A woman who works within the Hollywood system yet marches to the beat of her own drum. Kathryn Bigelow is the kind of filmmaker that most filmmakers in the action film world wish they could be as she displays not just a sense of style into her films but pump them up with strong actions and compelling characters that are above the norm of what is expected in the genre. In 2010, Bigelow made history as the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director for her 2008 film The Hurt Locker. Though her win doesn’t change much for women’s role in the film industry nor level the playing field of having women taking control on the set of films. Bigelow has managed to be part of a small group of women filmmakers who can say something in an industry often plagued by sexism.
Born on November 27, 1951 in San Carlos, California, Bigelow was the daughter of Ronald Elliot and Gertrude Kathryn Bigelow. Though film wasn’t among her early interests, it was in painting where she found her creative outlet early on where she enrolled at the San Francisco Art Institute in late 1970. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree two years later, she moved to New York where she was part of the Whitney Museum’s Independent Art studies where she met avant-garde composer Philip Glass. Her friendship with Glass through renovating apartments for real estate ventures introduced her to film where she studied at Columbia University under the tutelage of such figures as Susan Sontag, Vito Acconci, Lawrence Weiner, and Sylvere Lotringer.
More can be read here on Cinema Axis.
© thevoid99 2014
Based on an idea by Orson Welles, Monsieur Verdoux is the story of a laid-off bank teller who decides to marry and kill a few widows in order to support his family. Written for the screen, directed, and starring Charles Chaplin in the titular role, the film marks a departure for the silent comedy legend who enters the world of black comedy as he plays a man eager to do what it takes to survive as he would do things that are despicable as well. Also starring Martha Raye and Marilyn Nash. Monsieur Verdoux is a witty yet sensational black comedy from Charles Chaplin.
Based on the real-life murders committed by Henri Desire Landru, the film is a comical take about Landru’s murders as Charles Chaplin plays the titular character as this man of charm and wit who kills rich widows for financial reasons to support his family who are oblivious to his actions. Even as he once a bank teller who was laid off as much of the film takes place in the 1930s during the Great Depression in France. What makes the story so engaging isn’t just Monsieur Henri Verdoux’s actions and how he tries to woo a widow. It’s also in how he plays the role of the husband and try to find the next widow to marry and later kill off. He would make many trips in various alias while taking a break to be with his real family yet he would also encounter troubles as he’s pursued by an investigator as well as an annoying widow who is very hard to kill.
One aspect of the story that is crucial to Verdoux’s development is the meeting of a young woman (Marilyn Nash) who had just been released in prison as he intended to poison her but changes his mind after hearing her story. It’s a moment in the film where Verdoux’s very intricate world of schemes begins to fall apart when he’s unable to kill the annoying Annabella Bonheur (Martha Raye) due to a series of misfortunes while the chance to marry another rich widow in Marie Grosnay (Isobel Elsom) also is mired by misfortune. It all plays to the film’s third act where Verdoux is also being pursued by a family of a woman he had married as well as other things that relates to the financial troubles during the Depression in Europe.
Chaplin’s direction for the film is quite straightforward in some respects while he does create some unique compositions in the way he frames himself and the other actors. While there are some moments of slapstick, it is mostly restrained in moments where Chaplin goes for something more low-key in the way Verdoux conducts his business and such. Even in some of the dramatic moments while trying to find ways to make the humor feel natural. One aspect of the film that is interesting is the way he starts the film where its second scene is about a family wondering about someone as they’re not getting any money. It would set the stage for things to come as the film has an air of mystery about Verdoux and his life. Even as Chaplin would say something about Verdoux’s action and how he has managed to be so calm about everything he had been through. Overall, Chaplin creates a very funny yet compelling film about a man murdering rich widows for money.
Cinematographer Roland Totheroh, with additional work by Curt Courant, does fantastic work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to play into the look of some of the film‘s exteriors as well as the use of shades and lighting for some of the film‘s interiors. Editor Willard Nico does nice work in maintaining a straightforward approach to the editing with some transitional fade-outs for the film‘s structure as well as some methodical cuts to play with the film‘s suspense. Art director John Beckman does excellent work with the set pieces from the homes of the widows as well as the house of antiques that Verdoux lives in Paris.
Wardrobe supervisor Drew Tetrick does terrific work with the costumes as it plays to the look of the 1930s with the suits that Verdoux wears as well as some of the dresses of the women. Makeup artist William Night and hair stylist Hedvig Mjorund does superb work with the look of Verdoux with his hair and the mustache that he sports in the film. The sound work of James T. Corrigan is wonderful for the atmosphere that goes in some of the film‘s quieter moments along with some pretty effective sound work for a party scene where Verdoux is to marry someone only to find one of his wives. The film’s music by Charles Chaplin is just brilliant for its very playful orchestral score that is filled with sumptuous string arrangements as it also includes some brooding and heavy themes for its darker moments.
The film’s amazing cast includes some noteworthy small performances from Mady Correll as Verdoux’s ailing yet loving wife, Allison Roddan as his son Peter, Robert Lewis and Audrey Betz as family friends the Bottellos, Barbara Slater as a flower shop girl, Ada May Weeks as the Bonheur’s maid, Edwin Mills and Virginia Brissac as family members of a widow that Verdoux married, and Charles Evans in a terrific performance as Detective Morrow who had been following Verdoux to see what he’s up to. Isobel Elsom is wonderful as the aging widow Marie Grosnay who is wooed by Verdoux unaware of what is going to happen to her.
Martha Raye is an absolute riot as the annoying Annabella Bonheur as this very dim-witted woman who spends her money foolishly on all sorts of things as she also manages to steal a few scenes from Chaplin as well as proving to be a great equal in terms of the comedic moments they have together. Marilyn Nash is fantastic as the girl that Verdoux meets in the film’s second act as she is a lonely woman that Verdoux pities as he gives her money as they would later meet again as she would play a key part in Verdoux’s own ideas about the fallacy of humanity. Finally, there’s Charles Chaplin in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as he displays a dark charm to his character but also one with a sense of humanity that makes him very compelling where it’s Chaplin being funny but also being dramatic as it’s one of his finest performances.
Monsieur Verdoux is a remarkable film from Charles Chaplin. While it is a very different film from many of his silent comedies as well as the fact that he’s not playing any variation of his famed Tramp character. It is still a very smart film that isn’t afraid to be dark while also finding humor in something as horrible like murder. In the end, Monsieur Verdoux is an exhilarating film from Charles Chaplin.
