Surrender to the Void

2013 Cannes Marathon: Lenny

2013-05-21T14:12:00.001-07:00

(Winner of the Best Actress Prize to Valerie Perrine at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival)

Directed by Bob Fosse and written by Julian Barry from his own play, Lenny is the story about comedian Lenny Bruce who pushed the envelope on the concept of stand-up comedy with obscenities as he rose high and later fell hard. The film is an exploration into the life of a man who tries to be outrageous to his audience only to succumb to drugs as the pressures of the authorities start to get to him. Also starring Valerie Perrine, Jan Miner, and Stanley Beck. Lenny is a riveting yet uncompromising film from Bob Fosse.

Lenny Bruce’s work in comedy wasn’t just shocking in the subjects he talked about also the way he talked about it where there was this sense of fearlessness in his work. While it garnered him praise from audiences as he is later considered one of the greatest comics ever. He was considered to be too obscene for his language as he would be arrested for these obscenities were the piling of arrests and legal issues along with his escalating drug abuse led to his downfall and his death of a morphine overdose in 1966. What this film does is tell Lenny Bruce’s story from not just his standup performances as he is also talking about his legal issues in one of his final standup shows. His story is also told from those who were closest to him in his life.

Julian Barry’s screenplay has a unique narrative that cross-cuts throughout the film where even though it is told chronologically from the time Lenny meets his future wife in a stripper named Honey (Valerie Perrine) to his death. Though the script would feature moments where Bruce is talking about his life in his last stand-up show, it is Honey as well as Bruce’s mother Sally Marr (Jan Miner) and his agent Artie Silver (Stanley Beck) that would talk about Bruce as they’re being interviewed. What they would reveal is just some of the attributes of Lenny that were good as he could be a kind, loving person who wants to do right while wanting to tell the truth to his audience. Yet, there are aspects about Bruce that is quite despicable as he is a junkie who can be cruel. He’s willing to sleep with other women and do all sorts of things while he can be very confrontational.

A lot of the story about Bruce’s life is told from Honey who would also endure her own trials and tribulation as she also became addicted to drugs where she would be in prison for two years forcing Bruce to take care of their daughter as he’s managed to do a good job. Still, the two struggle to be clean until Bruce finally becomes a success through his unique stand-up comedy as he’s getting paid lots of money but it also brings trouble. Notably in the third act in which Honey is released from prison as they both relapse where Bruce does a show that would mark the beginning of the end where his fall shows a man facing his troubles as he is desperate to do right again.

The direction of Bob Fosse is very entrancing for not just the way he presents the film but also give it an air of style where some of it is shot in nightclubs while having this feel where the film is sort of a documentary. While the look of the film as a whole is polished, there is an air of grittiness to the stand-up comedy scenes where things feel awkward at first but once Bruce finally finds his footing, there is something that is engaging where Fosse shows a reaction shot from the audience as well as Bruce himself. There’s an energy to the comedy act that occurs where it can be very risqué and confrontational but it’s also very funny since Fosse knows that Bruce is a satirist.

The direction maintains that air of risqué content in some parts of the film outside of the comedy with some striptease shows where if one was to see it from a present point-of-view, it’s really tame but it has an elegance that is lost in today’s stripping culture. There are also moments where Fosse shows that world of Bruce’s home life that is very dark where Honey is subjected into things that was considered taboo at the time while the drug scenes showcase that sense of detachment in Bruce’s life. The trial scenes have Fosse not only treat it with a sense of realism where sometimes it can be funny but also dramatic in the way Bruce tries to defend himself as the framing is quite startling to see Bruce on his own trying to prove to the court that he isn’t doing anything wrong. Overall, Fosse creates a very engrossing yet unsettling film about the life of Lenny Bruce.

Cinematographer Bruce Surtees does great work with the film‘s black-and-white cinematography to create a timeless look of the film as it is set from the 1950s to the 1970s in the interview scenes as it features some evocative lighting schemes in the clubs. Editor Alan Heim does excellent work with the editing to help structure the story by moving the interviews and the events back-and-forth while creating some rhythmic cuts for some of the audience reaction towards Bruce‘s act. Production designer Joel Schiller and set decorator Nicholas J. Romanac do amazing work with the set pieces from the look of the nightclubs to some of the look of the buildings from the 1950 and 1960s to play up a world that is unraveling through Bruce‘s act.

Costume designer Albert Wolsky does wonderful work with the costumes from the lavish stripper clothing of the 1950s to the more grimy, casual look that Bruce goes for in the 1960s. The sound work of Dennis Maitland is terrific for the atmosphere of the stand-up comedy scenes as well as some of the raucous moments in the trial scenes. The film’s music by Ralph Burns is superb as it is largely a jazz-based score with some up-tempo pieces to some more somber pieces for its drama as the soundtrack also includes some pieces by Miles Davis.

The casting by Marion Dougherty and Beverly McDermott is brilliant as it features some notable small roles from Rashael Novikoff as Bruce’s mother and Gary Morton as old-school entertainer Sherman Mort who tries to guide Bruce into what he should do. Stanley Beck is excellent as Bruce’s agent Artie Silver who tries to ensure Bruce’s financial future while being very loyal to him. Jan Miner is wonderful as Bruce’s mother Sally Marr who encourages him to succeed with his act while being troubled by his fall. Valerie Perrine is phenomenal as Honey Bruce as a woman who falls for Lenny and becomes a drug addict like him where Perrine just doesn’t exude sexiness but also vulnerability and a weariness as her character is being interviewed. Finally, there’s Dustin Hoffman in an incredible performance as Lenny Bruce where Hoffman brings a bit of sensitivity and vulnerability to the role but is also willing to be outrageous and confrontational as he captures all of the manic energy of Lenny Bruce.

Lenny is a remarkable film from Bob Fosse that features marvelous performances from Dustin Hoffman and Valerie Perrine. The film is definitely one of Fosse’s finest works as well as one of his darkest films that explores the world of humor and how one man was eager to push the envelope. The film is also an intriguing look into the life of Lenny Bruce and his reasons to create comedy with no rules. In the end, Lenny is a fantastic film from Bob Fosse.

Bob Fosse Films: (Sweet Charity) - (Cabaret) - (Liza with a Z) - All That Jazz - (Star 80)

© thevoid99 2013

2013 Cannes Marathon: Farewell My Concubine

2013-05-20T13:00:00.001-07:00

(Co-Winner of the Palme D’or w/ The Piano & Winner of the FIPRESCI Award at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival)

Based on the novel by Lilian Lee, Farewell My Concubine is the story about the life of two Peking actors who endure many events in the course of five decades as they watch China change through the years. Directed by Chen Kaige and screenplay Lilian Lee and Lu Wei, the film explores the relationship between two men who are bounded together by their love for Peking opera as they endure all sorts of things where they watch the history of China change from afar. Starring Leslie Cheung, Gong Li, and Zhang Fengyi. Farewell My Concubine is an engrossing yet heart-wrenching drama from Chen Kaige.

The film explores the lives of two revered actors of Peking opera who would encounter through many events in the history of China from 1924 during the days when warlords ruled the country to the post-Mao period of China in 1977. Though the story begins in 1977 when these two men in Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) are practicing the opera known as Farewell My Concubine that would recall how they met when Cheng was known as Xiaodouzi (Ma Mingwei) as he was accepted to the school after his mother cuts off an extra finger where he is later protected and befriended by Duan who was known as Xiaoshitou (Fei Yang). Both boys would endure harsh punishments in their training to be actors which would pay off as men where they would have success but Duan’s attraction towards a prostitute in Juxian (Gong Li) while Cheng is courted by an opera patron named Yuan Shiqing (Ge You).

The screenplay by Lillian Lee and Lu Wei not only uses the opera as a way to help tell the story about the fates of these two men but also the events they would endure such as Japan’s occupation of China in the 1930s, the end of World War II, the Chinese Civil War, and the Cultural Revolution. While they have a relationship that can be tumultuous at times, there is still love between these two men though Duan treats Cheng like a brother though Cheng’s feelings for Duan is more than just brotherly. The presence of Juxian would threaten that relationship as she would have an uneasy relationship with Cheng though she would become one of the few people in his life who would care for him. Even as she would help him face against accusations of treason in the aftermath of World War II or being usurped by his protégée Xiaosi (Lei Han) before a performance. The events that these two men and the people close to them would encounter wouldn’t just test their relationship but also would force them to do things they aren’t proud of.

Chen Kaige’s direction is very mesmerizing in the way he explores the world of two boys who grow into men in the span of five decades. Notably as he shoots some of the early scenes set in 1924 in black-and-white and then into color to express a period in time that is chaotic where children don’t have much prospects. Kaige also showcases the sense of realism into what boys have to do to become Peking opera actors where the training is very punishing but also has this sense of discipline that is just fascinating to watch. Though there are moments that are unsettling that would include tragedy, it would play into the development of Cheng and Duan as well as strengthening their bond. The former becomes intent on being a great actor after seeing the Farewell My Concubine play. The latter acts as the older brother who is aware of Cheng’s determination as he would help out. Both would become these revered actors with a troupe that acts as a family where the direction is straightforward in some parts of the film such as the close-ups and medium shots.

The scenes of the Peking opera is a major highlight of the film not just how the story is told but also in how the relationship between the two men play where things definitely become more chaotic as the events in China would reflect that. Notably in the third act where the relationship between Cheng and Duan is quite strained as there’s some courtroom dramas as well as dealing with Communist party over comments from the past and such. There is also a sense of disconnect that the two deal with as Duan is eager to have a simple life with Juxian while Cheng wants to play the role that he has done for all of his life. The outcome like the play itself would be tragic but also fitting to everything these two men endure. Overall, Kaige creates a very sprawling yet exhilarating drama about the lives of two actors and their encounter with history.

Cinematographer Gu Changwei does excellent work with the film‘s colorful cinematography with some of its early use of black-and-white to some of the colored lighting schemes and use of lights to play up some of its drama and its opera scenes. Editor Pei Xiaonan does brilliant work with the editing to play up some of its drama through rhythmic cuts while structuring the film with some fade-outs. Production designers Yuhe Yang and Zhanjia Yang, with art director Huaikai Chen, do fantastic work with the set pieces from the opera presentations to the training houses and places the characters encounter throughout the course of the film.

Costume designer Chen Changmin does amazing work with the costumes from the clothes the actors wear during the performance to the use of more casual yet simpler clothing to play out the sense of changing times. Makeup artists Fan Qingshan and Guan Rui Xu do terrific work with the makeup to create the personalities of the characters during their stage performances. The sound work of Jing Tao is superb for the atmosphere that is created in the opera scenes as well as the more raucous moments during the protests and such. The film’s music by Zhao Jiping is wonderful for its mixture of soaring orchestral music with Chinese folk music to capture the drama that occurs throughout the film.

The film’s cast is great as it features some notable small roles from Lu Qui as the boys’ master Guan, Li Dan and Yang Yongchao as the boys’ classmate Laizi as a child and later a teen, Li Chun as the teenage Xiaosi, Ying Da as the actor’s troupe manager Na Kun, Yidi as the Eunuch Zhang whom the teenage Cheng would meet, and Lei Han as Cheng’s young protégée Xiaosi who would later usurp him as a way to humiliate Cheng while taking part in the Cultural Revolution. Ge You is excellent as the opera patron Yuan Shiqing who takes an interest in Cheng as he is also a fan of Peking opera only to get into some trouble regarding his involvement with the Japanese.

Gong Li is tremendous as Juxian as a prostitute who later becomes Duan’s wife as she tries to deal with all of the turmoil they endure as well as Cheng’s fall from grace as she would try to help him despite her reservations towards Cheng. In the role of Duan Xiaolou, there’s Fei Yang as the child version of Duan brother while Zhao Hailong plays the version of Duan as a teenager where they both maintain that sense of protectiveness towards Cheng. For the roles of Cheng Diyei, there’s Ma Mingwei as the child version of Cheng and Yin Zhei as his teenager counterpart where both boys play up that air of androgyny in Cheng. In the adult roles of Duan and Cheng, Zhang Fengyi and Leslie Cheung are incredible in their respective roles with Fengyi being the more aggressive and testosterone approach of Duan while Cheung is more sensitive and dramatic as Cheng as the two are just fantastic to watch in the way they act together.

