay friend Hoplite, Chris Pitt as the young teen idol Baby Boom, and Sade Adu as the nightclub singer Athene Duncannon. Performances from Steven Berkoff as a supremacist leader, Edward Tudor-Pole as the Teddy boys leader Ed the Ted, and Bruce Payne as the supremacist enforcer Flikker are superb in their antagonistic roles while Alan Freeman as the talk show host Call-Me-Cobber and Lionel Blair as the pop impresario Harry Charms are fantastic as the men who would exploit the youth movement.
Eve Ferret and Tony Hippolyte are excellent as Colin’s friends in the flamboyant lesbian Big Jill and the jazz-trumpeter Cool, respectively, who deal with the chaos of their world. Graham Fletcher-Cook is terrific as Colin’s ambitious friend Wizard who is very cynical about everything as he does whatever he can to make money and align with anyone with power. Ray Davies and Mandy Rice-Davies are amazing as Colin’s parents with Ray as the neglected and melancholic father who wants a quiet life and Mandy as the mother who is very cruel to her husband. Edward Fox is brilliant as the snobbish Henley as this fashion designer who marries Suzette to help his business only to take her for selfish reasons. Anita Morris is wonderful as the gossip columnist Dido Lament as this woman who would exploit both Suzette and Colin but also would play a key part in helping the latter in its third act.
Eddie O’Connell is terrific as Colin as a young photographer that is trying to live his life to the fullest as well as dealing with the need to sell out in order to impress his girlfriend. Patsy Kensit is radiant as Suzette as a young woman that wants to make it in the fashion world only to realize what she had to do forcing her to make compromises that she doesn’t want. Finally, there’s David Bowie in a small yet spectacular performance as Vendice Partners as this adman with a transatlantic accent that is about selling dreams as he would convince Colin the way to succeed is to sell out as a form of motivation.
Absolute Beginners is a stellar yet messy film from Julien Temple. While it features a great cast and a phenomenal soundtrack, it’s a film that wants to be a lot of things but loses sight in its third act. In the end, Absolute Beginners is a terrific film from Julien Temple.
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by Lina Wertmuller, Pasqualino Settebellezze (Seven Beauties) is the story of an Italian soldier who escapes from the army during World War II only to be captured by the Germans as he reflects on his life while trying to survive imprisonment. The film is a study of a man dealing with his situation in a world where he deals with the many roles he has played in his life. Starring Giancarlo Giannini, Fernando Rey, and Shirley Stoler. Pasqualino Settebellezze is a gripping yet evocative film from Lina Wertmuller.
The film is told in a back-and-forth narrative about an Italian who has been captured by the Germans during an escape from the army as he tries to survive his time in a concentration camp. At the camp, he endures torment while he reflects on his past into the events that got him there when he killed one of his sister’s boyfriends who was a pimp and put her into prostitution. The journey that Pasqualino (Giancarlo Giannini) would take would be an arduous one as he started off as a charmer who demanded respect while working for a local don during Fascist-era Italy. Upon his troubles where he would be in trial, set to a mental institution, and later be forced to serve in the army in World War II. Pasqualino would endure moments that are inhuman as the film’s script plays into what he encounters but also the sense of horror inside the concentration camp as he tries to find a way to survive. While there’s moments in Pasqualino that aren’t honorable due to how he treats women including his sister as well as a patient at the hospital.
Lina Wertmuller’s direction is very entrancing not just for the compositions that she creates but also in how visceral the images and situations are throughout the film. The film opens with this chilling sequence filled with stock footage of the war that is filled with cities being destroyed and men being killed all to narration by a man who says these words accompanied to anachronistic music that just adds to its dark tone. The film then meshes with something that could feel like stock footage and then turn real as Wertmuller’s camera is always in the action for the scene where Pasqualino is running around the woods with only a fellow soldier to join him. The usage of hand-held cameras for those scenes early in the film along with close-ups and medium shots play into the sense of terror but also humorous moments in the first act where Pasqualino and Francesco (Piero Di Iorio) are trying to find shelter only to be captured by the Germans.
The scenes set in Naples are much looser with an air of comedy but also display a world that Pasqualino felt free in as he is oblivious to what is really happening under the role of Benito Mussollini and the Fascists at the time. Once the film’s second act partially takes place in the concentration camp, it takes on an entirely different look and tone. The usage of wide and medium shots along with some intricate tracking and crane shots adds to the vast look of the camp but also in how horrifying it is. Even in scenes of violence where Wertmuller pulls no punches as there’s a scene early in the film where Pasqualino and Francesco watch a line of people being executed by the Nazis while some of the moments in the camp are even more gruesome. There is also a very disturbing scene where Wertmuller creates this air of sexual dominance where Pasqualino tries to seduce the camp’s commandant (Shirley Stoler) who hates Italians and wants him to fuck her despite how ugly and obese she is. It’s a moment that would mark a major change in Pasqualino as it would display some of the inhumanity he encounters during a dark era of war as he would also take part in it. Overall, Wertmuller creates a harrowing yet majestic film about a man dealing with consequences and terror during World War II.
Cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the lush beauty of the interior/exterior scenes set in Naples to the more haunting and low-key lights for the scenes in the woods and the more stark tone of the camp. Editor Franco Fraticelli does excellent work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward with some jump-cuts and other striking transitions to play with the film‘s back-and-forth narrative. Production/costume designer Enrico Job, with set decorator Roberto Granieri and art director Veljko Despotovic, does fantastic work with the look of the sets for the scenes in Naples and at the prison camp along with the lavish costumes the women wear in Naples.
