Written and directed by David O. Russell, Flirting with Disaster is the story of a man who goes on a road trip with his wife and newborn baby to find his biological parents with the help of an adoption agency employee as others join in on the search. The film is an offbeat comedy that plays into a man’s need to find his real parents as he copes with idea of parenthood as well as his own marriage as he becomes attracted towards the adoption agency employee. Starring Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette, Tea Leoni, Josh Brolin, Richard Jenkins, Mary Tyler Moore, George Segal, Glenn Fitzgerald, Alan Alda, and Lily Tomlin. Flirting with Disaster is a witty and whimsical film from David O. Russell.
The film is the simple story of a neurotic man whose inability to name his newborn child forces him to try and find his biological parents to find out who he is as he is aided by an adopted agency employee whom he becomes attracted to. It plays into a man in his search for his own identity and roots where he is joined by his wife on a trip to find his real parents but bad information and incompetence lead to several setbacks with others joining this man’s adventure to find his real parents. David O. Russell’s screenplay has a unique narrative structure as it follows the journey of Mel Coplin (Ben Stiller) who is given news that the identity of his biological mother has been found. Mel’s wife Nancy (Patricia Arquette) joins Mel out of support as she takes their newborn baby with them despite the protests of Mel’s adoptive parents in Ed and Pearl Coplin (George Segal and Mary Tyler Moore, respectively) who feel unhappy by the news. Joining them is the adoptive agency employee Tina (Tea Leoni) who wants to record the event as she and Mel become attracted to each other.
Russell’s direction does have elements of style in the way he captures the journey of a neurotic man as it is shot on various locations in New York City as well as parts of San Diego, Arizona, and a couple of places in Michigan such as Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. While there are moments where Russell would use wide shots for some of the locations and scenes that play into the characters inside a home which includes a key moment in the first act that has Mel meeting a woman who could be his mother. Much of Russell’s compositions would rely on medium shots and close-ups in the way characters interact including scenes that include Nancy’s old high school friend Tony Kent (Josh Brolin) who is an ATF agent with a partner both at work and in life in Paul Harmon (Richard Jenkins) as they both join the trip during its second half.
The film’s third act doesn’t just play into absurd humor but also in light drama as it relates to the tension that is looming in Mel and Nancy’s marriage with the former being attracted to Tina and the latter being nurtured by Tony. It also play into the eventual meeting of another prospect of who could be Mel’s real parents in Richard and Mary Schlichting (Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin, respectively) who also have a younger son in Lonnie (Glenn Fitzgerald) who is angry about the idea of having an older brother. The meeting would be a mixture of humor and chaos as well as an aftermath that would later involve all sorts of shenanigans and drama that is happening. Overall, Russell creates a witty yet exhilarating film about a man trying to find his identity in his search for his biological parents with others joining him in a chaotic journey.
Cinematographer Eric Alan Edwards does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward to play into the different looks of the location including the scenes in Michigan with its snow and the sunnier look of New Mexico in the daytime. Editor Christopher Tellefsen does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts to play into the humor. Production designer Kevin Thompson, with art director Judy Rhee plus set decorators Susan Block and Ford Wheeler, does fantastic work with the look of the different homes that Mel and his entourage encounter from the home of a woman in San Diego with her glass figurines to the stylish home and art work of the couple he meets in New Mexico.
Costume designer Ellen Lutter does nice work with the costumes as it play into the personality of the characters from the casual look of Mel and Nancy to the sexy, business-like look of Tina and the more hippie look of the Schlichtings. Sound designer Wendy Hedin does terrific work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the different locations in the film. The film’s music by Stephen Endelman does wonderful work with the sound as it is largely low-key in its folk music presentation while music supervisor Bonnie Greenberg provides a fun soundtrack that mixes rock, pop, country, and alternative music from acts like Southern Culture on the Skids, Cake, Urge Overkill, Dr. John with Angela McCluskey, Dean Martin, Inch, Carl Perkins, and the Grateful Dead.
The casting by Risa Bramon Garcia and Ellen Parks is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Cynthia LaMontagne and Beth Stern as twin women who are the daughters of a woman in San Diego, David Patrick Kelly as a trucker in Michigan who might be Mel’s father, Celia Weston as Valerie Swaney as the woman from San Diego who might be Mel’s mother, and Glenn Fitzgerald as Lonnie Schlichting as a young man who might be Mel’s brother who doesn’t like Mel at all as he’s overly rude and jealous towards him. Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin are fantastic in their respective roles as Richard and Mary Schlichting as a couple from New Mexico who might be Mel’s biological parents as they’re hippie artists that are fascinated by Mel while being those who prefer to live a life of isolation away from the conventions of society. Richard Jenkins and Josh Brolin are superb in their respective roles as the ATF agents Paul Harmon and Tony Kent as a gay couple who join Mel and his entourage in the journey with Jenkins as the more reluctant of the duo as he would later have a bad encounter with drugs while Brolin is more carefree as he tries to renew his friendship with Nancy in odd ways.
Mary Tyler Moore and George Segal are excellent in their respective roles as Mel’s adoptive parents in Pearl and Ed Coplin with Moore being very funny in dealing with her son’s neuroses and wear some skimpy yet sexy underwear while Segal is more low-key as someone who is just as neurotic as Mel. Tea Leoni is brilliant as Tina Kalb as a recently-divorced adoption agency employee who wants to document Mel’s reunion with his biological parents as she becomes attracted to Mel only to realize that she’s hiding her own issues as it relates to her incompetence and failure in life. Patricia Arquette is amazing as Nancy Coplin as Mel’s wife who joins him on the journey as she finds herself neglected forcing her to turn to Tony for attention with weird results. Finally, there’s Ben Stiller in a remarkable performance as Mel Coplin as a man who is eager to find out who his parents are as it play into his anxiety over who he is and his inability to name his newborn son that would also prompt him to be attractive towards Tina that would become chaotic as it’s a witty performance from Stiller.
Flirting with Disaster is an incredible film from David O. Russell. Featuring a great cast, an offbeat yet funny premise, and its study of identity and anxiety. It’s a film that play into some of ideas of a man’s journey that would devolve into chaos as well as revelations about himself. In the end, Flirting with Disaster is a sensational film from David O. Russell.
David O. Russell Films: Spanking the Monkey – Three Kings - I Heart Huckabees – The Fighter - Silver Linings Playbook - American Hustle - Accidental Love - Joy (2015 film) - The Auteurs #70: David O. Russell
© thevoid99 2018
Written and directed by Denis Villeneuve, Maelstrom is the story of a troubled woman who embarks on an affair with a young man whose father she accidentally killed in a hit-and-run. The film is a mixture of fantasy, comedy, and tragedy as it plays into a woman’s descent as he story is told by a fish that is voiced by Pierre Lebeau. Starring Marie-Josee Croze, Jean-Nicolas Verrault, and Stephanie Morgenstern. Maelstrom is an eerie yet ravishing film from Denis Villeneuve.