Farewell My Concubine is a phenomenal film from Chen Kaige that features the brilliant performances of Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi, and Gong Li. The film is definitely one of the most compelling stories about an ever changing world told from the eyes of two Peking opera actors trying to keep the Peking opera alive. It’s also a film that explores the bond between two men in the span of five decades as they endure all sorts of trials and tribulations during China’s tumultuous history. In the end, Farewell My Concubine is a rapturous film from Chen Kaige.

Chen Kaige Films: (Yellow Earth) - (The Big Parade) - (King of the Children) - (Life on a String) - (Temptress Moon) - (The Emperor and the Assassin) - (Killing Me Softly) - (Together (2002 film)) - (The Promise (2005 film)) - (Forever Enthralled) - (Sacrifice (2010 film)) - (Caught in the Web)

© thevoid99 2013

2013 Cannes Marathon: Happy Together

2013-05-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

(Winner of the Best Director Prize to Wong Kar-Wai at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival)

Written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai, Happy Together is the story about a tumultuous romance between two men as they travel from Hong Kong to Buenos Aires where they endure more trouble as they make up, break up, and do all sorts of things. The film is a look into the world of love and its complications told from the perspective of a man overwhelmed in his troubled relationship. Starring Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Leslie Cheung, and Chang Chen. Happy Together is a rich yet exotic film from Wong Kar-Wai.

The film is about a relationship between two different men as they travel to Argentina in hopes to visit the Iguazu Falls. Instead, they get lost on their way as they get separated only to meet again in Buenos Aires to resume their relationship but it becomes back-and-forth as one becomes frustrated while the other becomes very selfish. As much as Ho Po-Wing (Leslie Cheung) and Lai Yui-fai (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) have their differences in personalities and drive, they definitely love each other but there comes the question about whether or not they are right for each other? Ho is a very volatile individual who likes to party, get into fights, and be very controlling though he is often apologetic for his behavior but gets into that dangerous cycle again. Lai is a more responsible and sensitive man who is willing to help but doesn’t feel appreciated for what he does for Ho.

The film’s screenplay does have a structure of sorts though it’s very loose as Wong Kar-Wai is more interested in this very tumultuous relationship where it begins with the two arriving in Argentina where they attempt to travel to the Iguazu Falls by car but things don’t go well aside from the fact that the car is a piece-of-shit. Ho and Lai split up where the latter has to find work in order to raise money so he can return to Hong Kong while Ho just wanders around partying with various people and getting into fights where one fight has him coming back to Lai. The two end up being together in Lai’s apartment but the cycle of chaos and selfishness returns where Lai has to work to buy cigarettes and make food for Ho while Ho would blow the money gambling and such. It then raises questions into why does Lai put up with Ho’s selfishness? Another question is why can’t Ho just step up and actually do something for Lai other than teach him tango?

A lot of the film is told from the perspective of Lai as he tries to deal with his relationship with Ho while the narrative would later introduce another character in a Taiwanese immigrant named Chang (Chang Chen) who is definitely the kind of person that Lai needs in his life. While Chang is also someone trying to raise money to return to Taiwan, he’s an individual that is embarking on a journey of his own though his voice-over narration doesn’t reveal whether or not that he’s gay. Chang just adds a new dynamic for Lai’s character development though it also increases his sense of melancholia over how troubled his relationship with Ho is where things finally reach a breaking point.

The direction of Wong Kar-Wai is just intoxicating to watch with its hypnotic imagery and stunning approach to presentation. While it plays to a lot of the visual styles that Kar-Wai is known for that includes slow frame-speeds towards lingering images and motifs that includes lots of references to the Iguazu Falls such as the lamp Ho bought for Lai. It is told with a sense of restraint for the scenes in Lai’s apartment that is a bit cramped but also comforting though it would devolve into chaos once Ho stays there. There is an intimacy to those moments though Kar-Wai would maintain some energy to the scenes where Lai has to cook in the kitchen at his apartment building where it’s always chaotic and then walk up the stairs to his apartment carrying food.

For the scenes in Buenos Aires, Kar-Wai makes the city a character onto itself where it does have this strange yet ethereal quality for what happens in night such as tango dances and what goes on in the city. Notably a sequence where the Obelisco de Buenos Aires shown in the middle of the frame while the frame also contains the clock showing what time it is as it time moves forward. It plays into that world where Lai starts to feel lost as he is obsessed about going to the Iguazu Falls. The direction has Kar-Wai playing up that sense of frenetic style as the film is shown in this heightened yet grainy black-and-white film stock early on before going into full-on color where it plays up that mood of melancholia. Even in the end where once again the colors have this sense of style but also the fact that it plays about the outcome of this relationship as well as Lai’s journey to find strength in himself. Overall, Wong Kar-Wai creates a truly evocative and riveting drama about love gone wrong.

Cinematographer Christopher Doyle does phenomenal work with the photography from the use of grainy black-and-white to play up the turmoil of Ho and Lai‘s relationship to the use of colored lighting schemes to heighten that mood with the use of blue to showcase the images of the Iguazu Falls as well as some of the scenes in the morning as Doyle‘s work is a major highlight of the film. Editors William Chang and Wong Ming-lam do amazing work with the film‘s very stylized editing with its use of jump-cuts as well as playing around with frame-speeds to create these exotic images that play up some of its melancholia.

Production/costume designer William Chang does excellent work with not just the look of Lai‘s small yet quaint apartment but also the Chinese restaurant he and Chang work at as well as the Cantina the two go to while the costumes are mostly casual with some style to play up the different personalities of the three men. The sound work of Chi-Tat Leung and Du-Che Tu is brilliant for the atmosphere is created in some of the film’s locations including Iguazu Falls plus some of the moments at the places the characters encounter. The film’s soundtrack is wonderful for its intoxicating mix of music that features elements of tango-based music from Astor Pataleon Piazzolla as well as ballad by Caetano Veloso plus some frenetic music by Frank Zappa and a cover of the Turtles song Happy Together by Danny Chang.

The film’s small cast consists a lot of interesting appearances from the people in the film though it really belongs to its three principle actors. Chang Chen is great as Chang as a man who is intrigued by Lai’s presence in the restaurant they work as he is eager to go to the lowest point of South America where he would become the one sense of hope in Lai’s troubled life. Leslie Cheung is remarkable as the volatile Ho as a man who wants to party and do crazy things as he often takes advantage of Lai’s kindness while he also tries to apologize to him unaware of how valuable Lai is. Finally, there’s Tony Leung Chiu-Wai in an incredible performance as Lai as a man lost in a trouble relationship as he tries to pull away only to come back as Leung displays that sense of vulnerability and despair as a man who is unsure about who he is in a land that is foreign to him.

Happy Together is a magnificent film from Wong Kar-Wai that features superb performances from Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Leslie Cheung, and Chang Chen along with some amazing technical contributions from Christopher Doyle and William Chang. The film is definitely one of Kar-Wai’s finest films in terms of its visual style and exploration into the world of troubled relationships. It’s also a film that dares to ask questions while not giving any answers into this relationship that is very chaotic but also very loving. In the end, Happy Together is an outstanding film from Wong Kar-Wai.

Wong Kar-Wai Films: (As Tears Go By) - (Days of Being Wild) - Chungking Express - Ashes of Time/Ashes of Time Redux - (Fallen Angel) - In the Mood for Love - 2046 - (Eros-The Hand) - My Blueberry Nights - (The Grandmaster) - (The Auteurs #28: Wong Kar-Wai)

© thevoid99 2013

2013 Cannes Marathon: Somersault

2013-05-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

(Played at the Un Certain Regard Section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival)

Written and directed by Cate Shortland, Somersault is the story of a 16-year old runaway who travels to Jindabyne from Canberra in Australia where she meets a young man who is unsure of his identity. The film is an exploration into the search for identity between two young people who are both in the trenches between childhood and adulthood. Starring Abbie Cornish, Sam Worthington, Erik Thomson, and Lynette Curran. Somersault is an ethereal yet enchanting coming-of-age film from Cate Shortland.

The film is a coming-of-age tale in which a 16-year old girl runs away from home after making out with her mother’s boyfriend as she lands in Jindabyne Lake in hopes to start a new life. Though she eventually gets a job and a place to live, she befriends the son of wealthy ranchers who is going through a sexual identity crisis of his own as the two have a relationship though neither are unsure if it’s love or just sex. It’s all about a girl who is in this state of transition of girlhood and adulthood where she can be mature at times and can fend for herself but she’s also hung up on things like partying and making scrapbook collages filled with unicorns and glitter. Even her name in Heidi (Abbie Cornish) is somewhat girlish though she doesn’t seem to act like a girl.

Cate Shortland’s screenplay doesn’t carry much of a plot in order to explore Heidi’s sense of wonderment as she travels from the suburbia of Canberra to the ski town in Jindabyne Lake early in the film. Heidi is this girl who wanders into every situation as she can be quite going but also very introspective when she isn’t surrounded by large groups of people. In Joe (Sam Worthington), Heidi finds someone she thinks who can love her and be with her but Joe isn’t very sure as he likes to wander around to. Even as he starts to have feelings towards his neighbor (Erik Thomson) who already admits to being gay. Though Heidi would befriend a co-worker in Bianca (Hollie Andrew), she has no clue how to befriend someone who is quite different from her as Bianca lives a very careful life with a little brother suffering from Aspberger’s Syndrome.

Shortland’s direction is definitely stylish in the way she presents the film as she incorporates a lot of dreamy images to the scenes that play out including moments where Heidi wanders around this small town through its pubs and such. While a lot of the compositions and framing is straightforward with some close-ups and wide shots, Shortland infuses a lot of strange camera movements to create this sense of dream world where a girl can wander around as it includes a lot of slow-motion shots and exotic images in the snow and rain. Even as the camera would create frames that are filled with these moments of surreal images to play up the sense of emotions of Heidi. Overall, Shortland creates a very mesmerizing yet captivating drama about a young girl growing up.

Cinematographer Robert Humphreys does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful and entrancing cinematography filled with gorgeous usage of blue filters to play out the sense of dreaminess that Heidi encounters. Editor Scott Gray does amazing work with the editing as it has this array of style from jump-cuts and exotic frame speeds to play up Heidi‘s wonderment. Production designer Melinda Doring, with set decorator Glen W. Johnson and art director Janie Parker, does nice work with some of the set pieces such as the apartment flat Heidi stays at to some of the pubs and clubs that she and Joe frequent.

Costume designer Emily Seresin does terrific work with the costumes from some of the clothes that Heidi wears including the red mittens she buys at the BP where she later works at. Sound designer Sam Petty does superb work with the sound as it features some layers in the sound mixing for some of the parties and clubs along with the intimate moments in the more natural surroundings. The film’s music by Decoder Ring is fantastic as it’s largely low-key with its dreamy, ambient-based music while the soundtrack consists a mixture of pop and rock music in the clubs the characters encounter.

The film’s cast is excellent as it includes some notable small roles from Nathaniel Dean as Joe’s fellow ranch worker Stuart, Olivia Pigeot as Heidi’s mother, Damien de Montemas as the boyfriend of Heidi’s mother, Hollie Andrew as Heidi’s BP co-worker clerk Bianca, Erik Thomson as Joe’s neighbor Richard, and Lynette Curran in a wonderful performance as the hotel owner Irene who lets Heidi stay at her incarcerated son’s flat. Sam Worthington is superb as the sexually-confused Joe who is a young man that befriends Heidi as he isn’t sure if he’s in love with her or is just using her to fulfill his sexual needs. Finally, there’s Abbie Cornish in an exhilarating performance as Heidi as this young woman who is trying to find herself in a new town while dealing with her own identity as she is caught between the world of childhood and adulthood as it’s one of Cornish’s finest performances.