Charles Chaplin Films: (Twenty Minutes of Love) - (Caught in the Rain) - (A Busy Day) - (Her Friend the Bandit) - (Mabel’s Married Life) - (Laughing Gas) - (The Face On the Bar Room Floor) - (Recreation) - (The Masquerader) - (His New Profession) - The Rounders - (The Property Man) - (The New Janitor) - (Those Love Pangs) - (Dough & Dynamite) - (Gentlemen of Nerve) - (His Musical Career) - (His Trysting Place) - (Getting Acquainted) - (His Prehistoric Past) - (His New Job) - (A Night Out) - (The Champion) - (In the Park) - (A Jitney Elopement) - (The Tramp) - (By the Sea (1915 film)) - (His Regeneration) - (Work (1915 film) - (A Woman) - (The Bank) - (Shanghaied) - (A Night in the Snow) - (Burlesque on Carmen) - (Police (1916 film)) - (Triple Trouble) - (The Floorwalker) - (The Fireman) - (The Vagabond) - (One A.M. (1916 film)) - (The Count) - (The Pawnshop) - (Behind the Screen) - (The Rink) - (Easy Street) - (The Cure (1917 film)) - (The Immigrant (1917 film)) - (The Adventurer) - A Dog’s Life - (The Bond) - Shoulder Arms - Sunnyside - A Day’s Pleasure - (The Professor) - The Kid - The Idle Class - Pay Day - The Pilgrim - A Woman of Paris - The Gold Rush - The Circus - City Lights - Modern Times - The Great Dictator - Limelight - A King in New York - (A Countess from Hong Kong)
© thevoid99 2014
Written, directed, shot, scored, and co-edited by Shane Carruth, Upstream Color is a love story about two people whose lives are affected by an unknown parasite as they’re unaware of what is happening to them. The film is a complex tale revolving around the lives of two people as they are bewildered by their surroundings as well the parasite that’s affected them. Starring Shane Carruth and Amy Seimetz. Upstream Color is an unusual yet exotic film from Shane Carruth.
The film is about a woman who was kidnapped and drugged by an unknown parasite as she loses everything where she connects with a man who seemed to have been afflicted by the same trauma as they deal with their surroundings. It’s a film that doesn’t have any kind of conventional plot though it does have a traditional narrative structure. Yet, it plays into the lives of two people afflicted by the experience of this unknown parasite as the first act is about a woman named Kris (Amy Seimetz) who is tasered and drugged by a thief who controls her to do things where she loses everything. A year later in the second act, she meets Jeff (Shane Carruth) who is divorced and was once a broker as he now works in a low-level job. The two begin a romance where they connect in strange ways but demons of their past would haunt them as they would try to find the answers in the film’s third act.
Shane Carruth’s direction is truly mesmerizing in the way he conveys many of the images from his approach to framing and his emphasis on naturalism for many of the exterior scenes. Especially as Carruth uses surrealism to play with the story as if Kris and Jeff are unsure of what world they’re living in as they’ve been deeply affected by the parasites that were once in their bodies. Even in scenes where Carruth would match the actors in a frame in one scene with another one to play into that world of surrealism. There’s a lot of aspects of the film that plays like a strange guessing game as it includes the presence of a strange man (Andrew Sensenig) who is always recording natural sounds and taking care of pigs.
Serving as the cinematographer, co-editor, and music composer, Carruth adds a sense of naturalism to his images including lingering shots of nature as well as some very ethereal images of worms and parasites into the bodies. With the help of David Lowery, Carruth’s editing has this offbeat sense of rhythm and tone that plays into that feeling of uncertainty where it does become very effective in many of its dramatic moments. There‘s also elements of sci-fi in parts of the story where it is supported by Carruth‘s very intoxicating ambient-drenched score that plays into that sense of loss and confusion. Many of the images showcase Carruth’s strength as a filmmaker and as a storyteller where he doesn’t need to rely on dialogue and exposition to tell the story. Especially as he refuses to define the film into any genre as it is so much more in the way he conveys people dealing with trauma and loneliness. Overall, Carruth crafts a very ravishing yet enthralling film about two people who are connected by strange circumstances.
Production designer Tom Walker does amazing work with the look of the homes and hotel rooms that Jeff and Kris venture into as Walker also does some of strange visuals of the parasites and their effects into the body. Sound designer Johnny Marshall does brilliant work with the film’s sound as it is truly a work of art in terms of sound editing and mixing where it is this amazing collage of natural sounds meshed with one another as it is one of the film’s major highlights.
The casting by Kina Bale is fantastic as it features some notable small roles from Thiagos Martin as the mysterious thief who controls Kris in the film’s first act and Andrew Sensenig as the pig farmer/sound recorder who raises pigs while experimenting with the parasites on those pigs as he is a unique character. Shane Carruth is excellent as Jeff as this man who is trying to deal with failure as he is connected with Kris while trying to comprehend the repressed rage that’s been burning inside of him. Amy Seimetz is incredible as Kris as this woman who went through a traumatic experience as she becomes lost as she finds herself entranced by bizarre moments as she would be the one to look for clues into what is happening to her as it’s a very mesmerizing performance.
Upstream Color is a truly rapturous and seductive film from Shane Carruth that features a remarkable performances from Amy Seimetz. The film is definitely unlike anything that is out there while not being afraid to be unconventional and offbeat. Even as it blends all sorts of genres to get people engaged into a story as bizarre and surreal as it is though it does have some very compelling themes. In the end, Upstream Color is a magnificent film from Shane Carruth.
(Primer)
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by George Nolfi, Ocean’s Twelve is the sequel to 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven in which Danny Ocean and his gang have to travel to Europe to pay back the money they had stolen in the first film while dealing a master thief who is trying to usurp them as well as an Interpol agent trying to catch both of them. The film is another heist comedy where there’s a much looser tone than in the first as it has the gang trying to deal with new challenges. Starring returning cast members George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Bernie Mack, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, and Julia Roberts along with Vincent Cassel, Robbie Coltrane, Eddie Izzard, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Ocean’s Twelve is a very funny and entertaining film from Steven Soderbergh.
The film takes place three years after the events of the first film in which Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his gang have been found by Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) who wants his money back plus interest. With only two weeks to pay him back, the gang travel to Europe where they learned that a thief named the Nightfox (Vincent Cassel) was the one who ratted them out to Benedict while an Interpol agent named Isabel Lahiri (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is also after them as she has a grudge towards Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) whom she once dated. While there’s not much plot in George Nolfi’s script, there is a lot of complexities to the way things are presented as Danny and his gang have to deal with the Nightfox as well as the target on their backs from Benedict and Lahiri.
Along the way, hilarity ensues as members of the gang get themselves in trouble where Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon) decides to get Danny’s wife Tess (Julia Roberts) involved. Still, there are some aspects to the story that includes depth such as Linus wanting to be more involved in the planning as well as some background about Isabel whose father was a master thief. Isabel is an interesting addition to the story of the gang as her relationship with Rusty adds some drama and tension into the film as Rusty had kept the relationship a secret to most of the gang who are upset that Isabel is after them. The Nightfox is an interesting antagonist who just wants to be known as the best thief in the world as he is upset when he learned about the heist Danny and his gang had did in the first film.