The film follows a troubled woman whose encounter with an old man she accidentally hit with his car that eventually lead to his death has her dealing with guilt where she would meet the man’s son whom she falls for. That is pretty much the entire premise of the film as it’s told by this mysterious fish that is being gutted and cut into pieces as it relates to this woman’s encounters with fishes throughout the course of the film including the man she would accidentally hit with her car. Denis Villeneuve’s screenplay does take a back-and-forth narrative in terms of the story that this fish is telling yet it is still straightforward in the way it follows the life of Bibiane Champagne (Marie-Josee Croze) who is the daughter of a famous figure as she runs three boutique shops.
Yet, Bibiane is dealing with an abortion she had as well as her own personal issues with substance abuse where a night-out would lead to this tragic encounter with a fishmonger who would die hours later in his home. The man’s son Evian (Jean-Nicolas Verrault) would arrive in the film’s third act to hear the news as his part in the narrative play into Bibiane’s chance to make amends but also deal with emotional tailspin she’s in.
Villeneuve’s direction is definitely odd in the way it opens as it would often include recurring images of wavy waters as well as fish. Shot largely on location in Montreal, Villeneuve plays into a world where this young woman is definitely lost as she spends much of her time going to clubs, drinking, and coping with the abortion she had as it play into her lack of direction. While Villeneuve would use some wide shots for some of the film’s location setting as well as in some key dramatic moments in the film. Much of his direction emphasizes on close-ups and medium shots as it play into Bibiane’s own despair along with her encounter with death and disappointment. Villeneuve’s usage of fish in the film also play into Bibiane’s world as there’s a scene where she and her friend Claire (Stephanie Morgenstern) are eating octopus where it doesn’t taste good as it would have some relevance to the film’s plot.
Villeneuve’s direction is also filled with these images that play into the idea of connection and faith where Bibiane and Evian would both have different encounters with a mysterious man (Marc Gelinas) whom they talk to as it play into the idea of fates and directions. Even as the fish that is narrating the film would talk about the decisions the characters would make as it also play into the way they see the world including the life of Bibiane. The scenes that involve the fish and the fishmonger (John Dunn-Hill) are presented in simple compositions yet it is one of these abstract moments in the film as it does play into what is happening in the main narrative. Overall, Villeneuve creates a riveting yet intoxicating film about a woman coping with loss and guilt.
Cinematographer Andre Turpin does brilliant work with the film’s slightly-tinted cinematography with its usage of heightened colors to play into the exteriors and interiors of the film as it help add a unique and grimy look that play into Bibiane’s view of the world. Editor Richard Comeau does excellent work with the editing as it does have some nice usage of jump-cuts and fade-outs as it help play into some of the intense dramatic moments in the film. Production designer Sylvain Gingras and set decorator Ginette Pare do fantastic work with the look of the boutique shops that Bibiane runs as well as her apartment and the place where the fishmonger is cutting up the fish. Costume designer Denis Sperdouklis does nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual to play into the personalities of the characters.
Special effects supervisor Louis Craig does terrific work with the animatronics for the way the fish talks during the scenes of narration as the fish is being gutted and cut-up for those small scenes. Sound editor Guy Pelletier does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of some of the film’s locations as well as the sounds of water that is prevalent throughout the film. The film’s music by Pierre Desrochers is wonderful for its low-key piano-based orchestral score that play into the drama as it appears in small moments while the soundtrack is offbeat for its usage of music by Charles Aznavour, Tom Waits, and a song from the musical Hair.
The casting by Lucie Robitaille is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Bobby Beshro as Bibiane’s older brother Philippe who runs the family business, Marc Gelinas as the stranger that Bibiane meets at a subway, John Dunn-Hill as the fishmonger, Kliment Denchev as Evian’s father Annstein Karlsen, and Pierre Lebeau in a superb role as the voice of the fish who narrates the film. Stephanie Morgenstern is fantastic as Bibiane’s best friend Claire who is trying to help Bibiane as she also tries to keep Bibiane away from drugs and alcohol. Jean-Nicolas Verrault is excellent as Evian as a diver who learns about his father’s death as he copes with not being able to perform his father’s final wishes while starting to be intrigued by Bibiane whom he would fall for. Finally, there’s Marie-Josee Croze in an incredible performance as Bibiane Champagne as a troubled woman who is dealing with the aftermath of an abortion and later killing a man accidentally with her car as it is this haunting and anguished performance that play into loss and guilt as it is a career-defining performance from Croze.
Maelstrom is a remarkable film from Denis Villeneuve that features a great leading performance from Marie-Josee Croze. Along with its offbeat premise, character study of grief and guilt, eerie visuals, and a strong supporting cast. The film is a strange yet intriguing film that plays into a woman’s guilt over her actions and lack of direction as it is told through ideas of surrealism. In the end, Maelstrom is an incredible film from Denis Villeneuve.
Denis Villeneuve Films: August 32nd on Earth - Polytechnique – Incendies - Prisoners (2013 film) - Enemy - Sicario - Arrival (2016 film) - Blade Runner 2049 - Dune-Part One (2021 film) - Dune-Part Two - (Dune: Messiah) - The Auteurs #68: Denis Villeneuve
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the autobiographical novel Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth, BlacKkKlansman is the real-life story about detective Ron Stallworth who manages to infiltrate a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan with the help of a white detective as its face. Directed by Spike Lee and screenplay by Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charles Wachtel, and Kevin Willmott, the film is a look into how an African-American detective in Colorado somehow infiltrated a local chapter of the white supremacist group and eventually be a head of one of its chapters with John David Washington starring in the role of Stallworth Also starring Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace, Corey Hawkins, Robert John Burke, Harry Belafonte, and Alec Baldwin as Dr. Kennebrew Beaureguard. BlacKkKlansman is a rapturous and witty film from Spike Lee.
Set in 1972, the film is about the real-life story of rookie cop Ron Stallworth who becomes the first African-American officer to work for the local precinct at Colorado Springs, Colorado where he would move up to intelligence where he finds himself making contact with a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. It’s a film that play into this man who would find himself be part of the notorious white supremacist group as he and another undercover officer in Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) would both play this man wanting to join the KKK in Stallworth’s name. The film’s screenplay does take a few dramatic liberties as the real-life events took place in 1979 yet given the context of the times and the struggle for black identity in the early 1970s. The script does play into this tension that is looming with Stallworth in the middle as a man who just wants to be a good cop and protect all kinds of people.
While he would encounter some racism from a fellow cop who likes to bust other African-Americans in Colorado Springs, Stallworth knows when to not say anything as he is given an opportunity to make a difference in the local precinct. While he knows when to keep his mouth shut, Stallworth would eventually get some serious work as an undercover officer where he first attends a student rally where civil rights leader Kwame Ture (Corey Hawkins) was speaking to see if Ture is planning something that could cause trouble. Stallworth would get his first serious assignment when he answers an ad from the Ku Klux Klan where he talks in a Caucasian accent as he would fool several leaders but knows that he needs a white face to get in. Zimmerman does it despite the fact that he’s Jewish as he takes Stallworth’s name as he would meet the local chapter’s leader Walter Breachway (Ryan Eggold) as well as the psychotic Felix Kendrickson (Jasper Paakkonen). Through their frequent contacts, Stallworth would eventually get to chat on the phone with KKK’s grand wizard in David Duke (Topher Grace).