The sound work of Mario Bramonti is brilliant for the atmosphere it creates for not just some of the scenes set in Naples but also in mental institution and at the prison camp that just adds this sense of terror and discomfort. The film’s music by Enzo Jannacci is incredible for its usage of organs and rock-based instruments for the film’s opening sequence as well as some orchestral pieces for some of the dramatic moments in the film.
The film’s superb cast include some notable small roles from Barbara Valmorin as the commandant’s secretary, Francesca Marciano as Pasqualino’s fiancee, Mario Conti as the pimp whom one of Pasqualino’s seven sisters wants to marry, Lucio Amelio as a lawyer representing Pasqualino for his trial, Ermelinda De Felice as Pasqualino’s mother, and Robert Herlitzka as a Socialist prisoner Pasqualino would meet on his way to the mental hospital. Enzo Vitale is terrific as Don Raffaele who mentors Pasqualino into respectability and would help his family when Pasqualino is being sent away. Elena Fiore is wonderful as Pasqualino’s sister Concettina who would put her brother into trouble by wanting to marry her pimp and become a prostitute much to her brother’s dismay. Piero Di Iorio is fantastic as Francesco as a fellow soldier who escapes with Pasqualino only to endure some horrific abuse at the prison camp as he tries to rebel.
Shirley Stoler is excellent as the prison camp commandant as this very large woman who is so grotesque in her appearance as well as the things she would make Pasqualino do to save himself. Fernando Rey is amazing as Pedro as an anarchist prisoner who spouts ideas that are against all forms of Nazism and Fascism as he tries to create chaos at the camp. Finally, there’s Giancarlo Giannini in a phenomenal as Pasqualino Frafuso as an every man who starts off as a charming man that can get things his way only to commit murder and then have his life fall apart as he endures torment, humility, and anguish as it’s a performance for the ages from Giannini.
Pasqualino Settebellezze is a tremendous film from Lina Wertmuller that features an incredible performance from Giancarlo Giannini. It’s a film that explores not just some of chaos of World War II and the terror of concentration camps but also a man encountering some of the worst aspects of humanity. In the end, Pasqualino Settebellezze is a spectacular film from Lina Wertmuller.
Lina Wertmuller Films: (The Lizards) - (Let’s Talk About Men) - (Rita the Mosquito) - (Don’t Sting the Mosquito) - (The Belle Starr Story) - The Seduction of Mimi - (All Screwed Up) - Love and Anarchy - Swept Away (1974 film) - (A Night Full of Rain) - (Blood Feud) - (A Joke of Destiny) - (Softly, Softly) - (Camorra (A Story of Streets, Women and Crime) - (Summer Night) - (As Long as It’s Love) - (The Tenth One in Hiding) - (Ciao, Professore!) - (The Nymph) - (The Blue Collar Worker and the Hairdresser in a Whirl of Sex and Politics) - (Ferdinando and Carolina) - (Too Much Romance…It’s Time for Stuffed Peppers)
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Colin Hanks and written by Steven Leckart, All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records is a documentary film about the record store chain that had made more than a billion dollars by the end of the 20th Century only to file for bankruptcy five years later. The film showcases how a little record shop from the 1960s in Sacramento went to be not just some record store but a place where its employees worked and had fun there. The result is a fascinating and touching film from Colin Hanks.
For anyone who used to buy music at a music store, it was quite obvious that Tower Records was the place where music fans would go to not because it was the place where they sold all kinds of music but offered so much more. It was a place where music fans could talk to each other about music as well as find imports, albums that aren’t sold at other music chains, and meet people who loved working at this place. Then all of a sudden in the mid-2000s, it was gone as the culture itself not only lost a big part itself but also a world that might not exist again in such a big way. Especially as retail chains sell music but also sell other things at a certain price and it doesn’t have a sense of community that Tower Records was about.
The film that Colin Hanks and writer Steven Leckart make isn’t about the chain’s fall but also how it began as this little store Russell Solomon ran next to his father’s drug store which was next to the Tower Theatre in Sacramento and it became a chain that unexpectedly became big. Especially in the people that Solomon would come across throughout the years including his son Michael, a few cousins, and such would be part of the store either as clerks or small-time employees who would later manage or be part of Solomon’s close circle. The people who worked in the store didn’t just treat their job with great care but also had a sense of joy in their job. Especially as they would party and travel as well as take risks to make the store into a big-time chain as well as launch one in a country like Japan which turned out to be a successful gamble.
The film also feature interviews with musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, and Elton John as well as music executives David Geffen and Bob Urie who all sing the praises of the story. Urie, in particular, who shares a personal story of how generous Solomon was to him at a time when Urie was fired from his job and Solomon invited him to a Xmas party and later dinner. John talks about going to Tower Records at its famed Sunset Strip spot where he would buy records whenever he’s not on tour and be there once it opened. Solomon and several people who worked at Tower talked about the joy as well as what made the place so special including a mantra made by the Japanese chain which was No Music, No Life.