Somersault is a phenomenal film from Cate Shortland that features a brilliant breakthrough performance from Abbie Cornish. The film is definitely a visually-exotic as well as an evocative film that explores a young woman coming of age while meeting a young man who is also trying to find himself. It’s also a film that explores two people’s fascination with sex and its implications as they transition into adults. In the end, Somersault is a remarkable film from Cate Shortland.

Cate Shortland Films: (The Silence (2006 TV film)) - Lore

© thevoid99 2013

2013 Cannes Marathon: Police, Adjective

2013-05-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

(Winner of the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival)

Written and directed by Corneliu Porumboiu, Police, Adjective is the story of a police officer who questions his role after busting a teenage boy caught smoking hashish. The film is a look into the life of a young policeman who is conflicted over what to do as a man and as a police officer. Starring Dragos Bucur, Vlad Ivanov, and Ion Stoica. Police, Adjective is a chilling yet powerful drama from Corneliu Porumboiu.

The film is about the few days in the life of a policeman in Bucharest, Romania as he is eyeing a young kid who is rumored to be a hashish dealer. While he doesn’t think the kid is going to do anything wrong as laws about hashish/marijuana possession are likely to be changed. He knows that if he arrests the kid, he’ll ruin that boy’s life as he’ll be put in prison for some years even if he only carried a few grams of the substance. The film definitely follows this man named Cristi (Dragos Bucur) who is conflicted over what to do as he is told by his captain (Vlad Ivanov) about what to do though he claims the kid will get a reduced sentence.

Corneliu Porumboiu’s screenplay doesn’t have much of a plot as it is more about an officer dealing with his role while trying to see if there’s any valid evidence to arrest this young teenager. Even as Cristi is aware that the world is changing as he and his new wife had just returned from a honeymoon in Prague where he had seen people smoking hashish and is aware of the laws that are happening in Czech Republic. Still, he is faced with opposition in the police force about his conflict while things aren’t any easier as his young informant Alex (Alexandru Sabadac) doesn’t reveal anything that can be incriminating.

Porumboiu’s direction is quite simple in terms of the compositions he creates with a lot of wide and medium shots with some movements in the camera. Yet, he does infuse his scenes with a lot of long takes to establish some key moments of the story including playing out the drama in real time. There are no big moments in the film but rather smaller ones from the way Cristi arrives to his office and do his reports as well as come home at night where either his wife is making dinner or dinner is being made. Yet, it is all about Cristi trying to see if there is anything bad happening where he would follow a few people from afar so he wouldn’t raise suspicions while looking out at the home of this kid who could be the dealer. One key scene that is very engaging is the penultimate sequence where Cristi delivers his report to the captain as it’s a very powerful moment that plays into the conflict that Cristi is dealing with. Overall, Porumboiu creates a very haunting yet eerie film about doing what is right.

Cinematographer Marius Panduru does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it‘s mostly straightforward while using a few lighting schemes for some scenes at night. Editor Roxana Szel does nice work with the editing only to create a few rhythmic cuts to intensify some of the drama as a lot of it is quite methodical. Production designer Mihalea Poenaru does terrific work with the set pieces from the look of the police station to the quaint apartment that Cristi lives in with his wife. Costume designer Georgiana Bostan does some fine work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual. Sound recorder Christian Mike Sugar does wonderful work with the sound as it’s mostly low-key and atmospheric with the exception of a scene in Cristi’s apartment where his wife is listening to a Romanian pop ballad.

The film’s cast is brilliant as it mostly features small roles from Alexandru Sabadac as Cristi’s informant, Radu Costin as the supposed dealer, Irina Saulescu as Cristi’s wife Anca, and Ion Stoica as Cristi’s fellow officer Nelu. Vlad Ivanov is excellent as Captain Anghelache who tells Cristi what a cop should be as he later tells him about what the law means as well as some of its fallacies that adds more conflict for Cristi. Finally, there’s Dragos Bucur in a marvelous performance as Cristi as a young man who knows what it means to be young while he knows that he’s a cop but doesn’t want to ruin a young man’s life for something that he would later not be in trouble for.

Police, Adjective is an intriguing yet riveting drama from Corneliu Porumboiu. The film is a captivating look into the world of what the police does as well as the conflict into serving justice while things are becoming complicated. Notably in Romania where it plays to a cop who is aware of things changing around him outside dealing with the guilt that he might face. In the end, Police, Adjective is a superb film from Corneliu Porumboiu.

Corneliu Porumboiu Films: (12:08 East of Bucharest) - (A Nine Minute Interval)

© thevoid99 2013

2013 Cannes Marathon: Z

2013-05-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

(Winner of the Jury Prize & Best Actor Prize to Jean-Louis Trintignant at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival)

Based on the novel by Vassilis Vassilikos, Z is a loosely-based story on the assassination of Greek left-wing activist Gregoris Lambrakis as a murder is covered up by the government prompting a magistrate to finally uncover the truth. Directed by Costa-Garvas and screenplay by Costa-Garvas and Jorge Semprun, the film is a political thriller set during a tense period of civil unrest as well as exploring a world that is in absolute chaos. Starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Yves Montand, Irene Papas, and Jacques Perrin. Z is a provocative yet intriguing film from Costa-Garvas.

The film is a look into the assassination of a left-wing activist (Yves Montand) who is assassinated during a troubling period in Greece as many around him question about the murder. A government magistrate (Jean-Louis Trintignant) leads the investigation where he uncovers a lot of unsettling things including secret government extremist groups and other things as witnesses to the incident are being targeted as well. It’s all part of a world in which a government is trying to protect themselves from scandal that would ruin the reputation of this country yet a magistrate begins to learn that not only is he working for the bad guys but that the people he’s working for are committing atrocities that forces him to try and do the right thing.

The screenplay has a very unique structure that is traditional but is more about the element of suspense that occurs. The first is about this left-wing activist who arrives to find a place to hold a meeting and on that night of the meeting, he is attacked by mysterious men and eventually given a fatal hit in the head with a club as his personnel try to help him. The second act is about the government covering up while a photojournalist (Jacques Perrin) is trying to conduct his own investigation as he meets up with the activist’s wife (Irene Papas) who ravaged with grief and confusion over what happened. The third act relates to the magistrate’s investigation as well as his own discoveries with the help of the photojournalist about this secret group of right-wing extremists and the people they’re targeting.

It’s not just the structure and the dialogue that makes the screenplay interesting but also the characters as the activist is a man who wants to ensure a world that can be peaceful as he is a major threat to this right-wing, military-driven government. The activist is also a flawed man who is going through his own personal issues relating to his wife as once she arrives following the assassination, she is upset by what happened but also display mixed feelings over what happened. The magistrate is a man who lurks in the shadow for most of the film’s first two acts as he finally comes to his own in the third act as he talks to a few witnesses and doctors where he eventually comes to the conclusion that what happened was a murder as he starts to look towards the people he’s working for.

Costa-Garvas’ direction is very engaging for the way he captures a world of civil unrest in one of the most crucial periods in Greek history. Though it was shot in France and parts of Algeria while the language is spoken in French. The direction still has this element that an incident like this could happen anywhere in Europe where a lot of social changes are happening. There is an element of cinema verite in the way the direction is played out for the protest scenes as well as the assassination scene.

There is also some very entrancing compositions and stylistic shots for some of the film’s drama and suspenseful moments where Costa-Garvas aims for something that adds an air of mystery. The film also features some very intriguing ideas about the world at large as well as an epilogue that is really more in tune with how hard it is to change the world. Overall, Costa-Garvas creates a very intense yet chilling film about government conspiracy and one man’s attempt to do things right in a troubling world.

Cinematographer Raoul Coutard does amazing work with the film‘s photography from the sunny exteriors of the locations to more stylish lights for the scenes in night in its interior and exterior settings to create some dark moods for the film. Editor Francoise Bonnot does brilliant work with the editing as it‘s very stylized with jump-cuts and some flashback montages as it is truly a highlight of the film. Production designer Jacques D’Ovidio does excellent work with the set pieces such as the film‘s hospital operating room as well as the scenes in the hotel and halls where some of the protestors meet.

Costume designer Piet Bolscher does nice work with the costumes as it is a mixture of casual clothing along with military uniforms to present the military men. Sound editor Michele Boehm does terrific work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the protests and meetings as well as some eerie moments in some of the film‘s intimate moments. The film’s music by Mikis Theodorakis is fantastic for its mixture of intense Greek folk music with its string instruments to some bits of rock music as it helps create a chilling mood for the film as it’s another highlight of the film.

The film’s cast is superb as it features some notable small performances from Georges Geret as a witness got attacked, Magali Noel as that witness’ right-wing sister, Marcel Bozzuffi and Renato Salvatori as two assassins, Francois Perier as the public prosecutor, Clotilde Janno as a personnel of the activist, Charles Denner as the activist’s lawyer Manuel, and Pierre Dux as the general whom the magistrate suspects. Jacques Perrin is excellent as a determined photojournalist seeking to show the truth in any way or form as he hopes to do things right. Irene Papas is wonderful as the activist’s wife Helene who is trying to come to terms with her loss as well as all of her feelings towards her husband. Yves Montand is great in a small yet memorable performance as the activist trying to create peace in a period of civil unrest while eager to do things right for everyone including his family. Finally, there’s Jean-Louis Trintignant in an incredible performance as the magistrate as a man who starts off as an observer and then becoming someone trying to do what is right as he is aware of the consequences that he might face.

Z is a phenomenal film from Costa-Garvas that features brilliant performances from Jean-Louis Tringtignant and Yves Montand. The film is a masterfully-crafted thriller that explores the world of government cover-ups and conspiracies as well as a look into one of the most chaotic periods in the history of the world. In the end, Z is a remarkable film from Costa-Garvas.

Costa-Garvas Films: (The Sleeping Car Murders) - (Shock Troops) - (The Confession (1970 film)) - (State of Siege) - (Special Section) - (Womanlight) - Missing (1982 film) - (Hanna K.) - (Family Business (1986 film)) - (Betrayed) - (Music Box) - (The Little Apocalypse) - (Mad City) - (Amen.) - (Le Couperet) - (Eden is West) - (Le Capital)

© thevoid99 2013

2013 Cannes Marathon: Secret Sunshine

2013-05-16T14:43:00.001-07:00

(Winner of the Best Actress Prize to Jeon Do-yeon at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival)

Based on short story The Story of a Bug by Lee Cheong-jun, Secret Sunshine is the story of a widowed piano teacher who relocates to a small town with her son following the death of her husband as things get worse through troubling circumstances as a woman tries to start over. Written for the screen and directed by Lee Chang-dong, the film is an exploration into grief and faith as a woman struggles with the new challenges she faces in her life. Starring Jeon Do-yeon, Song Kang-ho, and Kim Young-jae. Secret Sunshine is a tremendously harrowing yet mesmerizing film from Lee Chang-dong.

The film is the story about a woman named Lee Shin-ae (Jeon Do-yeon) coping with loss as she decides to start all over with her son by relocating to her late husband’s hometown. With the help of a kind mechanic named Kim Jong-chan (Song Kang-ho), she becomes part of this small city until something tragic would happen as she descends into despair where she would go into a journey to find some idea of salvation. It’s a film that plays into the life of a woman as she is eager to make a new life for herself but things don’t go her way as she would descend into madness where she seeks to find something that can save her. It’s a melodrama that is told with such restraint as it doesn’t just explore loss but also faith as a woman begins to ask questions about the will of God.

Lee Chang-dong’s script takes its time to explore the trials and tribulations of Lee Shin-ae as she is this very gifted piano player who comes to the small city of Milyang that is translated as “secret sunshine” in Chinese. With her son Jun (Seon Jung-yeob), the two are hoping to find a new life in this small town until something happens where Lee faces some of the most devastating moments of her life. The script has a traditional structure where the first act is about Lee’s attempt to start over and her encounter with tragedy while the second act is about Lee’s desire to find salvation with Kim joining her to become a Born-again Christian just to support her. The third act is about Lee’s disillusionment with God and faith as she starts to act out while confronting Kim about his feelings for her as it all comes down to the loss that Lee has endured.