Much of the film’s second and third act has Stallworth and Zimmerman play as the former to the meetings with the latter having to attend meetings and at shooting ranges as well as the ceremony during the film’s third act. The film does have elements of humor in some of the dialogue as the script doesn’t just play into this idea of how idiotic some of the people in the KKK are but also how it parallels with events that are happening in the 21st Century including this rhetoric of making America great again. It would play into a moment in the film as its climax involves Duke’s appearance at this event but also plans to disrupt an event nearby held by Colorado College’s black student union president Patrice Dumas (Laura Harrier) whom Stallworth is embarking on a relationship with.
Spike Lee’s direction is gripping for the way he plays up this idea of white power as it opens with a scene of Dr. Kennebrew Beaureguard making a scientific explanation about the dangers of racial integration while using images from films like Gone with the Wind and Birth of a Nation as examples as it would inspire these ideas of white supremacy with African-Americans, Jews, and other racial/ethnic groups as inferior. Shot on location in Ossining, New York as Colorado Springs with some exteriors shot at Colorado Springs, Colorado, the film does play into this small town that is like any other town in America but with this undercurrent of rampant racism that is emerging. Lee would use some wide shots for the locations but also create something that is also intimate with the medium shots and close-ups. Even in some striking compositions and stylistic shots in the way he play into people meeting with one another as well as some of the humor that is created in scenes that has Stallworth talking the KKK on the phone as if he wants to join.
Lee’s direction also play up into the idea of Blaxploitation as an idea of African-American identity as well as the fascination of African-American culture from a few of Stallworth’s colleagues including Zimmerman who is a big fan of Willie Mays. While the character of Dumas is someone who has legit reasons for her disdain for cops, she is forced to listen to reason from Stallworth as well as be aware that not all white cops are bad. Especially as someone like Zimmerman has to listen to anti-Semitic rhetoric from Kendrickson and take it though Zimmerman admits to not acting Jewish or practicing Judaism yet does feel the need to stand up to this idea of hate. The film’s climax is unique in the way Lee presents these two different meetings where one involves the KKK and the other meeting involving black students as there’s a great contrast to how they conduct themselves and such.
The film does have an epilogue as it relates to the KKK and how it’s managed to transform into something bigger and more dangerous where despite Stallworth’s effort to make fools out of them and reveal what they’re about. Little has changed with more now trying to stop this idea of hate and bigotry from a group of people who have nothing good to offer to the world. Overall, Lee creates an entertaining yet gripping film about an African-American police officer who would find his way into the Ku Klux Klan and discover the inner-workings of the hateful organization.
Cinematographer Chayse Irvin does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it emphasizes on low-key colors for many of the film’s interior and exterior settings with much of the former using some stylish lights to play into the look that is similar to 1970s cinema. Editor Barry Alexander Brown does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, dissolves, and some split-screen cuts to play into Stallworth’s conversation with Duke on the phone as it help create some comic effects into their conversations. Production designer Curt Beech, with set decorator Cathy T. Marshall and art director Marci Mudd, does amazing work with the look of the police building interiors as well as some of the local places including the home of Kendrickson with his collection of guns and stuff including a lie detector machine as well as the look of the hall where Duke has his ceremony. Costume designer Marci Rodgers does fantastic work with the period costumes that is set in the 70s from the stylish look of Dumas and other students as well as the more ragged look that some of the KKK members wear aside from the KKK robes.
Hair stylist Shaun Perkins, along with makeup artists Janine JP Parrella and Yasmina Smith-Tyson, does wonderful work with the hairstyles and look of the characters as it play into the world of the 1970s including the look of David Duke in the 1970s with his mustache. Visual effects supervisor Randall Balsmeyer does terrific work with the visual effects as it is appears on a few set pieces including in the montage of close-ups during Ture’s speech. Sound editor Philip Stockton does superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of some of the meetings and rallies as well as some of the intense moments at Kendrickson’s home and in the film’s climax in how the meetings are presented. The film’s music by Terence Blanchard is incredible for its usage of jazz and funk with elements of soul as it help play into the times as it also includes an orchestral piece that play into the drama while music supervisor Rochelle Claerbaut provides a soundtrack that features an array of diverse music from Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, the Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose, the Edwin Hawkins Singers, the Temptations, Looking Glass, and a traditional music piece performed by Prince.
The casting by Kim Coleman is great as it feature some notable small roles from Isiah Whitlock Jr. as an African-American official in Mr. Turrentine who works with the police to meet with Stallworth, Nicholas Turturro as a bomb maker named Walker, Frederick Weller as the racist cop Landers, Ashlie Atkinson as Kendrickson’s wife Connie who also hates African-Americans, Michael Buscemi as a cop in Jimmy Creek who helps out Stallworth and Zimmerman, Ken Garito as Sgt. Trapp whom Stallworth and Zimmerman report to as he gets a kick out of Stallworth’s conversations with Duke, and Robert John Burke as Chief Bridges as the Colorado Springs police chief who wants to ensure that Stallworth stays out of trouble as he wants to make sure things go well. The cameo appearances from Alec Baldwin and Harry Belafonte in their respective roles as Dr. Kennebrew Beaureguard and Jerome Turner are superb to play into some of the historical context in what is at stake as Baldwin’s performance is sort of played for laughs while Belafonte is more reserved in how he talks about what African-Americans endured after the Civil War with lynching being common in those days.
Ryan Eggold is terrific as Walter Breachway as the local chapter head of the KKK in Colorado Springs who would be the first to contact Stallworth unaware of his true identity as he’s a more level-headed person who wants nothing to go wrong. Paul Walter Hauser is fantastic as the dim-witted Ivanhoe as a KKK member who often says dumb things while always saying some unintentionally funny stuff. Jasper Paakkonen is excellent as Felix Kendrickson as a wildcard member of the KKK who is always suspicious of those who want to join the KKK as it’s a darkly comical performance that is full of energy and wit. Corey Hawkins is brilliant in his small role as civil rights activist Kwame Ture as a man who wants to help his community though he is aware of the police brutality that he and others are dealing with but also hoping to make some kind of change. Topher Grace is amazing as David Duke as the infamous Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan who is trying to make the organization look friendlier but also has this dark idea of what he wants America to be like.
Laura Harrier is marvelous as Patrice Dumas as a student union president for Colorado College as she is trying to get people together to rally against some of the oppression other students face while starting to become less political upon meeting Stallworth as she shows a more human side. Adam Driver is incredible as Flip Zimmerman as a Jewish cop who becomes Stallworth’s face in his infiltration of the KKK where he gets a closer look to what he sees as well as be disturbed by its idea of hate. Finally, there’s John David Washington in a phenomenal breakthrough performance as Ron Stallworth as an African-American rookie cop who finds an ad from the KKK and ends up infiltrating the KKK via phone as it’s a charismatic and grounded performance where he provides some humor but also an idea of what is at stake for himself and everyone who just wants to bring good to the world.