While its fall can definitely be attributed to the emergence and rise of Napster in 2000 where music was free. Solomon and several others at Tower reveal that it was a lot more than that as they also contributed to their own downfall in some respects such as not selling CD singles in favor of albums in the late 90s which they admitted was a mistake. Another issue that plagued the company was trying to have the place in markets such as South America where they didn’t understand the culture as the stores there didn’t make money. Along with price wars between large retail chains such as Target, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart and management issues that involved Solomon’s son Michael to briefly take over for his then-ailing father. Eventually, the company’s death knell came in the hands of outsiders who were more interesting in branding and restructuring the company only for it to go out of business for good.
Hanks’ direction is quite straightforward in the way he conducts the interviews with the aid of cinematographers Neil Lisk, Nicola Marsh, and Bridger Nielson as well as compile old footage and photos with editor Darrin Roberts. The film also features sound bits compiled by sound editor Richard B. Larimore that includes an audio clip of John Lennon telling Californians to buy his new album at the store. The film’s music by Bill Sherman is wonderful for its mixture of jazz and rock to play into the world of music as the soundtrack features an array of different music styles to play into the progression of popular music in the 20th Century.
All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records is a sensational film from Colin Hanks. It’s a film that doesn’t just explore one of the finest record chains in the world but also the people who worked and ran the chain as they did it with love for the music and love for the work. Especially as it showcases a culture that was vibrant and brought people together all because they love music. In the end, All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records is a phenomenal film from Colin Hanks.
Eagles of Death Metal: Non Amis (Our Friends)
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the play by Hjalmar Soderberg, Gertrud is the story of an opera singer who goes on a journey to find love and fulfillment through a series of lovers following a breakdown in her marriage. Written for the screen and directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer, the film is a study of a woman trying to find herself in a very personal journey through the men who play major roles in her life. Starring Nina Pens Rode, Bendt Rothe, Ebbe Rode, Baard Owe, and Axel Strobye. Gertrud is a haunting yet mesmerizing film from Carl Theodor Dreyer.
Set in late 19th Century Denmark, the film follows the life of an opera singer who decides to leave her husband for her lover but complications begin to ensue. Especially as it leaves the titular character (Nina Pens Rode) into a personal journey where she would encounter former lovers as it play into a sense of torment and uncertainty about where she’s going. Carl Theodor Dreyer’s script is largely driven by dialogue as there’s not many scenes that occur as it’s more about what Gertrud wants but also what she had in her life. Through the meetings she would have with her husband Gustav (Bendt Rothe), her current lover in pianist Erland Jansson (Baard Owe), a former lover in poet Gabriel Lidman (Ebbe Rode), and a longtime friend in Axel (Axel Strobye). Gertrud copes with the decisions she is making but also ponders the life she leads now and her hopes for a change.
Dreyer’s direction is very entrancing for not just its minimalist approach to the filmmaking but also wanting to not rely too much on style. Featuring less than 90 shots, Dreyer’s emphasis on wide and medium shots rather than close-ups add a lot to what he wanted to tell visually but also in having the drama be told very slowly. Especially where Dreyer would have the actors recite long monologues and dialogue with one another for several minutes that includes one notably scene that lasts nearly 10 minutes in a single take. The camera would move for a few tracking shots and pans but it is mostly about the conversations that are taking place between Gertrud and whoever she is meeting with. Even as the film becomes much crueler in what Gertrud would encounter as Dreyer showcases a world that she has trapped herself in and what she needs to do to escape. Overall, Dreyer creates a compelling yet evocative film about a woman’s personal journey to find herself.
Cinematographers Henning Bendtsen and Arne Abrahamsen do brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white cinematography to play into some of the gorgeous scenery in the few exterior scenes along with intricate lighting for the interiors as well as some heightened lights for the flashback scenes. Editor Edith Schlussel does nice work with the editing as it is very straightforward with a few fade-outs as transitional cuts along with a few rhythmic cuts for dramatic purposes. Production designer Kai Rasch does excellent work with the look of the home that Gertrud shared with her husband as well as the dining hall sequence where she, Gustav, and several friends celebrate Lidman‘s work. The sound work of Knud Kristensen is superb for its minimalist and sparse approach as it is more about natural elements in the dialogue and objects rather than create a mood for a scene. The film’s music by Jorgen Jersild is wonderful for its string orchestral-based score to play into the drama and some of the melancholic moments in the film while the songs/poems by Grethe Risbjerg Thomsen provide some of the material that Gertrud sings as an opera singer.
The film’s amazing cast features notable small roles from Vera Gerbhur as Gustav/Gertrud’s housekeeper, Lars Knutzon as a student paying tribute to Lidman, and Anna Malberb as Gustav’s mother who appears early in the film unaware of what is happening with her son’s marriage to Gertrud. Axel Strobye is fantastic as longtime family friend Axel who attends Lidman’s tribute dinner as he is concerned for Gertrud’s health at the dinner. Baard Owe is superb as Gertrud’s current over Erland Jansson as this concert pianist who is eager to have a life with her only for things about him are unveiled that would change things.
Ebbe Rode is excellent as the poet Gabriel Lidman who still carries a torch for Gertrud as he wonders why she left him as well as offering a chance to return to him. Bendt Rothe is brilliant as Gertrud’s husband Gustav as a politician that is given the chance for a big position as he still needs Gertrud’s support as he is aware why she’s leaving him but also wants her to stay with him. Finally, there’s Nina Pens Rode in an incredible performance as the titular character as this opera singer seeking a new life away from her husband as she then copes with the realities of her surroundings and the consequences of the decisions she’s made as it’s a performance filled with anguish and torment as well as being told with such restraint as it’s just astonishing to watch.