Chang-dong’s direction is very understated in its approach to melodrama as he shoots everything in location in Milyang and some of its nearby locations. The direction is filled with some very simple yet exotic images of the city and some of its places including Christian churches where people are trying to find some salvation. Though Chang-dong is aware that the people who are trying to help Lee have good intentions, they are definitely oblivious to how deep her pain is. Even as the direction does have some elements of style including some scenes where Lee is trying to see if God will talk to her as an act of defiance. Still, Chang-dong is willing to follow Lee in every moment she’s in while giving some time towards Kim who is eager to help her and win her over though it would prove to be complicated as Lee becomes more erratic and in despair. Overall, Chang-dong creates a very chilling yet powerful film about loss and faith.

Cinematographer Cho Yong-kyu does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful yet naturalistic cinematography to play up the world of Milyang as well as some stylish lights for some interior scenes at night. Editor Kim Hyun does terrific work to the editing as it‘s mostly low-key and straightforward with a few jump-cuts to play out some of its drama. Production designer Sihn Jeom-hui does nice work with the set pieces from the piano place and home that Lee lives in to the churches she and Kim attend.

Costume designers Cha Sun-young and Kim Nuri do fine work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual to play up the personality of the characters. The sound work of Steve R. Seo is superb for the setting it creates in the church scenes as well as the more intimate moments at Lee‘s home. The music of Christian Sasso is quite serene to play up the sense of melancholia with its heavy, string-based score.

The film’s cast is brilliant as it features some notable small roles from Kim Young-jae as Lee’s brother, Cho Young-jim as Jun’s schoolteacher, Song Mi-rim as the schoolteacher’s troubled daughter, and Seon Jung-yeob as Lee’s son Jun. Song Kang-ho is great as the very kind mechanic Kim who falls for Lee as he tries to help her get back on her feet as he does whatever to win her over. Finally, there’s Jeon Do-yeon in an unforgettable performance as Lee Shin-ae where Do-yeon displays a performance that is just entrancing to watch as a woman whose sense of hope to start over becomes lost in grief and despair while descending downward into a state of madness as it’s a truly haunting performance.

Secret Sunshine is an incredible film from Lee Chang-dong that features a magnificent performance from Jeon Do-yeon. It’s a film that explores the world of death and tragedy as well as one woman’s yearning for salvation. It’s also a very mesmerizing film that also explores the fallacy of faith and how it can take someone into the wrong direction. In the end, Secret Sunshine is a phenomenal film from Lee Chang-dong.

Lee Chang-dong films: (Green Fish) - (Peppermint Candy) - (Oasis (2002 film)) - (Poetry)

© thevoid99 2013

2013 Cannes Marathon: Japon

2013-05-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

(Special Mention of the Camera d’Or Prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival)

Written and directed by Carlos Reygadas, Japon is the story of a suicidal man who leaves Mexico City to go to the country looking for serenity as he bonds with an aging widow. The film is an exploration into the world of humanity and a man’s desire to find meaning in his life in a remote canyon in Mexico just as he is reaching his bottom. Starring Alejandro Ferretis, Magdalena Flores, and Yolanda Villa. Japon is an exhilarating yet visceral film from Carlos Reygadas.

The film is a story that follows a painter (Alejandro Ferretis) who travels to a remote part of the Mexican countryside to live in a remote village to kill himself. By living with this aging widow named Ascen (Magdalena Flores), the two bond as they deal with her nephew Juan Luis (Martin Serrano) who is eager to take stones away from her farm. While this man is dealing with his own issues, he tries to help out the old widow as she tries to help him as well. It’s all part of a world in which two people connect as they’re both going through aging as well as deal with things they couldn’t understand.

Reygadas’ script isn’t very conventional nor does it have any strong plot but rather be a study into the world of humanity as this old woman offers to serve this man though he doesn’t want her to do too much. Yet, they talk as the man is friendly with the locals as he sees this very unique world that isn’t filled with complications in relation to the world of the city. Particularly as there’s children playing around and see this like a horse having sex or people getting drunk at a local bar. It’s part of the world that Reygadas is creating in his script as he doesn’t use a lot of dialogue or plot-points to tell the story.

The direction has Reygadas presented is a film that is simple in its 16mm form but the compositions that he creates are just spellbinding. He lets the location be just as important as everything else in the film including images of animals being killed along with some very chilling scenes that play to the world of death. There are things that are played out naturally but also has the camera gazing at the locations and its people to showcase the majestic images of this land. There are also some religious imagery that plays out as it relates to Ascen while the desolate landscape is more about the man and his sense of loss.

The direction is also very stylized as well as quite confrontational though there are a few moments where it can meander. Notably as it features a lot of long shots that can go on for minutes to let things just play out naturally. Still, there is something in the film’s final sequence where Reygadas’ direction is just stunning in the way he unveils this final moment that is just truly mesmerizing. Overall, Reygadas crafts a very powerful and captivating film about humanity.

Cinematographers Diego Martinez Vignatti and Thierry Tronchet do excellent work with the film‘s grainy yet beautiful cinematography to play out some of the naturalistic images of the locations. Editors Daniel Melguizo, Carlos Serrano Azcona, and David Torres do amazing work with the film‘s stylized editing with the use of jump-cuts and dissolves to help play out its sense of improvisation and drama. Production designers Elsa Diaz and Alejandro Reygadas do terrific work with the set pieces from the look of Ascen‘s home and farm to present a world that is simple. The sound work of Gilles Laurent and Ramon Moreira do brilliant work with the sound with the atmosphere created in the locations to give something that is naturalistic. The film’s soundtrack consists largely of classical music from Johann Sebastian Bach, Avro Part, and Dmitri Shostakovich.

The film’s cast largely consists of non-actors to help play out the sense of realism as it includes some small roles from Rolando Hernandez as the local judge, Yolanda Villa as Ascen’s friend Sabina, and Martin Serrano as Ascen’s greedy nephew Juan Luis. The best performances definitely go to Magdalena Flores as Ascen and Alejandro Ferretis as the unnamed painter where the two bring out a sense of realism to their performance that isn’t overly dramatic while showcasing two people dealing with an ever-changing world.

Japon is riveting film from Carlos Reygadas. The film is definitely one of the most startling debut films to ever come out while it presents a world that is truly engrossing while featuring performances that feels authentic. In the end, Japon is a remarkable film from Carlos Reygadas.

Carlos Reygadas Films: Battle in Heaven - Silent Light - (Post Tenebras Lux)

© thevoid99 2013

2013 Cannes Marathon: Wings of Desire

2013-05-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

(Winner of the Best Director Prize for Wim Wenders at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival)

Directed by Wim Wenders and written by Wenders and Peter Handke with additional contributions from Richard Reitinger, Wings of Desire is the story about a group of invisible angels looking over Berlin as they hear the thoughts and prayers of the people they around them as one of them falls for a trapeze artist as he decides to become human. The film is an exploration into the world of faith as well as an angel’s desire to do all of the things humanity is doing. Starring Bruno Ganz, Solveig Dommartin, Otto Sander, Curt Bois, and Peter Falk as himself. Wings of Desire is a rich and exhilarating film from Wim Wenders.

The film is this very simple story about a group of angels watching over the city of West Berlin as they hear the thoughts and hopes of humanity. One of them in Damiel (Bruno Ganz) falls in love with a French trapeze artist in Marion (Solveig Dommartin) who is dealing with the abrupt closing of the circus she’s working for. Damiel’s desire to become human is one aspect of the story though it mostly follows him and his fellow angel Cassiel (Otto Sander) as they wander around Berlin to hear the people and comfort them in time of need. Meanwhile, Peter Falk is in Berlin working on a film as he wanders around the city thinking about its past as does an aging poet (Curt Bois) who Cassiel follows around. It’s all set in a crucial period just before the fall of the Berlin Wall as the angels are observing everything around them while there’s some temptation to experience humanity.

The screenplay by Wim Wenders and Peter Handke doesn’t play into a traditional structure as it’s all very loose where it is about two different worlds that come into play. One is the world that the humans are living as they’re going through all sorts of things while the other are the angels as they are often around the humans to see what is happening. Some are just doing well while others are struggling as the angels even get a chance to glimpse into the memories of a few who are still reeling from the aftermath of World War II. While Damiel and Cassiel are observing all of the people in Berlin, they know that they aren’t seen except from the children of the city. Around Peter Falk, he can sense their presence though he doesn’t see them as he tries to converse with them though he knows he can’t touch them. It’s among the many encounters that intrigues the two angels where Damiel’s infatuation towards Marion has him wanting to become human.

Though Cassiel understands why Damiel would want to do this, he is afraid of the consequences of what Damiel might experience as the film’s third act is about Damiel becoming human in the middle of no man’s land between the east and west sections of Berlin. For Damiel, it is about the experience of being human where he sees color for the very first time and experience such things as taste and smell where there is this air of innocence but also uncertainty. Still, there are those that come to play who will guide Damiel into finding what he needs.

Wenders’ direction is evocative in the way he presents a world that is changing just before the fall of the Berlin Wall as everything is happening as usual. From the perspective of the angels, Wenders gives them a very dream-like perspective as it’s shot largely in a monochrome black-and-white style where they are observers as they would often move around while humans are either still or just oblivious to their presence with the exception of the children and Peter Falk. Some of the shots that Wenders creates often have the camera looking down or just gazing from the air where the angels often place themselves at the Victory Column statue. The direction also has an air of style where there are brief moments where the film is shown in color whenever the angels aren’t at the presence of a major character or through stock footage of the aftermath of World War II.

The scenes shot in color are quite straightforward, especially in the third act where there is this great mix of the two palettes for the scene of Damiel’s transformation to become human in the middle of no man’s land in the Berlin Wall. The city of Berlin is a character in the film as Wenders makes it into a place that is going through some major changes though they’re unaware of what is going to be ahead of them in the next few years. Even as Wenders shoots a couple of concert scenes that feature performances from Crime & the City Solution and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds that would play major importance to the development of the story. Overall, Wenders creates a very mesmerizing and powerful film about the experience to be alive in the world.

Cinematographer Henri Alekan does brilliant work with the film‘s very stylized monochrome black-and-white style to capture the world of the angels as they are on Earth watching humanity play itself out while using some gorgeous colors for the scenes of humans venturing around the city without the presence of the angels. Editor Peter Przygodda does excellent work with the stylized editing with its use of dissolves and rhythmic cuts to play out the sense of reality and the world that the angels live in as well as the scenes of Damiel soaking in his first experience as a human being. Art director Heidi Ludi and set decorator Esther Waltz do amazing work with some of the set pieces from the set where Peter Falk is working at to the recreation of the Victory Column statue for its close-ups.

Costume designer Monika Jacobs does nice work with the costumes from the more reserved clothes of the angels to the stylish clothes of Marion. Sound mixers Axel Arft and Jean-Paul Mugel do fantastic work with the sound from the layer of the voice-overs where the angels hear the thoughts of the people to the scenes on location to display a world that is changing. The film’s music by Jurgen Knieper is wonderful as it is mainly an orchestral-based score filled with soaring arrangements and some circus music as the soundtrack includes cuts from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Crime & the City Solution, Laurie Anderson, and other classical pieces.

The film’s cast is superb as it is mostly filled with various people in many small roles though it really comes down to the five principle characters in the film that includes Curt Bois as an aging poet who feels lost in the world as he’s looking for Potsdamer Platz while Peter Falk is great as himself as a man observing his surroundings while trying to be part of the world that is Berlin. Solveig Dommartin is amazing as the trapeze artist Marion who is trying to deal with the loss of her art as she is struggling to find something in Berlin. Otto Sander is excellent as Cassiel as an angel who is playing his role as the observer while struggling with wanting to help those in need. Finally, there’s Bruno Ganz in a marvelous performance as Damiel as an angel who is intrigued by humanity as he falls for Marion as he is eager to experience humanity as Ganz brings a lot of heart into the role once his character becomes human.