BlacKkKlansman is a tremendous film from Spike Lee that features great performances from John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, and Topher Grace. Along with its ensemble cast, stylish visuals, compelling script, and an incredible music score and soundtrack. It’s a film that captures a moment in time when an African-American would find himself in an organization that provides hate and fear in the hope he can put a stop to them even if it’s something small despite the fact that it would escalate into something far worse. Notably as it’s a film that showcases what hate can bring and how a man is willing to put a stop to it for the good of the world. In the end, BlacKkKlansman is a magnificent film from Spike Lee.
Related: Birth of a Nation
Spike Lee Films: (She’s Gotta Have It) – (School Daze) – Doing the Right Thing - Mo' Better Blues - Jungle Fever - (Malcolm X) – Crooklyn - (Clockers) – (Girl 6) – (Get on the Bus) – 4 Little Girls - (He Got Game) – Freak - Summer of Sam - (The Original Kings of Comedy) – (Bamboozled) – (A Huey P. Newton Story) – 25th Hour - (Jim Brown: All-American) – (She Hate Me) – (Inside Man) – (When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) – (Miracle at St. Anna) – (Kobe Doin’ Work) – (Passing Strange) – (If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise) – (Red Hook Summer) – Bad 25 - Mike Tyson: The Undisputed Truth - (Oldboy (2013 film)) – (Da Blood of Jesus) – (Chiraq) – Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall - Da 5 Bloods - (American Utopia)
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the book Boston Strong by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge, Patriots Day is the story about the 2013 bombing during the Boston Marathon and the subsequent manhunt to find the bombers. Directed by Peter Berg and screenplay by Berg, Matt Cook, and Josh Zetumer from a story by Berg, Cook, Eric Johnson, and Paul Tamasy, the film is a dramatic re-telling of the marathon bombing that killed three people and wounded several others as it would be followed by a manhunt on those that planned the bombing. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon, J.K. Simmons, John Goodman, and Michelle Monaghan. Patriots Day is a riveting and intense film from Peter Berg.
On April 15, 2013, the annual Boston Marathon was held as it is a big event that brings people from around the world as well as the people from the city to run a marathon with locals cheering for those at the marathon. Yet, it was a dark day in the city when two bombs were exploded that killed three people and injuring hundreds more with some losing limbs and such. The film is about the 100-plus hours that occurred before the marathon and the manhunt for the two men that committed the acts of terror in the city with multiple storylines happening as it relates to those involved in these events. The film’s screenplay by Peter Berg, Matt Cook, and Josh Zetumer largely follows Sgt. Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg) who is tasked with welcoming the racers at the finishing line to finish up his own suspension from the Boston Police Department.
Yet, he would be among those that would witness the bombing and go on the search to find the terrorists. The film does begin the day before the marathon as it relates to not just Sgt. Saunders trying to regain his trust with his superiors but also the lives of ordinary people who would be part of not just the marathon but also the manhunt including the two terrorists in Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (Alex Wolff) and his older brother Tamerlan (Themo Melikidze). The narrative would shift into the events of the day with a few subplots involving those who would have scary encounters with the Tsarnaev brothers though the script does a clunky job in introducing and establishing these small characters early in the film. Still, the script does play into the investigation led by Richard DesLauriers (Kevin Bacon) of the FBI in collaboration with Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis (John Goodman) as it uses surveillance footage and such to find the identity of the terrorists as well as take part in the eventual manhunt that would occur in the nearby town of Watertown.
Berg’s direction is engaging for the way he captures a period in time told in the span of nearly five days as it begins with Sgt. Saunders on assignment where he would hurt one of his knees while getting a visit from Commissioner Davis during the assignment. Shot on various locations in and around Boston, Massachusetts with the main locations in the small towns of Quincy and the warehouse interior at Peabody. Berg does maintain a sense of momentum into what is happening such as the scene of the Tsarnaev brothers planting their homemade bombs and how a few characters would be at that location that includes a baby who was close to the bomb site but fortunately wasn’t killed. Berg’s usage of close-ups and medium shots doesn’t just play into the action but also in moments of the investigation and the manhunt that occurs in the film’s third act. There are usage of wide shots of the locations including a shot of the city just after it is being shut down so that the police and FBI try to find the Tsarnaev brothers.
For a film that is driven by suspense and action, Berg would also shoot scenes that are character driven such as a moment of Sgt. Saunders talking with a superior during the manhunt as he talks about what he encountered at the bombing and loss but also the realization of what needs to be done. Berg would also use these smaller moments that would include bits of humor as it relates to Watertown’s Sgt. Jeffrey Pugliese (J.K. Simmons) at a shoot-out against the Tsarnaev brothers as it relates to the cigar he always smoke. It does help play into what is at stake as well as the fact that FBI and local officers work together to make things right as it all plays into the climatic showdown between them and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev who would hide at an unusual place which is often expected from cowards like him. Overall, Berg creates a mesmerizing and gripping thriller about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the manhunt for the two terrorists who committed the attacks.
Cinematographer Tobias A. Schliesser does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of natural lighting for the daytime scenes along with the usage of available and low-key lights for many of the interior/exterior scenes set at night. Editors Colby Parker Jr. and Gabriel Fleming do amazing work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts help play into the action and drama as well as some of the film’s suspenseful moments. Production designer Tom Duffield, along with set decorator Ronald R. Reiss and art director Steve Cooper, do fantastic work with the look of the home that the Tsarnaev brothers live in as well as the warehouse interior that is used as the crime scene for Commissioner Davis and DesLauriers would use. Costume designer Virginia Johnson does terrific work with the costumes as it is largely casual along with the look of the police uniforms and the clothes that Tsarnaev brothers wore that would make them identifiable.
Special makeup effects artist Julie LeShane does brilliant work with the scenes just after the bombing in the way some of the characters look in their injured and harmed state to play into the horror of what happened. Special effects supervisor Matt Kutcher and visual effects supervisors Sean Devereaux do wonderful work with the film’s visual from the bombing scene to some set-dressing in a few set pieces in the film. Sound designers Dror Mohar and Piero Mura do superb work with the sound in the way the explosions sound from afar as well as the sounds of gunfire in the manhunt scenes as well as other sparse moments in the locations and action as it is one of the film’s highlights. The film’s music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is incredible for its eerie approach to dark ambient with its usage of synthesizers and electronic instruments along with some percussions in the background to help play into the suspense and drama as it is a highlight of the film.
The casting by Sheila Jaffe and Angela Peri is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz as himself recreating his moment days after the bombing, Khandi Alexander as a no-nonsense interrogator asking Tamerlan’s wife questions, Melissa Benoist as Tamerlan’s wife Katherine Russell who gets interrogated, Christopher O’Shea and Rachel Brosnahan as the couple in their respective roles as Patrick Downes and Jessica Kensky who both were severely injured from one of the bombs, Jimmy O. Yang as Dun Meng who was carjacked by the Tsarnaev brothers and later escaped where he told Sgt. Saunders what happened to him, Vincent Curtola as Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino, Michael Beach as Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Jake Picking as MIT Officer Sean Collier who had an unfortunate encounter with the Tsarnaev brothers, Lana Candor as a MIT student Collier wanted to go out with, and James Colby as Boston Police Superintendent William Evans who aids in the manhunt as well as the investigation.