Gertrud is a phenomenal film from Carl Theodor Dreyer that features a sensational performance from Nina Pens Rode. It’s a film that isn’t just this rapturous study of a woman trying to find herself but also a film that explores a woman’s anguish over the men she’s been with for much of her life. Especially as it’s told in this very intoxicating visual style by Dreyer that is the antithesis for much of today’s conventional approach to cinema. In the end, Gertrud is a remarkable film from Carl Theodor Dreyer.
Carl Theodor Dreyer Films: (The President) - (The Parson’s Widow) - Leaves from Satan's Book - (Love One Another) - (Once Upon a Time) - (Michael (1924 film)) - Master of the House - (Bride of Glomdal) -The Passion of Joan of Arc - Vampyr - (Two People) - Day of Wrath - Ordet
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, and Tono Errando and written by Trueba and Igancio Martinez de Pison, Chico and Rita is the story of a piano player who falls for a beautiful singer as they team up to make music. Told in a hand-drawn animated style, the film is an exploration of a couple falling in love through many different backdrops as it is set during the late 1940s to the early 1950s. The result is a gorgeous and exotic film from Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, and Tono Errando.
The film is a simple love story set in Cuba between a piano player and a singer who meet at a club in the late 1940s where they perform and music together as well as fall in love. There, the two would each embark on adventures into fame and stardom only to fall very hard as the pianist Chico reflects on his past many years later as an old man who shine shoes for a living. The film is told in the traditional style of Latin ballads where a man and woman meet and fall in love but are undone by torment and heartache. The film’s script does play up that formula where Chico is a man that just likes to play piano and write songs as he’s not really interested in fame. The singer Rita is a woman with a beautiful voice that dreams of making it big as she would be the first to take the opportunity for fame and stardom. The narrative does play into the classic rise-and-fall scenario but it is told in a unique style as it says a lot to the melancholia and reluctant acceptance Chico would carry as an old man.
The film’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of the visual presentation of not just Havana, Cuba and New York City in what it looked like then but also in the different styles of hand-drawn animation with elements of three-dimensional computer animation. With the aid of animation directors Marcelo Fernandes De Moura and Manuel Galiana, the film is presented with an air of style in the animation as well as the fact that it is a film that isn’t afraid to be racy. Especially as it includes a sex scene and moments of nudity but it actually says something it shows how strong the relationship is between Chico and Rita. The animation would change gears for a sequence where Chico and his friend Ramon arrive to New York City as it is this weird fantasy scene while the rest of the animation in its character and set design remain very straightforward.
Especially in the latter as it captures every attention to detail about what these places looked like back then. The direction would also have these entrancing compositions to showcase images that play into the world that these characters are in. The usage of wide and medium shots as well as some close-ups says a lot in what is happening in the story as well as in the musical performances where Chico would encounter real-life individuals like Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Tito Puente. Still, it revels in what Chico and Rita would encounter in their ascendance to stardom but also face reality into what was happening in America. Even in the former as he would return to Cuba as he encounters a new reality that would force the story to go back to the older Chico and what he’s begrudgingly had become. Overall, the trio of Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, and Tono Errando create a vibrant and ravishing film about a piano and singer’s love for each other and the music they created.
Editor Arnau Quiles does brilliant work with editing as it is very straightforward for much of the film with a few montage sequences that play into Chico and Rita‘s own respective successes. Sound editor Pelayo Gutierrez does amazing work with the sound in the way some of the instruments sound as well as recreating sounds of tires and such to play into the atmosphere of the places the characters are in. The film’s music by Bebo Valdes is incredible for the mixture of traditional Cuban music and Cuban-jazz as well as bits of American jazz music that Chico would encounter as it includes a lot of music from the American jazz artists of the late 40s/early 1950s.
The film’s voice cast include some notable contributions from Lenny Mandel as Rita’s manager Ron who takes her to America and Mario Guerra as Chico’s friend Ramon who would later be his manager. The duo of Eman Xor Ona and Limara Meneses give phenomenal voice performances in their respective roles as Chico and Rita to play into the fiery personality of the two as well as their sense of passion for the music and each other.
Chico and Rita is a sensational film from the trio of Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, and Tono Errando. Featuring gorgeous and sublime animation, a touching story, and a sumptuous film soundtrack. The film is truly a gem that explores not just two people’s love for music but also each other during a time where the world around them is changing. In the end, Chico and Rita is a remarkable film from Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, and Tono Errando.
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the play by Kaj Munk, Ordet (The Word) is the story of a family who are being torn apart by different views on faith as a farmer struggles to maintain his ideals. Written for the screen and directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer, the film is an exploration on faith and some of its fallacies where a man deals with the growing changes and views of the world around him. Starring Hennik Malberg, Emil Hass Christensen, Cay Kristiansen, and Preben Lerdorff Rye. Ordet is a haunting yet evocative film from Carl Theodor Dreyer.
Set in a small Danish village in the mid-1920s, the film is about two days in the life of a farmer and his family dealing with changing times as well as struggle to keep their faith together as his sons start to diverge into different paths. Especially as it plays into different views where the farmer Morten Borgen (Henrik Malberg) struggles to maintain his ideals in an ever-changing world as his eldest Mikkel (Emil Hass Christensen) has become agnostic though is happily married to Inger (Birgitte Federspiel) who is pregnant with their third child. His youngest son Anders (Cay Kristiansen) is in love with a tailor’s daughter as the tailor Peter (Ejner Federspiel) has now led a Christian-based sect who refuses to offer his daughter to Anders because of his religion. Then there’s Morten’s middle son Johannes (Preben Lerdorff Rey) who has become insane after studying Soren Kierkegaard as he thinks he is Jesus Christ.