Steven Soderbergh’s direction is definitely stylish as it is set in locations in the U.S. as well as Europe in cities like Amsterdam and Rome as well as Lake Como in Italy. There is looseness in the way Soderbergh directs the actors where there’s a feeling they’re relaxed and having a lot of fun which allows the film to feel improvisational. Yet, there’s also some gorgeous images in the compositions that Soderbergh creates in his camera as he’s also the cinematographer under the Peter Andrews pseudonym. Even in Soderbergh’s approach to lighting and filters to play into the visual style while Soderbergh also creates some montages and scenes to play into the world what the gang is trying to and what they were doing when they’re founded by Benedict. Soderbergh’s approach to humor and action has some style as well as being engaging to showcase Soderbergh’s talent in telling a story. Overall, Soderbergh creates a very dazzling and enjoyable film about a heist team trying to pay back the man they stole from three years earlier.
Editor Stephen Mirrone does amazing work with film‘s stylish editing with its use of jump-cuts and montages along with some stylish transitions for the film. Production designer Philip Messina, with set decorator Kristen Toscano Messina and art director Tony Fanning, does excellent work with the film‘s set pieces from the hotels and places the gang stays at to the lavish home of the Nightfox. Costume designer Milena Canonero does brilliant work with the costumes from the clothes that Isabel wears to the suits that the Nightfox wears.
Visual effects supervisor Thomas J. Smith does nice work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects such as the hologram of the Faberge egg that Ocean‘s gang and the Nightfox has to steal as well as the lasers in the museum. Sound editor Larry Blake does superb work with the sound to play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some of the sound effects for some of the moments in the heist. The film’s music by David Holmes is fantastic for its mixture of electronic music, jazz, and funk to play into the film’s humor and action as well as some music ranging from hip-hop and pop including an Italian pop ballad that plays into the relationship between Rusty and Isabel.
The casting by Debra Zane is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small appearances from producer Jerry Weintraub in a flashback scene where he’s talking to the mysterious LeMarc, Topher Grace as himself in a scene at Rusty’s hotel, Jeroen Krabbe as an agoraphobic recluse whom Ocean and his gang have to rob for the heist in Amsterdam, Jared Harris as Basher’s sound engineer, Cherry Jones as a FBI agent, Robbie Coltrane as an eccentric criminal named Matsui, Eddie Izzard as the technician Roman Nagel the team hires, and Bruce Willis as himself visiting Rome. Vincent Cassel is superb as Baron Francois Toulour/the Nightfox as a master thief taught by the great yet mysterious LeMarc as he rats out Ocean to Benedict in the hopes he can outdo Ocean and his gang. Catherine Zeta-Jones is wonderful as Isabel Lahiri as Rusty’s former lover who still holds a grudge towards him as she is eager to capture Ocean, Rusty, and their gang.
Andy Garcia is great as Terry Benedict as the casino owner who lost a lot of money in the first film due to Danny Ocean and his gang as he is eager to get what he lost plus interest or else he has them killed. As members of the gang, there’s amazing performances from Eddie Jemison as the hacker Livingston Dell, Shaobo Qin as the acrobatic Yen, Scott Caan and Casey Affleck as the bickering brothers Turk and Virgil Malloy, Elliott Gould as brainy Reuben Tishkoff, Carl Reiner as wide Saul Bloom, and Bernie Mac as resourceful Frank Catton. Julia Roberts is fantastic as Tess Ocean as Danny’s wife who realizes what is going on as she reluctantly plays part in helping Danny through Linus where she has to play a very famous movie star.
Don Cheadle is excellent as Basher Tarr as the British bomb expert/sniper who realizes the severity of the situation as he becomes frustrated by the setbacks he and the gang endures. Matt Damon is brilliant as Linus Caldwell as a thief who is eager to become an equal to Danny and Rusty as he would make a last-minute play to beat the Nightfox when Danny and Rusty are caught. Brad Pitt is very funny as Rusty as Pitt brings a lot of humor and swagger to his role as he finds himself dealing with Isabel as he becomes lost in what to do with her. Finally, there’s George Clooney in a marvelous performance as Danny Ocean as the head thief who is trying to figure out everything as he also deals with the setbacks and trying not to lie to his wife.
Ocean’s Twelve is a sensational film from Steven Soderbergh. Armed with a great ensemble cast, a cool soundtrack, and beautiful locations. It’s a film that not only captures the spirit of its predecessor but also bring a looseness that is just fun to watch. Even as it has the actors just being relaxed and enjoying themselves while letting the audience have fun with them. In the end, Ocean’s Twelve is a remarkable film from Steven Soderbergh.
Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray’s Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean's Eleven - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-Equilibrium - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean’s Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird)
The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
Related: Ocean's 8
© thevoid99 2014
Directed, edited, and starring Charles Chaplin and written by Chaplin and Joseph Plunkett, The Circus is the story of a ringmaster of a lowly circus who hires the Tramp to be a clown as he becomes a hit of the show by accident. The film is a comedy that has Chaplin being the Tramp character as a man who once again bumbles into his situation while dealing with the world he’s in. Also starring Al Ernest Garcia, Merna Kennedy, and Henry Bergman. The Circus is a delightful film from Charles Chaplin.
The film is a simple story of the Tramp who stumbles himself into a struggling circus during a chase where he’s accused of being a pickpocket. During his encounter with this circus, its ringmaster decides to have him be part of the act while making sure the Tramp be oblivious to what is happening as he is working as a property man. Yet, he befriends a bareback horse rider whose stepfather is the ringmaster who treats her cruelly as he tries to do whatever it takes to help her as he would also contend for her heart against a tightrope walker. It’s a film that doesn’t require anything complicated though Charles Chaplin and Joseph Plunkett do use a traditional structure to play into the Tramp’s involvement with the circus. Yet, does use inter-title cards to play into the evolution of the Tramp’s performances in the circus as well as his relationship with the circus rider (Merna Kennedy).
Chaplin’s direction is truly mesmerizing for the images he makes that includes some very dazzling scenes set at a fun house where the Tramp is being chased by a cop where it involves a room of mirrors and the Tramp pretending to be a prop at the fun house. It’s among these very lively moments in the film where Chaplin uses his approach to pantomime and physical comedy to great lengths as well as the scenes in the circus where he knows how to perform the comedy naturally. Through his own editing, Chaplin also finds way to time the humor as well as some of the romance as the Tramp tries to win the heart of the circus rider while dealing with the cruel ringmaster (Al Ernest Garcia). Through his use of wide and medium shots, Chaplin always find ways to create some amazing scenes that would include some very suspenseful moments of the Tramp trying to do the tightrope in his own funny way. Overall, Chaplin creates a very funny and entertaining film about a man who unknowingly becomes a circus performer.
Cinematographer Roland Totheroh does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography from the look of many of the film‘s daytime exterior scenes as well what goes on inside the circus. Production designer Charles D. Hall does fantastic work with the set pieces such as the circus tent and its trailers along with some of the props like the magician‘s table and such. The film’s music by Charles Chaplin, from its 1969 re-release, is superb for its sumptuous orchestral score that ranges from humorous to somber with all sorts of unique instruments including a song that Chaplin sings to open the film to play into the circus rider’s melancholia.