Alex Wolff and Themo Melikidze are superb in their respective roles as Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev as the two men who planted the bombs during the marathon with Wolff being reluctant at first only to get the thrill of killing and Melikidze as the more aggressive of the two. Michelle Monaghan is fantastic as Carol Saunders as Sgt. Saunders’ wife who is also a registered nurse as she was at the marathon but unharmed as she tries to help her husband get healed up physically and emotionally. J.K. Simmons is excellent as Sgt. Jeffrey Pugliese as an officer from Watertown who would be part of the shoot-out against the Tsarnaev brothers as he is a man of great skill that would help lead his fellow officers to battle as it’s a low-key yet badass performance from Simmons.
Kevin Bacon is brilliant as Special FBI Agent Richard DesLauriers as the man in charge of the investigation of the bombings as he turns to Commissioner Davis and Sgt. Saunders for help on the location of streets as well as making decisions of what information should go public. John Goodman is amazing as Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis as the head of police who is trying to maintain morale as well as getting everyone including his officers to see what they can find as it’s a low-key but memorable performance from Goodman. Finally, there’s Mark Wahlberg in a remarkable performance as Sgt. Tommy Saunders as a suspended police officer trying to back on the force as he deals with being near one of the bomb sites as he tries to help those in need as well as take part in the manhunt to find the Tsarnaev brothers as it’s a reserved and intense performance from Wahlberg as someone who is trying do what is right as well as ensure that he can make his home safer again.
Patriots Day is a marvelous film from Peter Berg. Featuring a great cast, an engaging script, rapturous visuals, and a haunting score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. It’s a film that play into a real-life event and showcase what some people are willing to do to bring justice back to a city that was rocked by terrorism. In the end, Patriots Day is a remarkable film from Peter Berg.
Related: (null 5)
Peter Berg Films: (Very Bad Things) – (The Rundown) – (Friday Night Lights) – (The Kingdom (2007 film)) – (Hancock) – (Virtuality) – (Battleship) – (Lone Survivor) – (Deepwater Horizon) – (Mile 22)
© thevoid99 2018
For the 32nd week of 2018 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks series hosted by Wanderer. This week’s subject is on the word siege in which characters are stuck in a place or a city as they can’t get out due to something happening beyond their control or are being forced to stay put by some bad guys. Here are my three picks:
1. This is the End
The Apocalypse has arrived in Hollywood with many celebrities being killed with a few survivors staying at James Franco’s home where there’s a lot of bad shit happening outside. That is pretty much the premise as the film feature exaggerated versions of Franco, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride as themselves where they deal with each other and get beaten up by Emma Watson in a brief cameo as she steals some of their belongings. Add some other stuff including a demon and celebrities being mean to each other and you get a solid and hilarious comedy.
2. Reservoir Dogs
Quentin Tarantino’s debut film is truly one of the best debut films ever made which is about a botched heist as much of the action takes place inside a warehouse where there’s a wounded robber nearing death and other survivors figuring out what to do. They’re hiding from the cops while one of the robbers knows the location of the diamonds they stole but there is also a wildcard in a robber who had caused a lot of trouble and had also kidnapped a cop believing that there’s a mole within the group. It’s a film that remains fresh and vital more than 25 years since its release.
3. Shaun of the Dead
From Edgar Wright comes one of the funniest films of the 21st Century so far as it revolves a zombie apocalypse where two friends try to survive with one of the guy’s mother, his ex-girlfriend, and other friends as they all hide out in a bar. Yet, there’s zombies trying to come in as they do whatever they can to survive as well as deal with the fact that there’s a jukebox that plays a song randomly for fuck’s sake. It is truly a fun film that mixes horror and comedy.
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the novel by Jose Giovanni, Le deuxieme soufflé is the story of an escaped criminal who chooses to embark on one final job while being pursued by a police inspector. Written for the screen and directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, the film is the study of a man trying to escape the world of crime only to be pulled back in as he is also aware that an inspector is looking for him. Starring Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Raymond Pellegrin, Christine Fabrega, and Pierre Zimmer. Le deuxieme soufflé is a riveting and evocative film from Jean-Pierre Melville.
The film follows a revered criminal who escapes prison as he hides from the authorities where he is given a job offer to steal platinum bars for a crime boss and in return can retire. That is pretty much the film’s plot as a whole yet there is so much that happens as it play into the ideas of loyalty and intrigue where this criminal is also being pursued by this police inspector who knows what the man is up to. Jean-Pierre Melville’s screenplay opens with Gustave “Gu” Minda (Lino Ventura) making his escape with two other men as he is given some money and a place to hide but also wants to see his sister Manouche (Christine Fabrega) and her loyal bodyguard Alban (Michel Constantin) who would help out though they’re aware that several people are trying to find Gu including the famed police inspector in Blot (Paul Meurisse).
The film’s script does play into this cat-and-mouse game that Blot and Gu are playing with the former trying to figure out what Gu is doing with the latter accepting this job from the crime boss Paul Ricci (Raymond Pellegrin) with three other men to steal a shipment of platinum bars. Yet, Melville is aware that everything leads up to this heist in the middle of the film but it’s the aftermath that is more interesting. Notably into the idea of loyalty and honor which is something Gu holds dearly as he and the team of men in the heist already have plans to split the take five-ways but something goes wrong early in the third act when Gu is suddenly arrested by another police inspector in Fardiano (Paul Frankeur) who would trick Gu into unveiling information. For Blot, he sees Fardiano’s methods as inhumane leading to more trouble with Gu becoming a big target for all involved.
Melville’s direction is definitely rapturous in the way he creates this world of the French criminal underworld as it is shot partially in Paris and Marseilles with many of the interiors shot in a studio set in Paris. Yet, it opens with this escape scene where Gu and two men look out for guards as they climb over the walls and later ride a train. Melville’s usage of wide shots play into the location including the film’s big heist scene at the mountain roads. The attention to detail that Melville puts in where the characters are at and where to be positioned for the heist show that idea of professionalism of what it takes for a heist to succeed. It’s among the big sequences that Melville has made in a film that is largely intimate in the way characters deal or interact with each other in the usage of close-ups and medium shots. Particularly in the cramped and small apartment that Gu lives in where he would have a dinner with Manouche and hide out there hoping to go to Italy. There are also these entrancing images at the nightclub that the Ricci brothers own that often feature these gorgeous dancers as it play into this world that the Ricci brothers are trying to run and maintain.
Much of the film’s first act has Melville maintain that intimacy and exploration into the criminal underworld as well as establishing Gu’s reputation within the underworld which is why Paul Ricci wants him for the job. When the film reaches its third act, it’s not just about the code of the criminal that gets broken but also the impact of that code being broken. Especially as Gu is someone who doesn’t like to inform on anyone and it is that reputation that is dear to him where he starts to fall apart once he’s being tricked. These moments in the third act where it is clear that something is off prompts one of Gu’s associates in Orloff (Pierre Zimmer) to figure out what to do to prove Gu’s innocence but is also tasked to do something else in case Gu is really guilty. All of which play into this idea of loyalty and honor in the world of crime with Blot trying to pursue Gu and bring him to justice. Overall, Melville crafts an intense yet ravishing film about an escaped criminal doing one final job only for things to go wrong in its aftermath.