Carl Theodor Dreyer’s screenplay does have a traditional structure where it follows a day in the life of Borgen and his family as it opens with Johannes walking out of the house as it’s become routine for the family to fetch him. While Borgen ponders why Mikkel is agnostic, he doesn’t really try to challenge him out of his love for Inger and his granddaughters. Once the story progresses where Inger is about to give birth, Borgen still has to deal with Peter not just over different beliefs but also why he doesn’t want his daughter Anne (Gerda Nielsen) to marry Anders. It then becomes this kind of modern-day take on the Book of Job for the film’s second half as well as raising a lot of questions about faith as well as this growing divide over belief.
Dreyer’s direction is definitely mesmerizing in terms of not just the presentation but also aiming for a cinematic style that is a bit closer to theatre. With its usage of wide and medium shots to capture the depth of field inside a room at the Borgen family house or in its nearby sand dunes. Dreyer would shoot these scenes with very long takes that goes on for 7 minutes at the most as the film features only 114 shots. With the camera circling around on a tripod or a dolly-track along with few pans and such, Dreyer does maintain a sense of intimacy but also to observe these characters dealing with their own doubts in an ever-changing world. There aren’t many close-ups in the film as Dreyer is more concerned with mood of the scene as it can range from being tense to very dramatic as it relates to events in the third act. It’s where the theme of doubt comes in but also about some of the fallacies of faith and why different ideals on faith can do a lot of wrong. Even as Borgen tries to figure out what he’s done wrong to deserve all of what is happening to him. Overall, Dreyer creates a rapturous yet eerie film about a man questioning faith in a new world.
Cinematographers Henning Bendtsen, John Carlsen, and Erik Wittrup Willumsen do amazing work with the film‘s black-and-white photography from the usage of shadows and shades for much of the interiors set in the day and at night to some of the exteriors in the day as it has this air of beauty but also that sense of spirituality that emerges in the film‘s climax. Editor Edith Schlussel does excellent work with the editing where it does have bits of style in its fade-outs and a montage with transition wipes yet much of it is very straightforward. Production designer Erik Aaes does brilliant work with the look of the home that the Borgen family live in as well as the home of Peter the tailor.
Costume designer N. Sandt Jensen does nice work with the period costumes of the time as it plays into a look of the Borgen family as well a modern look of sorts of the town‘s new pastor. The sound work of Knud Kristensen is superb for the naturalistic approach to the sound from the way wind is heard inside a room to some of the scenes outside at the farm. The film’s music by Poul Schierbeck is wonderful as it is mostly low-key orchestral music to play into the drama while the songs by Sylvia Shierbeck are essentially variations of traditional music that is often played in churches.
The film’s incredible cast include notable small roles from Ove Rud as the new pastor, Henry Skjaer as the town doctor, Hanne Agesen as the Borgen’s main servant, Sylvia Eckhausen as Peter’s wife Kirstin, Susanne and Ann Elisabeth Rud as Mikkel and Inger’s daughters, and Gerda Nielsen as Peter’s daughter Anne that Anders wants to marry. Ejner Federspiel is superb as Peter Petersen as the town’s tailor/Christian pastor who objects Anders proposing to Anne as he would also try and convince Borgen to switch religions. Cay Kristiansen is terrific as Borgen’s youngest son Anders as a young man that is in love with Anne but couldn’t believe why he couldn’t marry her as he deals with the ways of the world. Birgitte Federspiel is excellent as Mikkel’s pregnant wife Inger who is considered the family caretaker as she’s adored by her father-in-law while understanding Mikkel’s growing lack of faith.
Perben Lerdorff Rye is brilliant as Johannes as a troubled man who thinks he’s Jesus Christ following a mental breakdown where he says mysterious things often to create doubt in front of his father. Emil Haas Christensen is amazing as Mikkel as the eldest son of Borgen who doesn’t follow anything thinking that things happen until he encounters something that couldn’t be explained as he struggles with this growing reality. Finally, there’s Henrik Malberg in a tremendous performance as Morten Borgen as a farmer who struggles to maintain his ideals as he copes with not just some of the prejudice he faces but also tries to hold on to his faith in a world that is changing as well as becoming more complicated.
Ordet is a phenomenal film from Carl Theodor Dreyer. Featuring a great cast as well as engaging and provocative themes of faith and doubt, it’s a film that manages to raise a lot of questions about religion but also some of its fallacies. In the end, Ordet is a remarkable film from Carl Theodor Dreyer.
Carl Theodor Dreyer Films: (The President) - (The Parson’s Widow) - Leaves from Satan's Book - (Love One Another) - (Once Upon a Time) - (Michael (1924 film)) - Master of the House - (Bride of Glomdal) - The Passion of Joan of Arc - Vampyr - (Two People) - Day of Wrath - Gertrud
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez and written by Tim Talbott, The Stanford Prison Experiment is the story of the real life experiment created by Dr. Philip Zimbardo where students would play prisoners and guards as the experiment becomes very dangerous. The film is a dramatic account of the experiment that led to a lot of controversy with Billy Crudup playing the role of Dr. Philip Zimbardo. Also starring Ezra Miller, Olivia Thirlby, Michael Angarano, Logan Miller, Nelsan Ellis, Ki Hong Lee, Tye Sheridan, Jack Kilmer, and Nicholas Braun. The Stanford Prison Experiment is a chilling yet visceral film from Kyle Patrick Alvarez.