The film’s brilliant cast includes some notable small roles from Henry Bergman as an old clown, Steve Murphy as the pickpocket, George Davis as the magician, Tiny Sandford as the head property man, and Harry Crocker in a trio of performances as a clown, a disgruntled property man, and as the tightrope walker Rex. Casting director Al Ernest Garcia is terrific as the very cruel ringmaster who abuses his stepdaughter while trying to make money off of the Tramp’s hard work in the circus. Merna Kennedy is wonderful as the circus rider as a young woman who deals with the abuse of her stepfather while finding a hero in the Tramp. Finally, there’s Charles Chaplin in a phenomenal performance as the Tramp where he maintains that great sense of physicality in his comedy while allowing the Tramp to be the guy that audiences can root for.
The Circus is a marvelous film from Charles Chaplin as it is definitely one of his funniest comedies. Even as it plays into the world of the circus as well as showcasing a bit of melancholia over the sense of hopelessness that goes on in the circus. In the end, The Circus is a sensational film from Charles Chaplin.
Charles Chaplin Films: (Twenty Minutes of Love) - (Caught in the Rain) - (A Busy Day) - (Her Friend the Bandit) - (Mabel’s Married Life) - (Laughing Gas) - (The Face On the Bar Room Floor) - (Recreation) - (The Masquerader) - (His New Profession) - The Rounders - (The Property Man) - (The New Janitor) - (Those Love Pangs) - (Dough & Dynamite) - (Gentlemen of Nerve) - (His Musical Career) - (His Trysting Place) - (Getting Acquainted) - (His Prehistoric Past) - (His New Job) - (A Night Out) - (The Champion) - (In the Park) - (A Jitney Elopement) - (The Tramp) - (By the Sea (1915 film)) - (His Regeneration) - (Work (1915 film) - (A Woman) - (The Bank) - (Shanghaied) - (A Night in the Snow) - (Burlesque on Carmen) - (Police (1916 film)) - (Triple Trouble) - (The Floorwalker) - (The Fireman) - (The Vagabond) - (One A.M. (1916 film)) - (The Count) - (The Pawnshop) - (Behind the Screen) - (The Rink) - (Easy Street) - (The Cure (1917 film)) - (The Immigrant (1917 film)) - (The Adventurer) - A Dog’s Life - (The Bond) - Shoulder Arms - Sunnyside - A Day’s Pleasure - (The Professor) - The Kid - The Idle Class - Pay Day - The Pilgrim - A Woman of Paris - The Gold Rush - City Lights - Modern Times - The Great Dictator - Monsieur Verdoux - Limelight - A King in New York - (A Countess from Hong Kong)
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and screenplay by Christopher Kyle from a story by Louis Nowra, K-19: The Widowmaker is the story of a Soviet nuclear submarine crew dealing with reactor leak in the sub as a captain and officer try to deal with the situation and each other. Based on a real-life incident set in 1961 during the Cold War, the film is an exploration into the inner-politics between two officers and how they try to defuse an incident that would nearly spark World War III. Starring Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson, and Peter Sarsgaard. K-19: The Widowmaker is an engaging film from Kathryn Bigelow.
The film is a simple story about a Soviet submarine crew in 1961 during the Cold War as it revolves around a new nuclear submarine where its crew and captain are under the command of a new captain who is trying to fulfill the duties of the state as he puts himself and crew at great risk during a test run. When its nuclear reactor starts to leak and radiation emerging into the submarine, two captains begin to figure out what to do as tension emerges between the two captains as well as its crew. It’s not just a film about the submarine crew trying to defuse a situation that spark World War III but also the idea of duty as Captain Alexei Vostrikov (Harrison Ford) and Captain Mikhail “Misha” Polenin (Liam Neeson) try to find a balance over who they should be loyal to.
Christopher Kyle’s screenplay, with additional work from Tom Stoppard, does have a traditional structure as well as a study into the personalities of the two captains. Polenin treats his crew as if they’re his children and always help them in whatever as he will make sure they get the job done. Vostrikov is a more by-the-books individual who uses his rank to maintain control as he holds drills to see if the crew meets his expectations. This would add tension between Vostrikov and his crew who are loyal to Polenin as things get more complicated when the original doctor is killed as he’s replaced by a base doctor who knows nothing about radiation sickness. Another troubling circumstance is the addition of a new nuclear reactor officer in Lt. Vadim Radtchenko (Peter Sarsgaard) who had just graduated from the academy.
The mission was supposed to be a test run which was successful but Vostrikov’s ideas to test the submarine would have some serious repercussions when the radiator leaks. This would cause Vostrikov to be lost as two of Polenin’s officers plot a mutiny in order to get Polenin in control which would add to the drama of the film. Yet, it would create some major complications as it’s clear that Polenin isn’t just the film’s conscience but also a man who knows the importance of duty no how much he disagrees with Vostrikov. Especially since Vostrikov is under a lot of pressure from his superiors to deliver as he was given little time to get the ship ready as he tries to gain the trust of his crew.
Kathryn Bigelow’s direction doesn’t really do anything new as far as what’s been expected in a film set mostly in a submarine. Yet, she does manage to infuse a lot of style into the claustrophobic setting of the submarine which is still very engaging as it’s often cramped and there’s a lot that goes on. Bigelow’s use of tracking shots, hand-held cameras, and steadicams to capture the movements of a submarine as well as the sense of chaos showcase the pressure that isn’t just mounting on Captain Vostrikov but also his entire crew. Even as there’s a nuclear reactor in that submarine as it’s the most fragile thing on the submarine where Bigelow reveals how it would leak through some visual effects as it’s one of the few sequences that requires visual effects along with some scenes in the submarine. A lot of these moments not only showcase the submarine as a character in the film but a very fragile character that is being pushed too the limits as it serves a symbol of world that is in the cusp of complete terror.
Bigelow also knows when to give the suspense and drama a bit of a break for a scene where the crew play football outside of the sub and on an ice block along with a scene where the sub is stopped as they’re seen by an American helicopter where the crew moons it. The film also includes an epilogue which not only plays into the fall of communism but also what the two captains and its surviving crew have lost as they ponder the sacrifice of those who saved them. Overall, Bigelow crafts a very compelling film about two captains dealing with the idea of duty during the Cold War.
Cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the use of lights in the submarine as well as the blue lights inside the reactor room along with some naturalistic shots of some exterior scenes in the day and night. Editor Walter Murch does fantastic work with the editing with its use of rhythmic cuts to play into some of the action as well as some jump-cuts and some slow-motion moments to play into the drama. Production designers Karl Juliusson and Michael Novotny do amazing work with the look of the submarine and its many compartments as well as its port and some of the base buildings where the superiors are at work.
Costume designer Marit Allen does nice work with the look of the uniforms the crew wears to play into the sense of importance as well as who they are as they‘re loyal to each other. Visual effects supervisors Bruce Jones and John Nelson do terrific work with some of the visual effects such as the submarine under the sea as well as the scene where it breaks into the ice. Sound designer Pat Jackson and co-sound editor Larry Schalit do superb work with sound to play into the atmosphere of the submarine as well as its sirens and such inside the sub. The film’s music by Klaus Badelt is wonderful for its Russian-based orchestral score filled with vocal choirs and heavy string arrangements along with some pieces of traditional Russian folk music and the Soviet anthem that is played in the film.