Cinematographer Marcel Combes does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography with the usage of low-key lights for many of the interior/exterior scenes set at night along with some vibrant natural lighting for some exterior scenes in the daytime. Editors Monique Bonnot and Michele Boehm do amazing work in the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, transition wipes, and fade-outs to help structure the story and play into the suspense. Production designer Jean-Jacques Fabre and set decorator Guy Maguin do excellent work with the look of Gu’s small apartment as well as the club that the Riccis run and the interiors of Manouche’s boathouse.
Costume designer Michel Tellin does fantastic work with the look of the suits the men wear as it does play into the style of film noir and gangster films as well as the lavish dresses that Manouche wears. Sound mixer Alex Pront does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations with some heightened sounds in the mixing for some places along with the film’s big heist sequence. The film’s music by Bernard Gerard is incredible for its jazz-based score that play into the liveliness of the film as well as the underworld and in some intense moments in the film.
The film’s wonderful cast include some notable small roles from Pierre Grasset and Denis Manuel as a couple of criminals who took part in the heist as they later want to kill Gu for breaking the code, Michel Constantin as Manouche’s bodyguard Alban who is also a former marksman, Marcel Bozzuffi as Paul’s brother Jo who wants Gu dead, and Paul Frankeur in a terrific performance as the corrupt police inspector Fardiano who would use dirty tactics to capture Gu. Pierre Zimmer is superb as Gu’s friend Orloff as a man who acts as a middle-man for Gu and Paul Ricci as he is a no-nonsense man that makes sure things go well while he becomes suspicious of Jo’s intentions later in the film. Christine Fabrega is excellent as Gu’s sister Manouche as a woman who has money and is willing to help out her brother while trying to evade questions from Blot. Raymond Pellegrin is fantastic as Paul Ricci as a crime boss who wants Gu to do a heist for him as he is also willing to give Gu the chance to leave the life of crime until things go wrong in the aftermath.
Paul Meurisse is incredible as Inspector Blot as a no-nonsense police inspector who is eager to capture Gu while wanting to ensure that Gu is brought to justice without any harm as he’s a man that also plays by a code and honor as he knows that some in the police can’t be relied on. Finally, there’s Lino Ventura in a phenomenal performance as Gusatve “Gu” Minda as this criminal who lives by a code of honor among thieves where he does his job and keeps his mouth shut where he would escape and get a chance to do a final job. It’s a performance that has Ventura be cool and not show much emotion except in the third act when he’s being accused of being a rat which pisses him off big time as it is a must-see performance from Ventura.
Le deuxieme soufflé is a tremendous film from Jean-Pierre Melville that include great performances from Lino Ventura and Paul Meurisse. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, playful score, and themes of honor and ideals in the world of crime. It’s a film that play into men planning a heist only for things to go wrong in its aftermath as it showcases not just the fallacies of loyalty but also in the fact that there’s no one to trust in the world of crime. In the end, Le deuxieme soufflé is a spectacular film from Jean-Pierre Melville.
Jean-Pierre Melville: 24 Hours in the Life of a Clown – Le silence de la mer - Les enfants terribles - (Quand tu liras cette letter) - Bob le flambeur - (Two Men in Manhattan) – (Leon Morin, Priest) – (Le Doulos) – Magnet of Doom – Le Samourai - Army of Shadows – Le cercle rouge - (Un flic)
© thevoid99 2018
Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard, Le Petit Soldat (The Little Soldier) is the story of a young man who is being asked by French intelligence to kill an official who is believed to be a double agent where he ends up falling for a young woman who is supposedly working for the opposition. Set during the Algerian War, the film is an exploration of a man trying to not get involved only to be caught in the middle of an uneasy conflict. Starring Michel Subor, Anna Karina, and Henri-Jacques Huet. Le Petit Soldat is a riveting and chilling film from Jean-Luc Godard.
The film revolves around a young man who is a spy living in Geneva, Switzerland as he is asked by French intelligence to kill a man who is suspected to be a double agent working for the National Liberation Front of Algeria (FLN). Along the way, he meets a young woman who is supposedly working for the FLN as he falls for her which would complicate his mission. Jean-Luc Godard’s screenplay uses a simple premise to play into a man being caught in the middle of this conflict as the French spy Bruno Forestier (Michel Subor) as he remains wanted in France for refusing to enlist in the French army during the Algerian War where much of the film is told from his perspective as he would narrate everything he endures. He works in Geneva as a journalist as his cover yet French intelligence officials want him to kill a man and not get enlisted but things get complicated when he meets Veronica Dreyer (Anna Karina) whom he falls for though he is unsure if she’s affiliated with the FLN.
Godard’s direction does have elements of style in his approach to long takes and intimate shots as well as shooting scenes on actual locations as it is shot on location in Geneva and other parts of Switzerland. While Godard would shoot some wide shots of Geneva and various locations, much of his approach is focused on the action involving Bruno and the French intelligence officials he’s working for in scenes inside a car or at a room. The scenes involving Veronica are playful but also have some commentary about the fallacies of alliance such as a scene late in the third act where Bruno has this monologue about why he refuses to take part in either side as it relates to Veronica’s own supposed affiliation with FLN. The usage of hand-held cameras for these intimate moments including scenes where Bruno is being tortured by the FLN showcase the brutality of this conflict that is happening in Switzerland between two factions. Especially in how one side would react to another leading to this chaotic element that Bruno wants out of and with Veronica with him so they can live a life without conflict. Overall, Godard crafts a gripping and compelling film about a spy caught in the middle of a conflict where he’s asked to assassinate the opposition.
Cinematographer Raoul Coutard does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography with the way many of the exterior scenes at night look as well as the usage of low-key lights for the torture scenes. Editors Agnes Guillemot, Lila Herman, and Nadine Trintignant do excellent work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts to play into the action as well as creating cuts that help impact the suspense. The sound work of Jacques Maumont is superb for its natural approach to sound in the way gunfire or the atmosphere of a certain location is presented. The film’s music by Maurice Leroux is terrific as it is low key in its piano concerto presentation with some pieces by classical artists that is played on location.
The film’s wonderful ensemble cast include a few notable small roles from Godard as a man at the railway station, Laszlo Szabo as a friend of Bruno, Paul Beauvais as an intelligent officer working for the French, and Henri-Jacques Huet as the lead intelligence officer who orders Bruno to perform an assassination on this supposed double-agent. Michel Subor is fantastic as Bruno Forestier as a young spy that is tasked with an assassination assignment as he copes with what he has to do as well as the stakes prompting him to realize what it is all about as it’s an understated yet captivating performance. Finally, there’s Anna Karina in an amazing performance as Veronica Dreyer as it’s a lively and charming performance from Karina as a young woman whose loyalties and associations come into question as she also deals with the role she’s playing in this conflict as it is a joyful performance in her first of several collaborations with Godard.