Wings of Desire is an outstanding film from Win Wenders that features a brilliant ensemble cast as well as very captivating themes on humanity and the idea to be alive. It is definitely one of Wenders’ great achievements as well as a very engaging piece about being human as it’s told from the perspective of angels who are eager to comfort humanity in trying times. In the end, Wings of Desire is a phenomenal film from Wim Wenders.

Wim Wenders Films: (Summer in the City) - (The Goalkeeper’s Fear of the Penalty) - (The Scarlet Letter (1973 film)) - (Alice in the Cities) - (The Wrong Move) - (Kings of the Road) - (The American Friend) - (Lightning Over Water) - (Room 666) - (Hammett) - (The State of Things) - Paris, Texas - (Tokyo-Ga) - (Notebook on Cities and Clothes) - (Until the End of the World) - (Faraway, So Close!) - (Lisbon Story) - (Beyond the Clouds) - (A Trick of Light) - (The End of Violence) - (Buena Vista Social Club) - (The Million Dollar Hotel) - (The Soul of a Man) - (Land of Plenty) - (Don’t Come Knocking) - (The Palermo Shooting) - (Pina)

© thevoid99 2013

The Auteurs #23: Baz Luhrmann

2013-05-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

A filmmaker who is unapologetic for the fact that he makes films that are essentially lavish spectacles that are often known for being style over substance. Baz Luhrmann is a man who simply wants to entertain filmgoers in any way and form. Yet, he’s also an engaging storyteller who likes to the explore the world of love in all of its complications as well as the kind of power that it brings. Whether it’s through song or dance, Luhrmann is a man that wants to create a world that is escapist and dream-like but also make audiences believe that it could be real. With the Australian filmmaker finally making his return after a five-year gap with his much-delayed adaptation of The Great Gatsby, Luhrmann is a man who always know what to give the people what they want times 10.

Born on September 17, 1962 in Sydney, Australia, Mark Anthony “Baz” Luhrmann was the son of a farmer in Leonard Luhrmann and a ballroom dance teacher/dress shop owner in Barbara where the father later ran a petrol station and a movie theater in the small Australian town of Herons Creek. It was through his father’s management of the theater where Luhrmann saw many movies in his youth while being taught by his mother in the art of ballroom dancing. During his years in school, Luhrmann took part in many theatrical productions as an actor where he became very interested in the world of theater as he would later audition for the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Kensington in 1980 where he failed. After many auditions for the institute, Luhrmann was accepted where he later graduated in 1985.

It was during those years at the institute where Luhrmann met a young designer in Catherine Martin who would later become his wife as well as production/costume designer for all of his future films. Luhrmann and Martin spent much the 1980s staging various plays where he wrote many of them and acted in a few. Two of the plays Luhrmann directed was a musical in 1986 called Crocodile Creek while the other become the basis for his very first feature-film that was entitled Strictly Ballroom.

Strictly Ballroom

Luhrmann conceived the idea of Strictly Ballroom based on his experience learning ballroom dancing from his mother as well as what he had seen in that world where it’s very competitive. With his classmate Craig Pearce helping out as he would become one of many collaborators in Luhrmann’s team of people that would include Catherine Martin and costume designer Angus Straithe as they all came from the institute where they learned their craft. The play in short form premiered in 1984 where it helped Luhrmann gain critical acclaim where he was able to re-stage the play in 1986 for a youth drama festival in Bratislava. Luhrmann would expand the play into a feature-length play in 1988 in Sydney’s Wharf Theatre where it was seen by one of the key figures in the Australia music scene in Ted Albert.

Albert was famous for discovering the famed 60s Australian rock band the Easybeats as well as Australian pop singer John Paul Young. Impressed by what he saw, Albert and producer Tristram Miall approached Luhrmann to create a film version of the play it would take years for the project to come together that included a draft co-written with Andrew Bovell before Craig Pearce came into write what would be the final version of the script with Luhrmann. Another battle in the production was funding as Albert and Miall tried to get investors to help fund the project. While it would attract such names as Barry Otto and Bill Hunter who would both play the roles of the meekly Doug Hastings and the conniving ballroom federation president Barry Fife, respectively. Luhrmann knew that he wanted to fill the cast with not just veterans but also newcomers as well as real ballroom dancers for the film.

The cast would include newcomers such as Tara Morice, Gia Carides, and Paul Mercurio, the last of which was part of the Sydney Dance Company as he had never acted before. With the cast and crew that would include such future collaborators as editor Jill Bilcock, everything was set until November of 1990 when Ted Albert died of a heart attack. With the urging of Albert’s widow, the production would continue as the film would be dedicated to Albert as the $3 million budgeted would finally be made.

Despite having little experience with directing a film, Luhrmann was still intent on maintaining his own vision while wanting to create something that was entertaining but also heart. The film would be the first in a trilogy of films known as The Red Curtain Trilogy as each film contained some form of theatricality that Luhrmann was craving for. Even as he wanted to explore the themes of love and creativity as the character of Scott Hastings that Paul Mercurio played is a young dancer fed up with the rules as he seeks for some kind of freedom. By taking in an inexperienced ugly duckling in Fran, played by Tara Morice, who does know a bit of flamenco dancing. The young Hastings would find something that would fulfill him artistically as well as do something that would help him realize to the strict world of ballroom dancing that rules are meant to be broken.

While the film would be largely romantic with bits of comedy as well as some lavish scenes involving the truth about Scott’s meekly father Doug and why he’s been dancing in total secrecy. There is also an element of satire that Luhrmann wanted to infuse as it opens in a documentary style where many of the characters wondered what happened on the day Scott decides to do something that would cost him his shot in being a champion. It all would play into a sense of style that Luhrmann wants to not just introduce his characters but also establish the events that would lead to everything that happened in the rest of the film.

Just a month before the film’s unveiling at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, tragedy struck when actress Pat Thomson, who played Scott’s mother, died of cancer making its premiere a bit bittersweet for Luhrmann, his cast, and crew. Despite a poorly-received exhibitors screening before the festival where one claimed that Luhrmann’s career was ruined, Luhrmann was hoping for the best at the Cannes Film Festival. The result would be a smash hit as it received a bit ovation from audiences where it won the Prix de Jeunesse at the festival as well as getting a major international release where Miramax released the film in 1993.

The film proved to be a major worldwide hit with audiences and critics as it won Luhrmann several awards for the film from the Australian Film Institute as well as a few British Academy Award wins for its costume design, music, and art direction. The film also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Film from a Musical or Comedy as it unveiled that Luhrmann had officially arrived.

William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet

The success of Strictly Ballroom gave Luhrmann the chance to take on any project he wanted as he also became part of a new wave of Australian films that were crossing over internationally that included The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Muriel’s Wedding that both featured Bill Hunter. Still, Luhrmann wasn’t going to go into a new project immediately as he decided to take some time to think it over as he eventually decided to do a modern-day version of William Shakespeare’s romantic-tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Luhrmann pondered what would Shakespeare do if he was to helm a film at this time as he decided to do a modern take on the story but keep the language of Shakespeare.

With Craig Pearce co-writing the screenplay, Luhrmann wanted to be faithful to the story while changing a few things in terms of its plot and setting to make it more contemporary and dramatic. Notably by replacing swords with guns, cars instead of horses, and having the Montagues and the Capulets be rival businessmen who hate each other. Luhrmann presented his script to 20th Century Fox that were intrigued that they gave Luhrmann money to create some test footage and do workshop to see how it can be presented. The idea of a modern version of Romeo and Juliet also intrigued actors as Luhrmann wanted young actors to play the role. Leonardo diCaprio, who was a rising young star with an Oscar nomination for his supporting work in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, took part in the workshop by flying to Sydney as Luhrmann found his Romeo.

With a cast that would include such veteran actors as Brian Dennehy and Christina Pickles as the Montagues, Paul Sorvino and Diane Venora as the Capulets, Miriam Margoyles as the nurse, and Pete Postlethwaite as the friar. The cast would also be filled by then-newcomers that included Harold Perrineau as Mercutio, Paul Rudd as Count Paris, and Colombian-based comedy actor John Leguizamo as Tybalt. While filling out the cast was easy, finding the actress to play Juliet was hard as Luhrmann chose Natalie Portman to play the role. After some test footage with the then-teenage Portman, Luhrmann realized she was too young for the part as production was grounded so that Luhrmann can have more time to find Juliet. Eventually, the part went to Claire Danes who had also a rising young actress at the time following a few films and a memorable turn as a teen in the short-lived TV show My So-Called Life.

While the film was partially shot in Miami, the bulk of the production was shot in Mexico where Luhrmann’s crew of collaborators was expanded that included set decorator Brigitte Broch who was already known for her work with up-and-coming Mexican filmmakers Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuaron. With cinematographer Donald McAlpine shooting the film, Luhrmann wanted to use locations in Mexico and Miami as Verona Beach where it would be a character in the film. For the Capulet mansion, they used the exteriors of Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City while shooting many of its interiors in a studio nearby where Catherine Martin and Brigitte Broch created something was a spectacle as well as creating a ruined theater in Miami Beach for the scenes set the beach.

While Luhrmann wanted to maintain a sense of innocence and lavish style to help tell the story, he also wanted music to help enhance the story. With composer Craig Armstrong providing some music to the film, Marius de Vries and Nellee Hooper would also create original music for the film as well as assembling the soundtrack. The soundtrack would be a reflection of the alternative music scene at the time as it included contributions from the Butthole Surfers, Everclear, Garbage, and the Cardigans as well as songs from Radiohead and Gavin Friday while British soul singer Des’ree sang the love theme for the film. One of the tracks Radiohead created was an early version of the song Exit Music (For a Film), that would later appear in their 1997 landmark album OK Computer, as it would help add that sense of tragedy that Luhrmann wanted for the film.

The film premiered in the U.S. on November of 1996 with a lot of anticipation based on its marketing and the fact that it had Leonardo diCaprio and Claire Danes as the lead. While it didn’t get the same acclaim as Strictly Ballroom, the film still got excellent reviews while it was a major hit in the box office as it elevated the careers of diCaprio and Danes. The film premiered at the 1997 Berlin Festival where diCaprio won the Best Actor prize while Luhrmann won the Alfred Bauer Prize as the film would also win four BAFTAs for its direction, art direction, screenplay, and music while Catherine Martin and Brigitte Broch got an Oscar nomination for art direction.

Moulin Rouge!

With two back-to-back successes under his belt, Luhrmann took a break before venturing into his next project. During a trip to India where Catherine Martin was doing set design work for a theatrical production of Midsummer’s Night Dream in the mid-90s, the two spent part of their time watching Bollywood musicals where Luhrmann realized that there was something missing in the world of film which were the musicals. Luhrmann had been a fan of the musicals for many years but was aware of the genre’s decline since the 1980s where many films at the time didn’t do well commercially and critically where there was a feeling that the genre was dead except in animated films. With the success that Romeo + Juliet was able to give him, Luhrmann spent his time creating a project that would resurrect a dying genre.

With Craig Pearce helping to write what would become Moulin Rouge!, the film would take place in 1899 Paris where a young man is eager to become a writer at the Moulin Rouge where he falls for a courtesan where the two and a group of artists attempt to create a spectacular musical about truth, beauty, freedom, and love for a duke. Luhrmann cited the Greek tragedy of Orpheus as a tool of inspiration in relation to the tragic love story between Orpheus and Eurydice. Notably as the Orpheus character was someone who was a genius musician who made music that was ahead of its time as he created the character of Christian as a take on Orpheus as he would tell the story a year after everything he had encounter upon his arrival to Paris.

Retaining many of his collaborators that included Catherine Martin, set decorator Brigitte Broch, editor Jill Bilcock, cinematographer Donald McAlpine, music composer Craig Armstrong, and co-costume designer Angus Straithe. Luhrmann knew the production was going to be lavish and out of this world as he cited Francis Ford Coppola’s notorious 1982 flop One from the Heart as a way to create a world that was artificial yet full of imagination as if it was a more extravagant take of 1899 Paris. With a budget of nearly $53 million, it was to be bold and ambitious but Luhrmann wouldn’t have it any other way as he knew that he was taking a major risk.