The casting by Ross Clydesdale, Mali Finn, and Mary Selway is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small performances from Joss Ackland as the defense minister Marshal Zolentov, John Shrapnel as Admiral Bratyeev, Christian Camargo as the senior reactor technician Loktev, and Donald Sumpter as the submarine’s new medical officer Gennadi Savran who has no clue what he’s dealing with as he was a last-minute replacement. Steve Nicolson and Ravil Isyanov are terrific in their respective roles as torpedo officer Yuri Demichev and political officer Igor Suslov as they would be the one to plot the mutiny against Vostrikov. Peter Sarsgaard is excellent as the reactor officer Lt. Vadim Radtchenko who comes in at the last minute unaware of the situation he’s facing as he deals with his inexperience and inability to help his crew.
Liam Neeson is amazing as Captain Mishna Polenin as he is the film’s conscience as a man who is beloved by his crew as he deals with Vostrikov and the chaos of the submarine. Finally, there’s Harrison Ford in a superb performance as Captain Alexei Vostrikov as a man who has to ensure the success of his mission at great risk as he becomes torn between his duty to his superiors and doing what is right for himself and his crew.
K-19: The Widowmaker is an excellent film from Kathryn Bigelow that features top-notch performances from Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson. While it may not have a lot of originality, it is still a captivating film about a submarine crew and its two captains trying to prevent World War III from happening as well as delving into the theme of duty. In the end, K-19: The Widowmaker is a superb film from Kathryn Bigelow.
Kathryn Bigelow Films: The Loveless - Near Dark - Blue Steel - Point Break - Strange Days - The Weight of Water - The Hurt Locker - Zero Dark Thirty - The Auteurs #29: Kathryn Bigelow
© thevoid99 2014
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/20/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Written and directed by Richard Kelly, Southland Tales is a multi-narrative story set in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles on Fourth of July weekend 2008. The film follows the lives of various characters including an amnesiac action film star, an ex-porn star, and twin brothers as they deal with the bleakness of the world around them. With an all-star cast that includes Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott, Mandy Moore, Miranda Richardson, Nora Dunn, Justin Timberlake, Jon Lovitz, John Larroquette, Wallace Shawn, Kevin Smith, Lou Taylor Pucci, Beth Grant, Bai Ling, Will Sasso, Holmes Osborne, Cheri Oteri, Amy Poehler, Zelda Rubenstein, Janeane Garafalo, and Christopher Lambert. Southland Tales, despite its concept, is a messy, incoherent, and purely self-indulgent film from Richard Kelly.
It's Fourth of July weekend in 2008 which would mark the third anniversary of the nuclear bombing of a small Texas town that began World War III. With the Patriot Act in full power, gasoline and alternative fuel resources in decline, and America on the verge of chaos. An action film star named Boxer Santaros (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is in the desert with amnesia as he arrives in California. After being captured, he meets with a former porn star-turned reality TV show host Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar) as the two collaborate on a screenplay. Boxer learns that Krysta is part of a neo-Marxist movement led by her manager Cyndi Pinziki (Nora Dunn) who is trying to combat a Republican Presidential candidate Senator Bobby Frost (Holmes Osbourne) and his wife/head of US-IDent Nana Mae Frost (Miranda Richardson).
Meanwhile, the neo-Marxist movement learns that a scientist Baron Von Westphalen (Wallace Shawn) is trying to create a new source of alternative fuel as he is endorsing Senator Frost. With the war still waging on, Frost hopes to have a Republican victory in California as the neo-Marxists have taken a racist LAPD officer named Roland Tavener (Seann William Scott) hostage while using his twin brother Ronald to impersonate him. Ronald accompanies Boxer, who joins in to research his film role, as the two go into hijinks where a domestic dispute that was supposed to be routine went crazy thanks to a rogue cop named Bart Bookman (Jon Lovitz) who is also a neo-Marxist with his girlfriend Zora Carmichaels (Cheri Oteri). Boxer and Ronald run in fear as Boxer has an encounter with Baron and his cohorts that included his mother (Beth Grant), Dr. Soberin Exx (Curtis Armstrong), Katarina Kuntzler (Zelda Rubenstein), and Serpentine (Bai Ling).
With Pinziki and Frost's advisor Vaughn Smallhouse (John Larroquette) trying to negotiate over terms about the release of a possible sex tape between Boxer and Krysta Now, Boxer's wife Madeline Frost Santaros (Mandy Moore) wants the tape blocked. With Boxer returning to his home, he is now believing that he's Jericho as he's made contact with a woman named Starla Von Luft (Michele Durrett) about his screenplay. Santaros escapes the Frost home to meet with Von Luft as things get crazy when an Iraqi war veteran named Pilot Abilene (Justin Timberlake), high on a new drug, kills her. Ronald Taverner had just escape and learned something powerful is going on with his right hand as did his twin brother as the two try to find each other. Ronald seeks help with a secret arms dealer named Walter Mung (Christopher Lambert) while Roland gets help from a local drug dealer named Martin Kefauver (Lou Taylor Pucci). With Krysta now getting possession of a video tape that could incriminate her, she makes her own deal with Smallhouse as the night approaches for what could be the end of the world. It is there at a party for a new Zeppelin that the Taverner twins and Boxer learned what happened to them a few days ago.
The concept of Southland Tales about the end of the world emerging on a Fourth of July weekend with intertwining storylines, multiple characters, and themes of social and environmental unrest is a very good concept. The problem is that it's a good idea on paper. On film and in script, it's a mess. A bloated mess that has too many characters, too many stories, too many situations, and nothing to gel on. It's clear that there's a conflict between two groups. The problem is that it gets confusing on who is working for the neo-Marxists and who is working for the U.S. government. Some characters start of as neo-Marxists and then become pawns for Frost and company. It becomes confusing.
The script doesn't have a sense of cohesiveness nor any characters with the exception of the Tavener twins and Boxer Santaros, that have any depth or development. Instead, Kelly brings out caricatures of individuals that looks like they've come out of films by David Lynch and Gregg Araki. Kelly's claim that the film is meant to be a satire but there's not much to satirize about except reality TV and pop stardom in the form of Krysta Now. The dialogue is stylized for some characters yet it sounds very ridiculous coming out of the mouths of the actors while what's even worse is the film's voice-over narration from Pilot Abilene. The narration brings nothing but a bunch of strange and inane philosophies while the reading by Justin Timberlake sounds very flat and lifeless. Then there's the story and plot. There's nothing clear in what it's trying to say and though things do clear a bit in the third act that involves time travel as well as motivation for two of its lead characters. There's no payoff even though something happens but what is the aftermath?