Le Petit Soldat is an incredible film from Jean-Luc Godard that features brilliant performances from Michel Subor and Anna Karina. Along with its dazzling visuals and study of individuals caught up in a chaotic conflict, it’s a film that showcases some of the fallacies of war as well as two different people who want to live a life outside of conflict. In the end, Le Petit Soldat is a remarkable film from Jean-Luc Godard.
Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys are Called Patrick - Charlotte et son Jules - A Bout de Souffle - A Woman is a Woman - Vivre Sa Vie - Les Carabiniers - Contempt - Bande a Part - A Married Woman - Alphaville - Pierrot Le Fou - Masculin Feminin - Made in U.S.A. - Two or Three Things I Know About Her - La Chinoise - Weekend – Sympathy for the Devil (One Plus One) - (Joy of Learning) - (British Sounds) - Tout va Bien - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - Hail, Mary - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear (1987 film)) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) - (JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) - For Ever Mozart - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) – (The Image Book)
© thevoid99 2018
Written and directed by Denis Villeneuve, Un 32 aout sur terre (August 32nd on Earth) is the story of a model who deals with an existential crisis following an accident as she turns to her best friend in conceiving a child. The film is a road drama of sorts where a woman and her best friend travel following a life-changing event in the hope they can find meaning in their lives. Starring Pascale Bussieres and Alexis Martin. Un 32 aout sur terre is an entrancing and offbeat film from Denis Villeneuve.
Set largely in the span of a few days in the life of a model and her best friend, the film revolves around this woman whose near encounter with death forces her to question her life as she decides to become a mother as she turns to her best friend. It is a film with a simple premise that doesn’t have much plot but it does involve a lot of motivation for two characters whose lives are going nowhere as they would embark on a journey to Salt Lake City from Quebec to find some meaning in their lives. Denis Villeneuve’s screenplay doesn’t have much of a plot as it is more about this woman in Simone Prevost (Pascale Bussieres) who had fallen asleep while driving her car as she had no idea what happened other than having a near-death experience. The experience would drive Simone to make a change as she calls her best friend Philippe (Alexis Martin) who is already in a relationship yet is in love with Simone. He agrees to help her but asks if they can conceive the child in a desert prompting them to go to Salt Lake City. It is there that a lot of questions are raised about their relationship and where will it go.
Villeneuve’s direction is definitely mesmerizing for the way he presents a young woman’s world coming into question as she tries to figure out what to do next with her life following a near-fatal car accident. Shot on location in areas near and in Montreal as well as scenes at the Salt Lake City airport and the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Villeneuve creates a film that does take great usage of the locations as much of the film is shot on these locations with little need for sets as it include this futuristic room made by the Japanese at the Salt Lake City airport as it’s one of the film’s intimate moments that also has bits of comedy. Yet, Villeneuve would maintain an air of intrigue for the scenes at the Salt Flats with the usage of wide shots as well as some precise compositions in those wide shots.
Even as there are scenes in Montreal that has Villeneuve use and medium shots for some of the exteriors as well as some interiors where Villeneuve play into Simone’s relationship with Philippe as two people who are both at crucial periods in their lives though Philippe is the one with a more certain future. Particularly in the third act that is set in Montreal as it is more about Philippe than Simone as the former doesn’t just deal with his own feelings for the latter but also some of the baggage he has in his own personal life and the sacrifice he wants to make for Simone and whatever future she could have. Overall, Villeneuve creates an evocative and haunting film about a woman’s near-death experience and her desire to find meaning in her life with her best friend.
Cinematographer Andre Turpin does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward for some of the exteriors including scenes at night while maintaining something colorful and beautiful for many of the daytime exterior scenes in areas near Montreal as well as at the Salt Mines. Editor Sophie Leblond does amazing work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts, montages, and such to play into the drama as well as some of the more chilling moments in the film. Sound designer Martin Pinsonnault and sound editor Marcel Pothier do excellent work with the sound as it emphasizes on natural sounds and atmosphere to help play up the drama for the locations the characters are in. The film’s music soundtrack consists of music pieces by Nathalie Boileau, Robert Charlebois, Pierre Desrochers, and Jean Leloup that play into some of the drama or the humorous moments in the film.
The film’s wonderful ensemble cast include some notable small roles from Ivan Smith and Paule Baillargeon as a couple of doctors that Simone would meet in the film, Evelyne Rompre as Philippe’s girlfriend Juliette, Joanne Cote as Simone’s boss Monica, and Lee C. Fobert as a cab driver in Salt Lake City who drives them to the salt mines. Alexis Martin is fantastic as Philippe as a man that is about to embark a career as a doctor where he decides to help Simone with her plan while dealing with the fact that he’s in love with her. Finally, there’s Pascale Bussieres in an incredible performance as Simone Prevost as a model who had survived a car accident as she deals with the near-death experience forcing her to find meaning in her life as it’s a low-key yet effective performance from Bussieres.
Un 32 aout sur terre is a sensational film from Denis Villeneuve that features great performances from Pascale Bussieres and Alexis Martin. Along with its intoxicating visuals, simple premise, and minimalist approach to filmmaking, it is a truly a fascinating and rapturous feature-length debut film from Villeneuve who play into the existential crises of two friends who are in love with each other. In the end, Un 32 aout sur terre is an incredible film from Denis Villeneuve.
Denis Villeneuve Films: Maelstrom – Polytechnique – Incendies - Prisoners (2013 film) - Enemy - Sicario - Arrival (2016 film) - Blade Runner 2049 - Dune-Part One (2021 film) - Dune-Part Two - (Dune: Messiah) - The Auteurs #68: Denis Villeneuve
© thevoid99 2018
For the 31st week of 2018 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks series hosted by Wanderer. We focus on the idea of people switching bodies whether it’s through some kind of strange surgery or something magical as it’s often fodder for comedy or something even more fucked up. Here are my three picks:
1. Freaky Friday
A film that is now about to unleash a third remake for the Disney Channel is about to arrive yet it is clear that the upcoming film as well as the very popular 2003 film and a 1995 TV film version don’t compare to the 1976 original. Starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris is this offbeat comedy where a teenage girl and her mother say the exact words “I wish I could switch places with her for just one day” suddenly causes problems. What happens is this strange yet exhilarating comedy that is full of charm as well as provide both Foster and Harris the chance to do so much as well as play into the fears of being an adult and teenager.
2. Vice Versa
What happens when a workaholic yuppie dad touches a magical skull with his son and they suddenly switch bodies? That is pretty much the premise of the film that stars Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage as it is part of a wave of body-switching comedies that was around in the 1980s yet this is the best of the bunch. Notably as Savage plays it straight when he acts like the adult while Reinhold gets to really loosen up as there are also some very funny moments about how much of a dick Reinhold’s character is when played by Savage. The scene where the secretary of Reinhold’s character gets a call from Savage and tells a co-worker, “the little shit sounds like his father”.