While Peter Whitford and Tara Morice from Strictly Ballroom would make small appearances, John Leguizamo took on the role of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec as he had to do a lot of his acting on his knees to play a small man. The cast would be filled by a huge collective of actors that includes British actor Jim Broadbent as Harold Zidler, Jacek Koman as the Narcoleptic Argentine, Richard Roxburgh as the Duke of Monroth, and Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue in an appearance as the Green Fairy. For the lead role of Santine, Nicole Kidman was cast while finding the actor to play Christian was difficult as it eventually went to Scottish actor Ewan McGregor.

Shooting began in November of 1999 in studios in Sydney with bits of shooting in Spain. While there were some production issues including a halt when Nicole Kidman got injured during a dance number in the production. The shooting was able to get finished in May of 2000 as it was slated for a Christmas 2000 release. Yet, there were other problems that Luhrmann had to encounter that made things much longer as he wanted to get the rights to the songs that he wanted to use for the film as it took him two years to do so.

Since Luhrmann chose not to have any new songs written for the film, he instead went with songs from the 20th Century to create something that was meant to be anachronistic but also made sense to help tell the story. Ranging from all sorts of pop songs dating back to standards like Nat King Cole’s Nature Boy to something like Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit. It would be a mish-mash of music that would play up the sense of excitement of the times as well as the romance between Santine and Christian.

After being delayed for several months, the film finally made its premiere as the opening film at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival where it was well-received at the festival. The film would make its theatrical premiere in Australia in late May while opened in the U.S. a week later where it got some excellent reviews as well as making nearly $180 million worldwide. The film’s success not only helped revive the musical but also put Luhrmann on top as he was lauded for his work on the film.

The film was selected as the best film of the year by the National Board of Review while winning three Golden Globe Awards for Best Film from a Musical/Comedy, Best Score, and a Best Actress from a Musical/Comedy to Nicole Kidman. The film won three BAFTAs for its sound, music, and a Supporting Acting award to Jim Broadbent while the film would win 2 Oscars for its art direction and costume design as it also got six additional Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Actress for Kidman while Broadbent would win a Best Supporting Oscar for another film in Iris. Four years later, the film was selected by the American Film Institute as one of the 25 great musicals paving the way for more musicals to re-emerge where Rob Marshall’s Chicago won Best Picture at the Oscars a year later.

Australia

The success of Moulin Rouge!, Luhrmann set his sight towards making a grand bio-pic on Alexander the Great with Leonardo DiCaprio in the role as it would also star Nicole Kidman and feature a script by British playwright David Hare. Years of development as well as building a studio in Northern Sahara faltered when another production about Alexander the Great from Oliver Stone was in the works as it would eventually be released in late 2004. Due to the poor reception of Stone’s film, Luhrmann eventually decided to abandon the project as he spent more time back in Australia deciding to make another ambitious project where he can spend more time in his home country with his two new children.

Intrigued by a group of half-Aborigine children who had been taken away from their Aborigine families to serve under white society by the Australian government that were known as the Stolen Generations. Luhrmann wanted to write a film that revolved around those children as well as a crucial period in time for the country that included the infamous Darwin bombings of 1942 by the Japanese during World War II. Luhrmann had always wanted to create a film about his home country that would be an epic similar to Gone with the Wind while infusing some of his own ideas that would give something for everyone to see as he is just simply called the film Australia.

With the exception of his wife Catherine Martin on board, Luhrmann made a lot of changes to the crew he would use as he gained sound designer Wayne Pushley and casting directors Nikki Barrett and Ronna Kress to be part of his new team. Martin also got set decorator Beverley Dunn and art director Ian Gracie to be part of her team while Luhrmann was also to retain the services of Michael Hirschfelder to do the music as the two hadn’t worked together since Strictly Ballroom. For the casting, Luhrmann was able to get Barry Otto and Bill Hunter to play small roles for the film as well as Jacek Koman to be part of a grand collective of actors who were considered national treasures like Bryan Brown and Jack Thompson.

With Nicole Kidman signed on to play the leading role of Lady Sarah Ashley in 2005 as she spent time learning to round up cattle to prepare for her role. The role of the Drover went to Russell Crowe until he left the project in 2006 due to demands over script approval. Heath Ledger was approached to play the part as it eventually went to Hugh Jackman as casting continued into early 2007 as it would include David Wenham as the antagonist Neil Fletcher. For the role of the half-Aborigine boy Nullah, Luhrmann searched for months to find the young actor to play the role as 11-year old Brandon Walters was finally selected to play the part.

After several delays that plagued the production, shooting finally began in late April of 2007 though things still weren’t easy as Kidman learned she was pregnant forcing her to not take part in another film she signed on for in The Reader. Kidman also got ill during the production including scenes set in Kununurra area of western Australia where things got worse due to weather. Despite all of the problems that had plagued the production, shooting was finally finished in December of 2007 though Luhrmann did some additional re-shoots in August of 2008. During the film’s lengthy post-production in 2008, Luhrmann had a hard time figuring out how to end the film due to a poor test screening reception as he shot three endings finally selecting it for the film’s late November 2008 release.

The film finally premiered in that late November of 2008 where it did well commercially as it grossed over $200 million worldwide but its U.S. box office numbers were disappointing grossing nearly $50 million. The reviews for the film were very mixed as some critics praised it for its sweeping visuals and the leading performances of Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Yet, some were critical over its length, script, and other issues. While the film was a major hit in its native country and got a few awards from its local critics circle plus an Oscar nomination for Catherine Martin’s costume design. The film gave Luhrmann one of his big disappointments as he took a step away from the spotlight.

The Great Gatsby

While working on the post-production for Australia, Luhrmann was interested in doing another project that was to be a return to the lavishness of Moulin Rouge! in an adaptation of F. Scott’s Fitzgerald 1925 novel. Though Luhrmann took some time off after the release of Australia, he reunited with Craig Pearce to write a screenplay for the project. Luhrmann’s motivations for the film was to create something that showcased a world that seemed disconnected from reality as he felt that not much has changed in the 1920s to what is happening in the 21st Century.

The film would mark a reunion between Luhrmann and Leonardo diCaprio as the two were supposed to do the Alexander the Great film back in 2004 where diCaprio got the lead role of Jay Gatsby while Luhrmann also brought in Jack Thompson in the role of Dr. Walter Perkins as well as a cameo from Barry Otto. The cast would be filled by several Australian actors such as Jason Clarke as George B. Wilson, Isla Fisher as Myrtle Wilson, and newcomer Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker. With Tobey Maguire playing the role of Nick Carraway while Joel Edgerton got the part of Tom Buchanan after Ben Affleck turned it down due to work on Argo. The search for the role of Daisy Buchanan proved to be a challenge as many young actresses were up for the part where in early 2011, British actress Carey Mulligan got the part.

Another major part of the casting was giving the role of Jewish gangster Meyer Wolfsheim to legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan as Luhrmann began shooting the film in September 2011 in Sydney, Australia instead of shooting the film in New York City. With Catherine Martin doing both the costume and production design while also serving as a producer, the film was to be a lavish look of the 1920s where the whole world was exaggerated while there is this sense of disconnect with a part of New York City known as the Valley of Ashes in between the city and the home of Jay Gatsby.

Since the film was to play with Luhrmann’s continuing theme in love, Luhrmann knew that there would have to be some kind of conflict over Gatsby’s desire to win back Daisy whom he hadn’t seen in five years. While Luhrmann used the same narrative device that he had done with Moulin Rouge!, the difference was that it would be told from Nick Carraway’s perspective as a man trying to recover from the decadence he took part in. Even as Carraway would watch closely to see Gatsby’s attempt to reclaim the past as it would eventually be his own downfall.

Another reunion for Luhrmann in the project was with music composer Craig Armstrong as he created a score that was largely orchestral while the music soundtrack would consist largely of contemporary pop music as rapper Jay-Z led the charge as he was also one of the film’s executive producers. The use of music allowed Luhrmann to find something that would be anachronistic but also play up to the energy and decadence of the times where the music would seem to make sense.

The film premiered on May 10, 2013 after being delayed for more than a year as it would also open the Cannes Film Festival five days later. While the film did receive mixed reviews from American film critics, it has managed to do well at the box office where audiences enjoyed the film’s lavishness as well as Leonardo diCaprio’s leading performance. While Luhrmann was aware of the criticism he was to receive for his approach to the film. He was unapologetic for making something that he knew was familiar with his other work as the film is in some ways another winner for the director.

Additional Works

Aside from his work in films and theater, Lurhmann has took part in various projects that each featured his own stamp on things. One project he did was a music video for John Paul Young’s Love Is in the Air to promote Strictly Ballroom. Featuring appearances from Paul Mercurio and Tara Morice, it is a video that is filled with kind of lavishness that Luhrmann is known for.

In 1998, Luhrmann released an album that was filled with remixes of songs that appeared in his films as well as spoken word material. Among them was a track called Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) as it featured the words of Mary Schmich as it’s spoken by Australian actor Lee Perry where the song was a worldwide hit while peaking at number 45 in the U.S.

In 2004, Luhrmann made a commercial for Chanel No. 5 with Nicole Kidman and Rodrigo Santoro that was inspired by the film Roman Holiday. The full-length 3-minute commercial showcases not just something that is part of Luhrmann’s visual style but also something that displays the idea of what Chanel is as it includes some costumes by Karl Lagerfeld.

While he may be known for being excessive or being a sensationalist, there is no question that Baz Luhrmann just wants to give the audience a good time. With five feature films under his belt and rumors of him doing another film with Leonardo diCaprio in an adaptation of Hamlet. He’s definitely a filmmaker who has a particular style that people either go for or not yet he always find something where he can tell a story and find some way to connect it to someone even if they can’t relate to it. That’s why Baz Luhrmann is important to the world of cinema as he can create something spectacular but also infuse it with heart.

© thevoid99 2013

The Great Gatsby (2013 film)

2013-05-13T15:25:00.002-07:00

Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby is the story of a millionaire in the Roaring 20s as he lives an extravagant life as his new neighbor tries to get to know him and the mysteries about this millionaire. Directed by Baz Luhrmann and Luhrmann and Craig Pearce, the film is a stylized take on the famed novel with lots of lavish set pieces with a soundtrack that is mixture of 20s jazz with contemporary pop music. Starring Leonardo diCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Debicki, Jason Clarke, and Amitabh Bachchan as Meyer Wolfsheim. The Great Gatsby is a lavish yet mesmerizing film from Baz Luhrmann.

The film is the story a mysterious millionaire who throws these lavish parties in the hopes that an old flame would return to him to rekindle the love they once had. Yet, it is told largely from the perspective that millionaire’s neighbor Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) who is given personal access to the life and mind of this mysterious man known as Jay Gatsby (Leonardo diCaprio) as he recalls his time with the millionaire to a doctor (Jack Thompson). While Carraway tells this story, he delves into the mystery of Gatsby and his love for Carraway’s cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) who is married to a former polo player in Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). Yet, secrets are unveiled as Carraway tries to guard everything about Gatsby who is eager to revive an old past that can’t be replicated.

The screenplay that Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce creates moves back-and-forth as it is told from a weary Carraway at a hospital many years after the events of the story. While it’s a narrative device that Luhrmann had used before, it does help to play into the many mysteries that are slowly revealed. Notably the character of Gatsby himself as he throws these very lavish parties but few people see him with the exception of Carraway and a famed golf pro in Jordan Baker (Elizabeth Debicki) as the latter sort of knows Gatsby. There is still a traditional three-act structure in the film where the first act is about Carraway’s arrival in 1920s New York City where he lives next door to Gatsby as he later meets him. The second act is Carraway reintroducing Gatsby to Daisy as the two try to replicate what they once had. The third is Gatsby’s attempt to win Daisy all over again for good in an attempt to repeat the past only to be exposed by the jealous Buchanan.