If Kelly's demands for the audience to be very attentive to the film in script, then the demand for the film in his direction is too overwhelming. Kelly had intended it to be a much bigger experience that is interactive with the audience that included a graphic novel that preceded the film. The problem is that Kelly is trying to create a film that is strange enough for an art-house film audience while using big stars for a mainstream audience and he succeeds in neither. The problem is that Kelly is too enamored with the film's concept and is convinced that the film should be seen more than once to understand the story. Kelly's demands for an audience is too much for a mainstream audience to handle while an art-house audience are smart enough to know when a film should be seen twice.
Kelly's demands for the audience are marred by his bad choices in the direction. The awkward framing, compositions, and no depth of field for the film's exterior and interior settings really create a film that is messy. Plus, Kelly's knack for bending genres, that worked in his previous film Donnie Darko, fails because he tries to do too much. He tries to make it into a comedy, action, drama, satire, sci-fi, and also, a musical. There's a couple of musical dance numbers where one of them is based on a drug trip where Pilot Abilene is lip-syncing to the Killers' All The Things That I've Done with back-up dancer and it's an extremely baffling scene that really confuses the audience into what they're seeing. While there's a couple of interesting moment in the directing including a tracking shot of the MegaZeppelin scene, the rest of the film falters with inane special effects, chaotic conflicts, and everything else where the result is a bloated mess that doesn't make any sense to its audience.
Cinematographer Steven B. Poster does have some nice coloring but due to Kelly's direction, he is given nothing to do as he's forced to emphasize on lighting style that doesn’t have any depth at all. Neither does Sam Bauer's editing that at the film's theatrical 144-minute running time, lags in pacing, tries to go for style, and doesn't add anything to the film other than the fact that more scenes should be cut while its approach in the intertwining stories makes it confusing. Production designer Alec Hammond and set decorator Tracey A. Doyle does an OK job in some of the film's set designs though it's most notable achievement is the pristine look of the MegaZeppelin. Costume designer April Ferry creates interesting costumes for the actresses involved yet the look at times is very cartoonish and lacks any real depth.
Sound designer/editor David Esparza also doesn't do anything brilliant that's expected in a film that bends genre as his work in some of the action sequences are average at best while a scene in a gun battle tends to be very muddled more in part due to the direction. The visual effects by Thomas Tannenberg does have nice touch for its mix of animation and computer graphics in some sequences but the rest of it isn't very good at all, notably the climatic scene along with the MegaZeppelin is poorly made. The film's music by renowned electronic-pop artist Moby is dull at best. Originally supposed to be a collaboration with Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, Moby's score fits in the mood with his ambient setting though the addition of pulsating, techno beats create a sense of distraction and at times, doesn't fit in with the mood of the film.
The soundtrack is a tribute to classic alternative music of the 90s with bands like Radiohead, Jane's Addiction, the Pixies, Blur, Big Head Todd & the Monster, Elbow, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club along with the Killers, Louis Armstrong, Beethoven, Muse, Waylon Jennings, and an original song for Sarah Michelle Gellar's character that's a bad impersonation of Britney Spears music.
The casting by Mary Vernieu and Venus Kanani though is an interesting ensemble. There's very few people to stand out as nearly every actor in this film has little to work on while it's clear that the film features cameos and character actors where sometimes, their appearance or presence tends to be a distraction. Cameos from Kevin Smith as a legless war veteran, singer Rebekah del Rio from Mulholland Dr.as a singer, Janeane Garafalo as a general in the final party scene, Christopher Lambert as an arms dealer in an ice cream truck, Eli Roth as a man killed in a toilet, and Sab Shimono as a Japanese prime minister don't really add anything since they're just cameos. Garafalo's appearance is only brief which suggests her appearance was supposed to be bigger but never made it into the final cut while Smith is barely recognizable in his own role. Comedians Will Sasso as Krysta's bodyguard, Amy Poehler as a poet, and Cheri Oteri as neo-Marxist are very bad with Poehler and Oteri not given anything funny to do with Oteri being way over the top in her role. Jon Lovitz also suffers in his role as rogue cop where he ends up being very silly.
Wood Harris as a famed rapper doesn't make much impression nor does Jill Ritchie as one of Krysta's girlfriends while Mike Nielsen as a government spy isn't memorable at all where he's in the film for one minute and then, he's gone. Michele Durrett also suffers the same fate just as her character was getting a bit interesting despite her own exaggerated performance. Famed character actors Curtis Armstrong, Zelda Rubenstein, and the always enjoyable Beth Grant as the Baron's cohorts are practically wasted since they just show up and say their lines while Bai Ling as Serpentine makes more of an impression that's really more of a distraction than a performance.
Nora Dunn is okay in her role as Cindy Pinziki but her character lacks any real sense of clear motivation while John Larroquette looks bored in his role as Vaughn Smallhouse. Lou Taylor Pucci is also okay in his role as drug dealer talking like a rapper though he does manage to make an impression in the film's climatic scene. Wallace Shawn, a great character actor, sadly doesn't really get to do anything but squirm and act slimy as if that's all he's given to do. Holmes Osbourne also doesn't get anything to do but act awkward and such while Miranda Richardson, sporting a Texan accent, is kind of annoying in the film and doesn't get anything to do than sit, talk in a Texan accent, and watch a lot of TV screens. Mandy Moore gives a flat, uninspiring performance where all she does is nag and be a glorified trophy wife which is sad considering that Moore is more talented than that.
Sarah Michelle Gellar is okay in her role as a former porn star turned entrepreneur though sadly, Gellar doesn't get to do anything but look pretty, act like a dumb blonde, and that's all which is sad considering she's far more talented than that through her work in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The film's most baffling and certainly, the worst performance is Justin Timberlake as a war veteran who likes to get high and shoot people while voicing some of the worst narration ever committed on film.
Seann William Scott, who is known as the obnoxious Stifler in the first three American Pie films, is good in his dual role as twin brothers who hold the key to the conspiracy that the American government is doing. While Scott does get to have a few, funny one-liners, he does manage to show his skills as a dramatic actor in the third act where he gets to do a lot despite what little depth and development his characters had to work with. His performance proves that he can do more than just being Stifler. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is also good as Boxer Santaros and his character alter-ego, Jericho Cane (a nod to both Chris Jericho and Kane) where he has this great presence that's expected from an action film star but also a sense of humor in how jittery he is when he's nervous. While the dialogue he's given doesn't work for him, Johnson at least does his best to his charisma and presence to give a good performance to prove that he's more than some big tough guy.
Southland Tales is a tremendously horrific film from Richard Kelly. Despite some of the visuals and the performances of Dwayen Johnson and Seann William Scott. The film doesn't do enough to create a very compelling story that would make sense in favor of style over substance that is unable to live up to the ambitions that Kelly wanted. It's also a film where it tries to hard to do so much and ask a lot from its audience only to either bore or frustrate them in the mess that it is. In the end, Southland Tales is a very shitty film from Richard Kelly who tries too hard and fail.