3. The Hot Chick
Among the slew of films from the late 90s and early 2000s that starred Rob Schneider that essentially becomes the idea of the derp-de-derp films that often puts an actor into some kind of stupid situation and does the same shit like he did in his other films which is essentially what Johnny Depp, Adam Sandler, and Tom Cruise have been doing lately with most of their films as of late. This one revolves around Schneider stealing a mysterious earring from Rachel McAdams where they both put on an earring and they switch bodies. It’s one of the better films that Schneider is in as he definitely camps it up in every way while McAdams is actually very funny in the way she acts like a dude and such. It’s silly and low-brow but it brings in the laughs.
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Arthur Penn and written by Thomas McGuane, The Missouri Breaks is the story of a rancher who hires a regulator to hunt down a horse thief whose gang has killed one of his men in an act of revenge while his daughter is in love with the head thief. The film is an offbeat western that play into a pursuit with some eccentric characters as it revolves around a man wanting to kill a thief. Starring Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid, Harry Dean Stanton, Frederic Forrest, John McLiam, and Kathleen Lloyd. The Missouri Breaks is a whimsical yet engrossing film from Arthur Penn.
The film revolves around a horse thief whose gang kills a rancher’s foreman who hung their friend over angering a rancher as they would later buy land from that rancher just to piss him off. Yet, the rancher is trying to find out who killed his foreman as he hires an eccentric regulator who plays by his own rules and would later cause all sorts of trouble. It’s a film that is about a thief trying to maintain a life that is honorable and decent yet he also copes with this regulator being around him and causing trouble as well as having issues with a rancher whose daughter he falls for. Thomas McGuane’s screenplay opens with the rancher David Braxton (John McLiam) hanging a young man named Sandy (Hunter von Leer) whose friend is the horse thief Tom Logan (Jack Nicholson) who runs a gang of horse thieves as they learn about their friend’s death. The first act is about Logan and his gang robbing a train to buy land near Braxton’s ranch to start a ranch of their own yet Logan would be the one tending to the ranch while his gang led by Cal (Harry Dean Stanton) travel to Canada to steal horses from the mounted police force.
Logan would meet Braxton’s daughter Jane (Kathleen Lloyd) who is intrigued by Logan though their affair would be kept secret except that her father’s hired regulator in Robert E. Lee Clayton (Marlon Brando) is watching as he suspects Logan involved in the death of Braxton’s foreman. Clayton is this man who is a real oddball as he arrives to the Braxton camp holding on to his horse on the side as if he’s hiding while he has an Irish accent and wears strange costumes. Yet, there’s an aspect of him that is ruthless and cunning in his pursuits though his initial meeting with Logan with Braxton is based on curiosity yet Logan is aware of his reputation as he just tries to not get into trouble. Even as the third act is about Braxton realizing the trouble Clayton is bringing as it would lead to all sorts of chaos in his pursuit of Logan and his gang.
Arthur Penn’s direction is definitely mesmerizing in the way he presents the American West as it is shot on various locations in Wyoming to play into this world of the West and in areas near the Missouri River. Penn’s usage of the wide shots do play into the vast scope and the attention to detail into the landscape from the trees on the mountains as well as the rivers and other parts of the film while he would maintain an intimacy through medium shots and close-ups as it relates to the characters. Penn’s compositions play into moments that are comical such as the train robbery scene as well as the way Clayton introduces himself. Penn would also maintain that air of humor and low-key drama to play into the characters that are trying to do their work in stealing horses or Logan trying to tend to his land. The smaller moments showcase Penn putting time in the characters while letting the action take hold during the third act as it relates to Clayton’s methods and what he does where the violence is intense. Even as it would play into this confrontation between Logan and Clayton with Braxton having some part in playing to the chaos that he’s created. Overall, Penn crafts an exhilarating and quirky film about a horse thief being watched and hunted by an odd regulator.
Cinematographer Michael Butler does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its gorgeous yet natural look for many of the daytime exteriors with some stylish and low-key lighting for some of the interior scenes set in the day. Editors Dede Allen, Gerald G. Greenberg, and Steven A. Rotter do excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward for some of the dramatic and comedic moments while using some stylish rhythmic cuts for some of Clayton’s antics. Production designer Albert Brenner, with set decorator Marvin March and art director Stephen Myles Berger, does fantastic work with the look of the Braxton home as well as the ranch that Logan runs and the home that his gang live in.
Costume designer Patricia Norris does amazing work with the costumes from the ragged look of Logan and his gang to the odd clothes that Clayton wears including a dress that he would wear as part of his disguise. Sound editor Richard P. Cirincione does terrific work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some of the usage of gunfire and other weapons. The film’s music by John Williams is incredible for its offbeat approach to country and folk with some orchestral elements that add to the film’s odd yet enjoyable tone.
The film’s wonderful cast include some notable small roles from James Greene and Luana Anders as a rancher and his wife that Cy would hide out at, Danny Goldman as a baggage clerk during the train robbery, Hunter von Leer as Logan’s friend Sandy who gets hung by Braxton, John P. Ryan and Frederic Forrest as a couple of Logan’s friends in his gang in their respective roles as Cy and Cary, and Randy Quaid in a superb performance as a young member of the gang named Little Tod who gives Logan the idea to rob a train as he is an able though naïve hood who is always helpful. John McLiam is terrific as David Braxton as a rancher who wants retaliation for the death of his foreman as he is also suspicious of Logan buying land near him. Kathleen Lloyd is fantastic as Braxton’s daughter Jane as a young woman who is often caring for her father as she becomes fascinated by Logan whom she sees as someone who has a lot more to offer as well as an escape from her stuffy life. Harry Dean Stanton is excellent as Logan’s right-hand man Cal who gets some of the film’s best lines and dialogue as he’s kind of the conscience of sorts who often puts Logan in his place but also is aware of how dangerous Clayton is.
Jack Nicholson is great as Tom Logan as a horse thief that is trying to go straight and live a decent life while falling for the rancher’s daughter as he becomes aware of Clayton’s presence as it’s a restrained performance from Nicholson where he displays some charm but also a grounded approach of a man that becomes uneasy by what is happening around him. Finally, there’s Marlon Brando in a phenomenal performance as Robert E. Lee Clayton as this offbeat and odd regulator that has Brando sport an Irish-American accent as well as a twangy-western accent in one sequence as it’s a strange yet exuberant performance that has Brando be funny but also ruthless in the way he does his job as it’s one of his more overlooked performances of his career.
The Missouri Breaks is a sensational film from Arthur Penn that features incredible performances from Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson. Along with its gorgeous visuals, top-notch supporting cast, John Williams’ exhilarating score, and a compelling screenplay by Thomas McGuane. It’s a western that doesn’t play by the rules while maintaining much of the visual tropes and plot devices expected from the genre with elements of dark humor. In the end, The Missouri Breaks is a spectacular film from Arthur Penn.
Arthur Penn Films: (Portrait of a Murderer) – (The Left Handed Gun) – (The Miracle Worker) – (Mickey One) – (The Chase (1966 film)) – (Bonnie and Clyde) – (Flesh and Blood) – (Alice’s Restaurant) – Little Big Man - (Visions of Eight) – (Night Moves (1975 film)) – (Four Friends) – (Target (1985 film)) – (Dead of Winter) – (Penn & Teller Get Killed) – (The Portrait (1993 film)) – (Inside (1996 film))
© thevoid99 2018