In the summer of 1971 at Stanford University in California, psychology professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo decides to conduct a two-week experiment with 18 male students who would be paid $15 a day to volunteer where 9 students would play prisoners and 9 would play guards in a fictionalized prison. The objective was to study the psychological aspects of how prisoners deal with being prison and endure the abuse of the guards. What happens during the experiments is that things go too far where the students playing the guards become too comfortable with their roles while the prisoners either rebel or fall apart emotionally and psychologically. The film is about the experiment as it was considered very controversial as it showcases what Dr. Zimbardo was trying to do and how far it went where even those who are working with Dr. Zimbardo are taken aback at how far it’s gone.
Tim Talbott’s screenplay does have a unique structure where it is told in the span of days where time during this fictional prison is very slow but also confusing from the point-of-view of the prisoners. During the duration of two-weeks, prisoners would have emotional breakdowns while there are those who are willing to do what the guard says as either as a way to survive or not cause trouble. Yet, it would be observed by Dr. Zimbardo and members of his staff including a former prisoner in Jesse Fletcher (Nelsan Ellis) who also observes to see how real it is despite the fact that cells are offices and much of the action is in a hallway. Prisoners would have meetings with Dr. Zimbardo and others as if they’re being interrogated where it would eventually become too much not just for the young men playing the prisoners but also those in Dr. Zimbardo’s staff as well as Fletcher who would be forced to play a part that makes him very uncomfortable.
Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s direction is very intense in terms of what goes on in the experiment as the film is shot in a building in Los Angeles where there are very little exterior shots to play into an atmosphere that is very gripping. While there are a few exterior shots of the Stanford campus and the home of one of the volunteers pretending to be a prisoner, much of it is shot in the building where it has an intimacy that is very discomforting. Notably in the close-ups in how the guards interact and intimidate the prisoners where it feels too real at times as well as wondering when is someone going to break. The fact that much of the action takes place in this small hallway with rooms as prison cells has this air of claustrophobia in its look and feel. The scenes where Dr. Zimbardo and his staff are watching through a small TV that has a camera filming everything is just as eerie where there is more coverage in the wide and medium shots. Once the film progresses more and more as one day becomes the next, the mood definitely gets darker and more tense. Especially in a mock parole scene where Fletcher plays a parole board member who would list false charges a prisoner makes as Dr. Zimbardo’s then-girlfriend Christina Maslach (Olivia Thirlby) would look at what Fletcher is reading and see nothing.
Alvarez also create these moments where the prisoners try to find a way to break out but also deal with what is happening to them emotionally and mentally. The scenes where the prisoners and guards have to meet for a daily routine, the way they’re presented each day does intensify where a new prisoner would come in as he is just aghast in the experiment he’s volunteered for. Especially as what happens become terrifying as Dr. Zimbardo would be forced to watch everything as his colleagues begin to question the experiment itself. The film’s aftermath wouldn’t just showcase how troubling the experiment was but also the situations these volunteers had been put in through where it says a lot about the many complexities of human nature. Overall, Alvarez creates an unsettling yet evocative film about a man’s experiment about human behavior set in a prison.
Cinematographer Jack Shelton does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography to create different moods for much of the lighting in the cells and hallways as well as the rooms where Dr. Zimbardo and his team are watching everything. Editor Fernando Collins does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of-slow motion, jump-cuts, and other stylish cuts to play into the tension and drama that looms throughout the film. Production designer Gary Barbosa, with set decorator Sandra Skora and art director Andres Cubillan, does fantastic work with not just the look of the hallway and cells but also this cramped room known as the Hole as well as rooms that Dr. Zimbardo and his team would observe everything.
Costume designer Lisa Tomczeszyn does nice work with the costumes as much of the casual look is from clothes from the 70s while the look of the prisoners are ragged with just a long shirt and a pantyhose stocking as a cap. Sound editor Martyn Zub does terrific work with the sound as it‘s mostly low-key in how some of the sound is recorded at the Dr. Zimbardo‘s office to what it sounds naturally at the hallway. The film’s music by Andrew Hewitt is wonderful for its ambient-based score that plays into the drama as well as some of the terrifying moments in the film.
The casting by Angela Demo and Barbara J. McCarthy is great as it feature some notable small roles from Albert Malafronte as a priest, James C. Victor and Kate Butler as the parents of one of the prisoners in Peter Mitchell, and Fred Ochs as a professor who unknowingly makes an unexpected visit on the experiment. Other notable small roles include Moises Arias, Nicholas Braun, and Gaius Charles as the three associates of Dr. Zimbardo who are tasked to observe with him as they become more uncomfortable with the experiments. In the roles of some of the prison guards, the performances of Keir Gilchrist, James Wolk, Matt Bennett, James Frecheville, Mile Heizer, Callan McAuliffe, Benedict Samuel, and Harrison Thomas are superb in the roles as guys who act abusive with some becoming uneasy in what they’re doing in the experiment. In the roles of some of the prisoners, Chris Sheffield, Jack Kilmer, Brett Daverne, Jesse Carere, Logan Miller, Johnny Simmons, and Ki Hong Lee are excellent as a group of men who volunteer to play prisoners as they endure abuse and humiliation of the worst kind with some trying to find ways to survive.