Richard Kelly Films: Donnie Darko - (The Box (2009 film))
© thevoid99 2014
Written, directed, and starring Charles Chaplin, The Gold Rush is the story of a prospector seeking gold in the Klondike as he also falls for a girl during his journey. The film is about the period during the Gold Rush about individuals seeking to find gold where Chaplin brings his beloved Tramp character into that world. Also starring Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, and Tom Murray. The Gold Rush is a whimsical comedy from Charles Chaplin.
Set in Alaskan gold rush of the late 1800s, the film explores the journey of a prospector seeking gold in the Klondike where he meets another prospector and a fugitive in a cabin. The three would try to survive the cold where the Tramp would later go into town as he falls for a young woman and hopes to get another chance to find gold in the Klondike so he can give her a good life. It’s a film that has a very simple premise yet Charles Chaplin adds a story of determination and ambition into the mix where the Tramp would meet some good people in his journey like the prospector in Big Jim McKay (Mack Swain) and the saloon girl Georgia (Georgia Hale). Yet, there would also be individuals like the fugitive Black Larsen (Tom Murray) and local ladies man Jack Cameron (Malcolm Waite) who would be a challenge to the Tramp. Yet, Chaplin would find ways for the Tramp to persevere while helping those who have been good to him.
Chaplin’s direction is truly mesmerizing for not just the way he presents the world of the Klondike but also in the way he creates a world that seems dangerous but also add humor to these scenes. With Chaplin also narrating the film (for its 1942 re-release) to display some dialogue and such. It is still a silent film in the way Chaplin creates some moments that are very lively and tender such as a fantasy scene where the Tramp entertains Georgia and her friends at a dinner. Yet, there’s also some sprawling set pieces such as the scenes at the cabin in the mountains that includes a famous scene of the Tramp and McKay in the cabin that is teetering on the edge of a cliff. The usage of special effects to create that moment along with some scenes in the snow with its mix of physical humor adds to the brilliance of the presentation along with Chaplin’s use of wide and medium shots. Overall, the film is a truly entertaining story about a prospector searching for riches in the Klondike.
Cinematographer Roland Totheroh does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography from the look of the mountains and caves to the lighting in the saloon that the Tramp goes to where he meets Georgia. Editors Charles Chaplin and Harold E. McGhan do amazing work with the editing with its use of rhythmic cuts to play into the humor and romance. Production designer Charles D. Hall does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of the saloon to the cabin at the mountains. Sound editors Harold E. McGhan and James L. Fields do nice work with some of the film‘s sound effects, that was added for its reissue, to play into the atmosphere of the locations. The film’s music by Charles Chaplin is brilliant for its very lively orchestral score that ranges from being playful to also serene in its somber moments.
The film’s terrific cast includes some notable small roles from Henry Bergman as a professional prospector the Tramp meets in the film’s second act, Malcolm Waite as the flirtatious Jack Cameron who tries to win Georgia’s heart, and Tom Murray as the very secretive and cunning fugitive Black Larsen. Georgia Hale is wonderful as Georgia as a saloon girl eager to get out of Alaska as she befriends the Tramp and is intrigued by his kindness as she also deals with some of her own issues. Mack Swain is great as Big Jim McKay as a prospector who has found gold as he befriends the Tramp while dealing with his hunger and the presence of Black Larsen. Finally, there’s Charles Chaplin in a remarkable performance as the Tramp where he brings in a lot of great physicality to his comedy while doing little things that add a sweetness to his character.
The Gold Rush is an incredible film from Charles Chaplin. Thanks to its fun premise and top-notch visual effects, the film is definitely one of Chaplin’s finest films. Even as it showcases the kind of ambition he would put into a silent film and make it so much more. In the end, The Gold Rush is a marvelous film from Charles Chaplin.
Charles Chaplin Films: (Twenty Minutes of Love) - (Caught in the Rain) - (A Busy Day) - (Her Friend the Bandit) - (Mabel’s Married Life) - (Laughing Gas) - (The Face On the Bar Room Floor) - (Recreation) - (The Masquerader) - (His New Profession) - The Rounders - (The Property Man) - (The New Janitor) - (Those Love Pangs) - (Dough & Dynamite) - (Gentlemen of Nerve) - (His Musical Career) - (His Trysting Place) - (Getting Acquainted) - (His Prehistoric Past) - (His New Job) - (A Night Out) - (The Champion) - (In the Park) - (A Jitney Elopement) - (The Tramp) - (By the Sea (1915 film)) - (His Regeneration) - (Work (1915 film) - (A Woman) - (The Bank) - (Shanghaied) - (A Night in the Snow) - (Burlesque on Carmen) - (Police (1916 film)) - (Triple Trouble) - (The Floorwalker) - (The Fireman) - (The Vagabond) - (One A.M. (1916 film)) - (The Count) - (The Pawnshop) - (Behind the Screen) - (The Rink) - (Easy Street) - (The Cure (1917 film)) - (The Immigrant (1917 film)) - (The Adventurer) - A Dog’s Life - (The Bond) - Shoulder Arms - Sunnyside - A Day’s Pleasure - (The Professor) - The Kid - The Idle Class - Pay Day - The Pilgrim - A Woman of Paris - The Circus - City Lights - Modern Times - The Great Dictator - Monsieur Verdoux - Limelight - A King in New York - (A Countess from Hong Kong)
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Francois Truffaut and written by Truffaut and Jean-Louis Richard, La peau doce (The Soft Skin) is the story about a married publisher who falls for an airline hostess where the two engage into an affair. The film is an exploration into a man who deals with this new affair as well as the effects it would have on his marriage. Starring Jean Desailly, Francoise Dorleac, and Nelly Benedetti. La peau doce is a mesmerizing yet radiant film from Francois Truffaut.
The film is a simple story about a publisher’s extramarital affair with an airline hostess where it would create complications for both of their lives. While it’s a plot that is simple and does play with the conventions of two people falling in love. It is more about the affair and a man’s struggle to balance the life that he has with his wife and his young lover. Pierre Lachenay (Jean Desailly) is an important man who travels and hosts public events due to his work as a magazine editor and writer who does have a nice family life with his wife Franca (Nelly Benedetti) and their daughter Sabine (Sabine Haudepin). When he meets Nicole (Francoise Dorleac), he is smitten by her as they have this spark yet keep the affair a secret as Nicole would struggle with not just Pierre’s other life but also the impact the affair would have on his family.
The film’s screenplay emphasizes more on action rather than plot though there are a few moments in the script where the plot does help to move the story. Notably in the second act where Pierre and Nicole decide to have a weekend together in a small town where Pierre is to host a film screening. It would be a moment that would create complications due to Pierre’s duties and the presence of his friend Clement (Daniel Ceccaldi) where Pierre was supposed to do something with Nicole later that night. Pierre would make things up to Nicole as their moment of piece in a country cabin would be marred when Pierre calls his wife telling her that he has to spend another day. Yet, she would play a key moment in the film’s third act as the film would be more dramatic as Pierre and Nicole’s relationship would suffer in some respects as Pierre tries to figure out how to resolve everything.