Carraway is the film’s observer as he would also take part in some of the decadence that occurs but he’s also the great protector where he would guard secrets but sometimes it would be the detriment to those involved. The character of Daisy is sort of this aloof young woman who has married this former polo champion who is also a philandering man with a mistress in Myrtle Wilson (Isla Fisher). By coming back to Gatsby, she is eager to find happiness again but she becomes conflicted in her devotion to Buchanan who is suspicious about Gatsby as he becomes a very conniving individual eager to expose Gatsby to the world. He would also be the person that would play into Gatsby’s fall in the third act as it leads to some tragic consequences that Carraway would never recover from.

Luhrmann’s direction is definitely outrageous as he goes for something that is very decadent as well as extravagant to play up the energy of the 1920s. Still, it emphasizes into what Luhrmann wanted to reveal into a world that is sort of out of touch with reality where Gatsby is this shadowy party host who has more ambiguous intentions for these parties. For the Carraway character, Luhrmann displays him as a man who is in the action but also out of the action as a man lost in a very crazy world. Luhrmann definitely creates a lot of compositions and set pieces that play up to that sense of excitement where these parties are out of control. Yet, he also does slow things a bit when it comes to the romance between Gatsby and Daisy as if it’s all about trying to repeat the past.

Since it is told from Carraway’s perspective as it uses a lot of voice-over narration, it does play into something where it is about a young man trying to find himself in the wake of this very chaotic period of time. Though there’s some flaws in the narration since it does give away a lot, it does help to flesh out some of the characters. While there are moments in the film where the decadent moments can be a bit overwhelming, it is balanced by some very lush scenes that unveil a sense of longing as well as the tragedy that comes into play in the third act. The direction is very stylized in where Luhrmann places the camera as well as the setting he creates where there is some tension but also drama. Overall, Luhrmann creates a very exciting and poignant film about love and secrets in a period of decadence.

Cinematographer Simon Duggan does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography with its exotic colors of the daytime and nighttime exteriors including some lighting schemes in the interiors plus some lush coloring for some of its flashback scenes. Editors Matt Villa, Jason Ballantine, and Jonathan Redmond do some nice work with the editing though it sometimes go a bit fast to play out that sense of chaos while it does slow down a bit as the film goes on to get a sense of what is happening in the drama. Production/costume designer Catherine Martin, with set decorator Beverley Dunn and supervising art director Ian Gracie, does amazing work with the lavish set pieces such as the Gatsby home and the look of 1920s New York City while the costumes are very colorful and full of style as it plays to the period of the times.

Hair designer Kerry Warn and makeup designer Maurizio Silvi do brilliant work with the look of the characters from the hair and some of the makeup to play that sense of sensationalism. Visual effects supervisor Tony Cole does terrific work with the visual effects for some of the exteriors of New York City to some backdrops for the surroundings the characters inhabit. Sound designer Wayne Pashley does superb work with the sound from the way the parties play out with its sense of energy to some of the intimate moments in the film. The film’s music by Craig Armstrong is wonderful for its lush orchestral music to play out the sense of romance between Gatsby and Daisy as well as some more heavy pieces to play out it‘s melancholia. Music supervisor Anton Monsted creates a very fine soundtrack of music that features an array of 20s jazz music mixed in with contemporary pop music from Jay-Z, the xx, Lana del Rey, Emile Sande, Fergie, and many others.

The casting by Nikki Barrett and Ronna Kress is fantastic for the ensemble that is created as it features some appearances from Barry Otto as a partygoer, Conor Forgarty as Gatsby’s butler, Adelaide Clemons as Myrtle’s cousin Catherine, Callan McAullife as the young Gatsby, and Jack Thompson as Carraway’s doctor Walter Perkins. Amitabh Bachchan is excellent as the gangster Meyer Wolfsheim as a man who is full of charisma as he treats Gatsby like an old friend while Jason Clarke is terrific as the oblivious George Wilson. Isla Fisher is wonderful as the very needy mistress Myrtle Wilson who feels slighted by Buchanan while Elizabeth Debicki is amazing as the very fun yet knowing Jordan Baker who guides Carraway into the world of the rich.

Joel Edgerton is great as the very devious Tom Buchanan as a man who does love Daisy but is suspicious about Gatsby though he admits to his own flaws as a man. Carey Mulligan is superb as Daisy Buchanan as a young woman who becomes conflicted in her devotion to Tom and her love for Gatsby as she’s also sort of flighty. Tobey Maguire is brilliant as Nick Carraway as an outsider who becomes part of the world while becoming the one person bearing the responsibility to carry the secrets he has learned from the people he meets. Finally, there’s Leonardo diCaprio in a remarkable role as Jay Gatsby as he’s a man that exudes charm and with while being totally cool where diCaprio also shows some humor in his performance as well as humility in the third as it is one of his finest performances.

The Great Gatsby is a marvelous film from Baz Luhrmann that features a phenomenal performance from Leonardo diCaprio. Along with a great supporting cast and some amazing technical work, the film is definitely a very sensational and excessive film that isn’t afraid to be style over substance. While it does have some flaws, it is still a film that is engaging for exploring that world of 1920s decadence as well as a man’s desire to reclaim the past. In the end, The Great Gatsby is a sprawling yet exciting film from Baz Luhrmann.

Baz Luhrmann Films: Strictly Ballroom - William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet - Moulin Rouge! - Australia - The Auteurs #23: Baz Luhrmann

© thevoid99 2013

Iron Man 3

2013-05-12T18:55:00.001-07:00

Based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby and from the Extremis story arc by Warren Ellis, Iron Man 3 is the third installment of the Iron Man story in which Tony Stark faces with a new, mysterious enemy who is eager to wreak havoc into Stark’s life. Directed by Shane Black and screenplay by Black and Drew Pearce, the film picks up where The Avengers left off as Stark must deal with his role as Iron Man as he’s once again played by Robert Downey Jr. Also starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, James Badge Dale, Ty Simpkins, Jon Favreau, and Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin. Iron Man 3 is a thrilling and adventurous film from Shane Black.

The film revolves around Tony Stark battling an unknown enemy known as the Mandarin who is wreaking havoc on the world as he’s targeting the U.S. President (William Sadler). Yet, things become more complicated as Stark is dealing with anxiety issues relating to the events in The Avengers as he starts to alienate people close to him. Meanwhile, Stark is also dealing with the presence of Adrian Killich (Guy Pearce), who has been known for creating a virus that can help regenerate body parts, as he wants to go after Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) to get Starks to help fund his work. It’s all part of a world in which Stark becomes overwhelmed as he has no idea what to do while eventually realizing that he’ll need to do things to help those he care for.

The screenplay by Shane Black and Drew Pearce explores not just Stark’s anxieties as well as his obsession to perfect the Iron Man suits he wears but also to use it so he can protect Pepper. Yet, he’s also dealing with the sins of the past as it relates to Killich who made an offer to Stark back in New Year’s Eve 1999 only to reject the offer while on that same night, he had a one-night stand with a botanist named Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall) who would be one of the people that would create the Extremis virus. These sins would come back to haunt him as Stark tried to target the Mandarin in which one of his bombs put his former bodyguard Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) into a coma. All of these incidents and the presence of the mysterious Mandarin would cause a lot of issues for Stark as he finds refuge in a small Tennessee town where he befriends a boy named Harley (Ty Simpkins) who would help Stark get back on his feet.

The script allows the Tony Stark character to not just face his demons and flaws but also face more brushes with death as he finally comes to the conclusion that he’s not just invisible. It’s not just Stark that is given a great character arc as the script also pays attention to Pepper Potts who grows into a much stronger woman who can put on an Iron Man suit and be helpful. There’s also a bit of buddy-comedy elements when it comes to Stark and his friend Colonel James Rhodes aka the Iron Patriot (Don Cheadle) who would later help Stark out in battling the Mandarin. Upon Starks’ eventual confrontation with the Mandarin, it becomes much more complex than it actually seems as it relates more to Killich’s work with the Extremis virus.

Black’s direction is quite typical of what is expected in an action blockbuster but Black does things to make it so much more. Notably as he creates scenes that are fun and full of humor while keeping the action thrilling as well as have some meaning. Black does create some unique shots that are simple including the scenes involving Starks and Potts while opening the film with this very humorous New Year’s Eve party in Switzerland that would set the tone for the entire film as it’s narrated by Stark. Many of the compositions are simple while the humor has the right note of just being unexpected but also natural where there is that sense of improvisation. Overall, Black creates a very solid and enjoyable action-blockbuster that manages to do a lot more than what is expected in its genre.

Cinematographer John Toll does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it‘s mostly naturalistic in some of its exteriors while using some more stylish lights for the scenes at night. Editors Jeffrey Ford and Peter S. Elliot do terrific work with the editing to create some rhythmic cut for the action scenes as well as a few montages for the flashback scenes. Production designer Bill Brzeski, along with set decorator Danielle Berman and supervising art director Desma Murphy, does amazing work with some of the set pieces such as the Stark mansion and the places set in Tennessee and Miami. Costume designer Louise Frogley does nice work with the costumes as it’s mostly casual with the exception of the Iron Man suits.

Visual effects supervisors Mark Bakowski, Erik Nash, Saravanan Stalin, and Christopher Townshend do brilliant work with the visual effects from the scenes of Iron Man flying in the air to some of the intense action scenes. Sound designer Ann Scibelli and sound editor Mark P. Stoeckinger do wonderful work with the sound from the layer of sound effects is used to some of the intimate moments in the mixing such as a bar scene where Stark gets information about the Extremis virus. The film’s music by Brian Tyler is very good as it‘s filled with bombastic orchestral music to play out its actions while music supervisor Dave Jordan brings in a few late 90s pop songs for the 1999 opening sequence as well as some funk music.

The casting by Sarah Finn is amazing as it features a massive collection of actors as it includes appearances from Miguel Ferrer as the vice president, Ashley Hamilton as an Extremis soldier, Shaun Toub reprising his role as Yinsen from the first film in the 1999 party scene, Paul Bettany as the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S., and Stan Lee as a beauty pageant judge. Other notable small roles include James Badge Dale and Stephanie Szostak as a couple of vicious Extremis soldiers, Jon Favreau as Stark Industries security officer Happy Hogan, and Ty Simpkins as the boy Harley who helps out Stark in repairing the Iron Man Mk 42 suit. William Sadler is terrific as the American President as someone who is threatened by the Mandarin as he tries to maintain some sense of order. Rebecca Hall is wonderful as Extremis co-creator Maya Hansen as a botanist who had good intentions for the virus only to go into conflict of her own about working for Killian.

Ben Kingsley is great as the Mandarin as a mastermind terrorist who creates mysterious videos with great intimidation as Kingsley brings a lot of chew-scenery to his performance as the Mandarin. Guy Pearce is excellent as Aldrich Killian as a businessman who has a grudge towards Tony Stark as he uses the Extremis virus to become something that is very menacing. Don Cheadle is superb as Col. James Rhodes as a man who is concerned for Tony Stark while dealing with his new role as Iron Patriot as he would deal with the Extremis forces.

Gwyneth Paltrow is brilliant as Pepper Potts as she goes from someone who is dealing with Stark’s anxieties to being a woman that got tired of being pushed around as Potts finally gets to kick some major ass. Finally, there’s Robert Downey Jr. in a marvelous performance as Tony Stark/Iron Man as someone struggling with his role as well as with his own demons as Downey just adds more layers to the characters as someone who is flawed and vulnerable as well as finding a way to get back up.

Iron Man 3 is a remarkable film from Shane Black that features another winning performance from Robert Downey Jr. Thanks to a fantastic script and a brilliant supporting cast, the film is definitely a major improvement over its predecessor while being something more than just a typical blockbuster film. It’s also a film that has something for everyone while not wanting to take itself too seriously. In the end, Iron Man 3 is an excellent film from Shane Black.