Thomas Mann is fantastic in a small role as prisoner 416 who comes to the experiment late in the film as he deals with the harsh surroundings he is in as well as what he is forced to do. Nelsan Ellis is brilliant as Jesse Fletcher as a former convict who is asked by Dr. Zimbardo to observe as some of the events make him uncomfortable as he would have to confront one volunteer about his claim of being sick and another where he pretends to be a parole board figure. Olivia Thirlby is amazing as Christina Maslach as Dr. Zimbardo’s then-girlfriend who fills in for the observation where she becomes uncomfortable with what is happening. Tye Sheridan is remarkable as Peter Mitchell/prisoner 819 who tries to defy authority as he later endures some emotional and mental abuse that becomes too much for him to deal with.
Ezra Miller is marvelous as Daniel Culp/prisoner 8612 as the most rebellious prisoner who would always push the buttons of the guards only to be pushed back big time as he would try to make an escape. Michael Angarano is phenomenal as the guard Christopher Archer who would take his role too seriously as he would play a sadist as if he was John Wayne as it’s a fun yet dark performance from Angarano. Finally, there’s Billy Crudup in a remarkable performance as Dr. Philip Zimbardo as a psychological professor who is trying to create a study on human nature in a prison where he pushes things further to see how far things can go too far.
The Stanford Prison Experiment is a spectacular film from Kyle Patrick Alvarez. Featuring a great ensemble cast and a fascinating study on human nature and might happen to someone in prison. It’s a film showcases a man’s experiment and how far it went as it shows some of the horror of what might happen at a prison. In the end, The Stanford Prison Experiment is a riveting and harrowing film from Kyle Patrick Alvarez.
© thevoid99 2016
Written, directed, shot, and edited by Gregg Araki, Totally Fucked Up is the story about a group of six gay teens who deal with growing pains as well as relationships with each other. The first of a trilogy of films that explores teen angst in the 1990s that is known as the Teenage Apocalypse trilogy, the film is a continuation into Araki’s exploration into the world of gay culture but told through the eyes of teenagers. Starring James Duval, Roko Belic, Susan Beshid, Jenee Gil, Gilbert Luna, Lance May, Craig Gilmore, and Alan Boyce. Totally Fucked Up is a somber yet engaging film from Gregg Araki.
Told in 15 segments and an epilogue in a fragmented yet straightforward narrative style, the film revolves around the lives of four gay men and a lesbian couple wandering around aimlessly in Los Angeles as they’re being filmed by one of their friends who aspires to be a filmmaker. All of which has them going to clubs and other places around the city as they deal with not just the uncertainty of what will happen. Especially as they deal with loneliness and trying to be accepted for who they are as the six become a dysfunctional yet tight-knit family. Gregg Araki’s screenplay doesn’t play into conventional narrative where it focuses mostly on these six characters dealing with day-to-day situations where Steven (Gilbert Luna) is trying to document everything as he’s in a relationship with Deric (Lance May).
While Michele (Susan Beshid) and Patricia (Jenee Gil) are in more stable relationship and Tommy (Roko Belcic) trying to find himself. It is Andy (James Duval) who has an arc as he copes with being lonely as he tries to find love. While Andy would turn to friends for help despite his moody behavior, they would also have to deal with things in their life as the script shows the family sort of splintering apart. The script also plays into the world they delve into as it represents the sense of alienation and bigotry they deal with as well as that they’re still with the specter of AIDS though no one in the group has it yet and they’re trying not to.
Araki’s direction is quite stylish for its mixture of shooting everything on film and on a video camcorder to play into Steven’s own documentary about himself and his friends. With the usage of hand-held camcorders to play up the idea of a homemade documentary, Araki also has Los Angeles be a character as this world that is changing but also still alien to its characters who don’t feel comfortable in malls or anything that is mainstream. Instead, Araki shoots in very different locations in Los Angeles that makes it feel sort of relatable to how teenagers would feel in a world that is quite alienating. Araki’s usage of close-ups and medium shots along with the way he frames some of his actors into a shot does show that sense of loneliness and uncertainty.
While the fragmented approach to the narrative does make the film’s pacing a bit sluggish, Araki still manages to create moments that are engaging as it plays to the growing pains the character go through. Serving as the film’s cinematographer/editor, Araki would create a unique look that is quite colorful and playful to its look as well as in some of the way scenes are shot at night. In the editing, Araki uses a lot of jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to play into the fragmented tone but also use some stylish inter-title cards that is displayed on a television to play into the state of the world these characters are in. Even as it says some of the things they’re thinking of as it does relate to some of the tension over gay and lesbian culture/lifestyle that was happening in the early 90s. A world that was becoming slow to accept gay/lesbian lifestyle where these young kids struggle to define themselves in a growing new world. Overall, Araki crafts a stylish yet ravishing film about teens dealing with themselves and their sexuality in Los Angeles.
Sound designer Alberto Garcia does superb work with much of the film’s post-production sound to create textures and sound collages for the things the characters see or hear on TV. The film’s incredible soundtrack features an array of music ranging from industrial, shoegaze, and dream-pop from acts like This Mortal Coil, Ministry, Ride, My Life with the Thrill Kill Cult, 16 Volt, Unrest, Red House Painters, His Name is Alive, the Wolfgang Press, Recliner, Coil, the Pale Saints, the Jesus & Mary Chain, Numb, and Babyland.