Truffaut’s direction is definitely stylish in not just the compositions he creates but also in the way he presents much of the film’s drama. Notably as much of Truffaut’s direction is very intimate in the way the relationship between Pierre and Nicole builds up where he creates some unique close-ups and some striking compositions such as the shots in the hotel hallways. The compositions also has Truffaut create some tracking shots that are just entrancing to watch to display not just some of the action but also the drama. While there are a few moments of humor, it’s mostly dramatic while the film’s third act would be more melodramatic but also contain some elements of suspense over Franca’s emotional state. Overall, Truffaut creates a very compelling yet chilling film about adultery.
Cinematographer Raoul Coutard does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to play into the look of Paris at night as well as some of the lighting in the small town that Pierre and Nicole go to. Editor Claudine Bouche does fantastic work with the editing with its use of style in its jump-cuts and dissolves to play with the film‘s romance and drama. Costume designer Renee Rouzot does nice work with the costumes from the posh dresses that Franca wears to the more youthful look of Nicole. The film’s music by Georges Delerue is amazing for its orchestral-based score that is upbeat and playful to moments that is very somber in its serene string arrangements.
The film’s superb cast includes some notable small performances from Georges de Givray as Nicole’s father, screenwriter Jean-Louis Richard as a man harassing Nicole at the small town, Paule Emmanuele as Franca’s friend Odile, Dominique Lacarriere as Pierre’s secretary, Sabine Haudepin as Pierre and Franca’s daughter, and Daniel Ceccaldi as Pierre’s friend Clement who accompanies him to events and chats endlessly. Nelly Benedetti is brilliant as Pierre’s wife Franca as a woman who becomes blindsided by the affair as she starts to become an emotional wreck in her suspicions about Pierre’s activities. Francoise Dorleac is remarkable as Nicole as this young woman who is intrigued by Pierre and his personality as she falls for him yet has concerns about his other life with his wife. Finally, there’s Jean Desailly in a marvelous performance as Pierre as this respected publisher who falls for a young woman as he is infatuated with Nicole yet later deals with the fallbacks of his affair as he tries to figure out how to work things out in the end.
La peau doce is an extraordinary film from Francois Truffaut that features amazing performances from Jean Desailly and Francoise Dorleac. While it’s a very different film from the more quirky and humorous films of the early 60s. It is still a very captivating story in the way it explores the world of adultery. In the end, La peau doce is a fantastic film from Francois Truffaut.
Francois Truffaut Films: The 400 Blows - Shoot the Piano Player - Jules & Jim - Antoine & Colette - Fahrenheit 451 - The Bride Wore Black - Stolen Kisses - Mississippi Mermaid - The Wild Child - Bed and Board - Two English Girls - Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me - Day for Night - The Story of Adele H. - Small Change - The Man Who Loved Women - The Green Room - Love on the Run - The Last Metro - The Woman Next Door - Confidentially Yours
The Auteur #40: Francois Truffaut (Pt. 1) - (Pt. 2)
© thevoid99 2014
Written, directed, edited, and starring Charles Chaplin, Sunnyside is the story of a hotel handyman who fights a man from the city over a girl from the village. The thirty-four minute short film is an example of Chaplin’s unique approach to humor as he plays a variation of the Tramp character. Also starring Edna Purviance, Henry Bergman, Tom Wilson, and Olive Ann Alcorn. Sunnyside is a witty comedy from Charles Chaplin.
The film is a simple story about a hotel maintenance worker who deals with job and his girl where he fears he might lose her to a man from the city who arrived to his small village. Told in a typical slapstick, comedic style, it’s a film that doesn’t require much plot other than the Tramp character that Charles Chaplin play deal with his cruel boss who often kicks him in the ass and tries to do things only to screw things up. The script allows Chaplin to tell this story of this hapless handyman who is in love with the village girl (Edna Purviance) as he finds himself dealing with the city man who has everything.
Chaplin’s direction is pretty simple in terms of its compositions yet he does manage to create some very amazing moments in the scenes he creates. Notably in of the film’s opening moments between the Tramp and his boss (Tom Wilson) who often kicks him in the ass as it’s all presented in a form of slapstick where the tramp has no idea what he’s doing. Through his own editing and the way he times these comedic moments, Chaplin creates something that is just compelling in the way he brings humor in order to tell the story as the Tramp is just eager to try to win over the girl from the city man. Overall, Chaplin creates a very lively and entertaining film about an ordinary man fighting for his beloved.
Cinematographer Roland Totheroh does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to play into the film‘s vibrant look. Production designer Charles D. Hall does nice work with the set pieces from the look of the hotel as well as the home of the Tramp‘s beloved. The film’s music by Charles Chaplin is brilliant as it’s quite comical in its orchestral presentation but also somber at times to play into the Tramp’s moments of despair.
The film’s great cast includes some notable small performances from Olive Ann Alcorn as a nymph that the Tramp dreams about, Henry Bergman in a dual role as a villager and the girl’s father, and Tom Wilson as the Tramp’s boss who often kicks him in the ass. Edna Purviance is wonderful as the village belle who adores the Tramp while being wooed by the city man who wants her affections. Finally, there’s Charlie Chaplin in a fantastic performance as the Tramp where Chaplin just brings in a performance that is always fun to watch from his physicality to how he expresses himself without words.
Sunnyside is a terrific short film from Charles Chaplin. The film is definitely one of his finer comedies in the way it displays his gift for slapstick humor, pantomime, and how he can create a scene in a funny manner. In the end, Sunnyside is an enchanting film from Charles Chaplin.
Charles Chaplin Films: (Twenty Minutes of Love) - (Caught in the Rain) - (A Busy Day) - (Her Friend the Bandit) - (Mabel’s Married Life) - (Laughing Gas) - (The Face On the Bar Room Floor) - (Recreation) - (The Masquerader) - (His New Profession) - The Rounders - (The Property Man) - (The New Janitor) - (Those Love Pangs) - (Dough & Dynamite) - (Gentlemen of Nerve) - (His Musical Career) - (His Trysting Place) - (Getting Acquainted) - (His Prehistoric Past) - (His New Job) - (A Night Out) - (The Champion) - (In the Park) - (A Jitney Elopement) - (The Tramp) - (By the Sea (1915 film)) - (His Regeneration) - (Work (1915 film) - (A Woman) - (The Bank) - (Shanghaied) - (A Night in the Snow) - (Burlesque on Carmen) - (Police (1916 film)) - (Triple Trouble) - (The Floorwalker) - (The Fireman) - (The Vagabond) - (One A.M. (1916 film)) - (The Count) - (The Pawnshop) - (Behind the Screen) - (The Rink) - (Easy Street) - (The Cure (1917 film)) - (The Immigrant (1917 film)) - (The Adventurer) - A Dog’s Life - (The Bond) - Shoulder Arms - A Day’s Pleasure - (The Professor) - The Kid - The Idle Class - Pay Day - The Pilgrim - A Woman of Paris - The Gold Rush - The Circus - City Lights - Modern Times - The Great Dictator - Monsieur Verdoux - Limelight - A King in New York - (A Countess from Hong Kong)
© thevoid99 2014