The film’s phenomenal cast include a couple of notable small roles from Craig Gilmore as a guy that Steven meets and Craig Boyce as a college student that Andy falls for. Jenee Gil and Susan Beshid are fantastic in their respective roles Michele and Patricia as the lesbian couple who are definitely the most mature individuals of the group as they often can get their shit together while offering some of the guys advice. Roko Belic is terrific as Tommy as the youngest of the group who still is trying to find himself as he would get a bigger role in the third act as he is someone looking for a home.
Lance May is brilliant as Deric as Steven’s lover who knows a lot about the gay lifestyle but begins to feel detached from Steven. Gilbert Luna is excellent as Steven as an aspiring filmmaker who is trying to document everything around him while wondering if he’s a good person despite some of the bad things he does. Finally, there’s James Duval in an amazing performance as Andy as a brooding teenager who deals with ever-increasing loneliness as he tries to find love and happiness while lamenting over the world around him.
Totally Fucked Up is an excellent film from Gregg Araki. While it is quite flawed in terms of its pacing, the film does manage to create a look into the life of gay/lesbian teenagers dealing with loneliness in a modern world. In the end, Totally Fucked Up is an awesome film from Gregg Araki.
Gregg Araki Films: (Three Bewildered People in the Night) - (The Long Weekend (O’ Despair)) - The Living End - The Doom Generation - Nowhere - (Splendor) - (This is How the World Ends (TV pilot) - Mysterioius Skin - Smiley Face - Kaboom! - (White Bird in a Blizzard)
© thevoid99 2016
Written, directed and starring Chantal Akerman, Je Tu Il Elle (I You He She) is the story of a woman who goes on a road trip where she endures love affairs during her journey. The film is a study of loneliness and longing for love where a woman goes into her own journey of self-discovery through unconventional means. Also starring Niels Arestrup and Claire Wauthion. Je Tu Il Elle is an intoxicating yet rapturous film from Chantal Akerman.
The film is a study of loneliness and a woman finding herself as it is told in a minimalist fashion. All of which told in three different sequences where this woman named Julie (Chantal Akerman) deals with loneliness as the first act is about Julie in her apartment writing a letter and such. The second act takes place on the road where she meets this truck driver (Niels Arestrup) and the third is where she meets a former lover (Claire Wauthion). All of which plays into this woman trying to find herself as it is told with very little dialogue as it largely features a lot of voiceover narration from Julie’s perspective in the first act with very little said in the second and third.
Akerman’s direction definitely plays a lot to the film’s minimalist presentation as it isn’t about any striking compositions but rather the simplicity of it where much of the scenes shot in the apartment appears in a static shot where the camera would remain still as well as show the apartment from one side to another without the need to move it. The simplicity of the presentation where Akerman goes for mostly medium and wide shots in the apartment sequence as well as in the third act are very entrancing while she goes for a close-up for the scenes with the truck driver in his truck during a monologue. Shot in grainy 16mm black-and-white film, Akerman would create something that feels real but also not dwell too much into style. Yet, she would create something that plays into what Julie wants as it also says a lot about Akerman’s view on sex and sexual identity. Overall, Akerman creates a provocative yet mesmerizing film about a lonely woman’s journey of self-discovery.
Cinematographer Benedicte Delesalle does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography from the usage of shadows and light for scenes set at night in the interior scenes to the grainy look for the scenes inside the truck. Editor Luc Freche does nice work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with very little cuts in favor of long-takes with the only usage of style is in the fade-outs to structure the story. The film’s sound by Samy Szlingerbaum and Alain Pierre is fantastic for not just how natural it is but also in the editing of Julie’s narration. The performances of Claire Wauthion and Niels Arestrup in their respective roles as Julie’s girlfriend and the truck driver who each provide a sense of charm that would fascinate Julie. Chantal Akerman is amazing as Julie as a young woman dealing with loneliness and her surroundings as she befriends this truck driver and later meet a girlfriend where she copes with the journey her life has taken.
As part of the 2010 Eclipse box set series of Chantal Akerman’s work in the 1970s from the Criterion Collection, the film is presented in a 1:33:1 full-frame aspect ratio with Dolby Digital mono as the set features an essay written by film essayist Michael Koresky entitled Je Tu Il Elle: Form Follows Dysfunction. The essay discusses many of the themes in the film as well as the ideas Akerman would later hone into the films she would make in the coming years. Especially in its portrayal of women as well as their journey to find themselves in a modern world. Even in the journey that Julie would take in the people she meets as it play into who she is and what she realizes about herself as it’s a very compelling essay.
Je Tu Il Elle is a phenomenal film from Chantal Akerman. It’s a film that explores a woman’s isolation as well as yearning to connect while trying to find herself. Even as it doesn’t display any kind of cinematic conventions nor refusing to delve into elements of style. In the end, Je Tu Il Elle is an incredible film from Chantal Akerman.
Chantal Akerman Films: La Chambre - Hotel Monterey - Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce 1080 Bruxelles - News from Home - Les Rendez-vous d'Anna - (American Stories, Food, Family and Philosophy) - (Night and Day (1991 film)) - (A Couch in New York) - (La Captive) - (Tomorrow We Move) - (Almayer’s Folly) - (No Home Movie)
© thevoid99 2016