Marvel Phase One Films: Iron Man - (The Incredible Hulk) - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers (2012 film

Marvel Phase Two Films: (Thor: The Dark World) - (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) - (Guardians of the Galaxy)

Shane Black Films: (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang)

© thevoid99 2013

2013 Blind Spot Series: The Lovers on the Bridge

2013-05-11T13:37:00.001-07:00

Written and directed by Leos Carax, Les Amants du Pont-Neuf (The Lovers on the Bridge) is the story about a drug-addicted street performer and a nearly-blind painter who meet and fall in love as they live in Pont-Neuf bridge as it’s being closed for repairs during the French Bicentennial. The film is an ambitious tale that revolves the lives of two outsiders who are dependent on each other as they live in a world that is ever changing. Starring Juliette Binoche and Denis Lavant. Les Amants du Pont-Neuf is a majestic yet exhilarating film from Leos Carax.

The film is a simple love story set in Paris at the Pont-Neuf bridge where it’s being closed for repairs during the French Bicentennial. Yet, the characters in this film in a street performer in Alex (Denis Lavant) and a painter in Michele (Juliette Binoche) are anything but simple characters as they’re two people on the fringe of society who are both lost as they find home in the ruined Pont-Neuf bridge which they share with a former guard named Hans (Klaus-Michael Gruber). The two do whatever to survive as they use the bridge as their home while not wanting to be part of a world that is filled with all of these expectations on how to live and such. For Alex, he’s just a street performer who needs downers to sleep as he has no interest to be part of society. In Michele, she’s a painter who is going blind with a bandage on her left eye as she is dealing with heartbreak of her own.

Leos Carax’s screenplay doesn’t follow any specific formulas about the idea of two people falling in love. Instead, it is more about these two people who don’t really know each other as they have nowhere else to go except this old bridge that is set to be repaired. The Pont-Neuf bridge isn’t just a character but a metaphor for how chaotic their life had become as they along with the bridge are in need of help. Still, they’re drawn together by their sense of alienation as well as the fact that they need each other as Alex needs someone to be with while Michele needs Alex as she is going blind. Throughout the course of the story, they act out during the Bicentennial as well as observing the world outside of the bridge. The love between them grows but there’s various complications that keeps them from being together as Michele is quite secretive about her life while Alex is dishonest and very destructive.

Carax’s direction is very stylish in not just the ambition that he aims for but also playing up a world that is quite chaotic in the middle of a ruined bridge in Paris. Though the film is actually set in Lansargues with a bridge built on a lake, it does give the idea that it’s being shot at the actual Pont-Neuf bridge. While some of Carax’s compositions are simple with its close-ups and medium shots, he does use a lot of tracking and steadicam to capture some of the livelier moments such as the extravagant Bicentennial celebration where Alex and Michele dance to all sorts of music and later steal a boat so that Michele can water ski on the Seine River. There are also chilling moments in the film’s third act where Alex takes action to protect Michele as she is being pursued as it plays to some very dark moments. Even as it would feature a climax that plays into what they’ve become as well as the idea about their love for each other. Overall, Carax creates a grand yet wild film about love and defiance.

Cinematographer Jean-Yves Escoffier does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography with the look of Paris in day and night along with the use of lights on the bridge as well as some stylish lights for some of the film‘s interiors. Editor Nelly Quettier does brilliant work with the editing as it has some element of styles with the use of jump-cuts and dissolves to play up some of its energy along with some rhythmic cuts for the suspenseful moments. Production designer Michel Vandestien, along with set decorator Irene Galitzine and art director Franck Schwarz, is fantastic for not just the recreation of the Pont-Neuf bridge and its surroundings along with some other set pieces including the museum Michele and Hans go into.

Costume designer Robert Nardone does nice work with the costumes as it‘s all ragged to play up the chaotic world of the characters. Sound editors Gilbert Courtois and Nadine Muse do superb work with the sound from some of the exterior surroundings to some of the intimate moments in some of the film’s interior scenes. The film’s soundtrack consists a lot of music ranging from classical pieces by Avro Part and other composers to contemporary music from David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Les Rita Mitsouko, and Public Enemy.

The film’s cast largely consists of appearances and small performance as it includes Chrichan Larsson as Michele’s former boyfriend Julian and Klaus-Michael Gruber as the vagrant Hans who has reasons for his dislike towards Michele as is also a man dealing with his own sense of loss. The film’s best performances definitely goes to both Juliette Binoche and Denis Lavant in their respective roles as Michele and Alex. Binoche brings a radiance and energy to a woman that is lost as she is dealing with a disease as well as being very secretive. Lavant is more outgoing in his performance as a street performer while being quite brutish at times. Binoche and Lavant have a fiery chemistry that is just engaging to watch as they are among one of the film’s major highlights.

Les Amants du Pont-Neuf is a magnificent film from Leos Carax that features incredible performances from Juliette Binoche and Denis Lavant. While it’s an unconventional love story, it’s one that is full of excitement and power as well as being a captivating story about alienation and defying the status quo. In the end, Les Amants du Pont-Neuf is an outstanding film from Leos Carax.

Leos Carax Films: (Boy Meets Girl) - (Mauvais Sang) - (Pola X) - Tokyo!: Merde - Holy Motors

© thevoid99 2013

Scarface (1983 film)

2013-05-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

Based on the 1932 film directed by Howard Hawks and screenplay by Ben Hecht from a novel by Armitage Trail, Scarface is the story of a Cuban refugee who arrives to Miami in 1980 where he works his way to the top to become a drug kingpin and later fall. Directed by Brian De Palma and screenplay by Oliver Stone, the film is a wild look into the burgeoning drug culture of the 1980s in Miami as it chronicles a man who is eager to own the world and everything else in it. Playing the role of Tony Montana is Al Pacino in one of his most defining performances of his career. Also starring Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert Loggia, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, F. Murray Abraham, Harris Yulin, and Paul Shenar. Scarface is a fucking wild and operatic film from Brian De Palma.

The film is a rise-and-fall tale in which a Cuban exile in Tony Montana as he arrives in Miami as part of the Mariel boatlift of 1980 with some of his friends as he starts off as a small hood for the drug dealer Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia) to becoming the top drug dealer of Miami as he yearns to own the world and everything else in it. The film takes place in a period where the cocaine trade in the early 80s was starting to rise involving Latin American drug dealers as they rose to the top where Tony Montana is part of that world as he decides to go for something much bigger as he kills, schemes, and does everything to get to the top. Along the way, there’s sacrifices and such where he would have allies and later enemies that would play to his downfall as well as his growing addiction to cocaine.

Oliver Stone’s screenplay definitely takes the idea of the rise-and-fall of a drug dealer to showcase a world in which a man starts off at the bottom and work his way to the top. While his journey doesn’t make Montana a honest man, it does give him some ounce of respect in the way he does things as well as making deals and such. The people around Montana like his best friend Manny Ribera (Steven Bauer), Lopez’s mistress Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer), and his young sister Gina (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) would all play part in Montana’s rise-and-fall as they would help in his journey but also would experience downfalls of their own. There is a complexity to Stone’s script as he explores this man’s sense of ambition where Montana is given a set of rules by Lopez of how to do things but Montana would go way overboard as it would lead to his downfall.

It’s not just the structure of Stone’s script that helps flesh out the formula of the rise-and-fall but also the dialogue which is very confrontational and very frank as it features 187 uses of the word “fuck”. It’s all very stylized as it plays to a world where it’s very seedy and unforgiving as Montana is very upfront that he’s not a nice guy and he can admit that he lies. Yet, it’s part of his flaws as he would take credit for his own rise as he would be his own undoing through a series of bad decisions, paranoia, and selfishness that would also be driven by his own escalating addiction to cocaine.

The direction of Brian de Palma is very grand and operatic as it plays to a period of decadence where people go to discos, do cocaine, have sex in bathrooms, and do all sorts of crazy shit. While de Palma does create some interesting compositions including Montana’s interrogation scene where there’s an eerie intimacy to that scene as well as a few other scenes. There’s also an element of suspense where de Palma just build things up very slowly where it will have some kind of violent conclusion. It is all part of de Palma wanting to create something that is gritty and realistic but also not be afraid to exaggerate things. Notably some very gruesome moments where Montana is forced to watch one of his friends be killed by a chainsaw.

It’s not just the film’s violence that is excessive and operatic that includes the film’s climatic showdown between Montana and a Colombian cartel. It’s also the world that de Palma sets up as he uses some very stylish crane shots and other camera tricks to play up this world of decadence. Even in a montage to establish Tony’s rise where it is quite excessive from the clothes the characters wear to the cars that they drive as well as the fact that Montana has two tigers as pets. Still, there is that sense of intrigue and danger in the third act where de Palma goes all out and more as it includes some very chilling moments where Montana is clearly hitting his bottom as well as the fate that is set for him. Overall, de Palma creates an outrageous and confrontational film about greed and ambition in the eyes of a man named Tony Montana.

Cinematographer John A. Alonzo does amazing work with the film’s colorful cinematography from the very sunny, colorful look of Miami’s exteriors and beaches to some scenes set in Los Angeles as part of South America as well as some of the dark interiors to set the chilling mood for the film. Editors Jerry Greenberg and David Ray do excellent work with the editing to create a very stylish approach to the cutting from the rhythm of the violence and some montages to some slower cuts in the film’s suspenseful moments. Production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti, with set decorator Bruce Weintraub and art director Edward Richardson, does fantastic work with the look of the mansions the characters stay in to the Babylon club that definitely has an air of excess.

Costume designer Patricia Norris does wonderful work with the costumes from the stylish dresses the women wear to the colorful suits the guys wear to play up that decade of decadence. Sound editor Edward Beyer does superb work with the sound from the way the gunfire sounds to some of the chilling moments in the film. The film’s score by Giorgio Moroder is brilliant for its eerie, electronic-driven score filled with some ominous themes and arrangements to play up the sense of coldness in the world as well as some pieces to play up the world of decadence. The film’s soundtrack consists largely of music from pulsating synth-pop and disco from Elizabeth Daily, Paul Engemann, Beth Anderson, and Debbie Harry to a Latin-pop song from Maria Conchita Alonso.

The casting by Alixe Gordon is just phenomenal for the ensemble that was created for the film that would include a lot of memorable appearances for the actors that appeared in this film. Among these notable small roles include Pepe Serna and Angel Salazar as a couple of Tony’s friends in Angel Fernandez and Chi Chi, Mark Margolis as Sosa’s devious henchman Alberto, Geno Silva as Sosa’s assassin the Skull, Richard Belzer as a comedian at the Babylon Club, Miriam Colon as Tony’s mother who despises Tony, Michael Alldredge as Tony’s banker George Sheffield, Harris Yulin as the corrupt detective Mel Bernstein, and Paul Shenar as the Colombian drug lord Alejandro Sosa who becomes an ally of Tony’s until an assignment gone wrong leads to trouble.

F. Murray Abraham is terrific as Lopez’s henchman Omar Suarez who is wary about Montana as he is uneasy about Montana’s ambition. Robert Loggia is great as the crime boss Frank Lopez as a man who is full of wisdom as well as being a fun guy who later feels threatened by Tony’s ambition as he tries to warn him about what will happen. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is wonderful as Tony’s sister Gina who is intrigued by the world of excess as she becomes an object of affection for Manny despite Tony’s over protectiveness towards her. Michelle Pfeiffer is amazing as Lopez’s mistress Elvira who later becomes Tony’s wife as a woman who knows a lot more than everyone else as she later succumbs to her own drug addiction. Steven Bauer is superb as Tony’s friend Manny who is a man that wants to have fun and enjoy the good life while wanting to do things to help out as he later becomes alienated by Tony’s ambition and paranoia.

Finally, there’s Al Pacino in one of his most iconic performances of his career as Tony Montana. The film has Pacino go all out and more as a man who is willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. It’s a performance that is full of swagger, bravado, humor, and extremely confrontational. Pacino not only is given some of the best one-liners of all-time but he really means it when he says those things. It’s also him just commanding the moment including the film’s final shootout with Sosa’s men as he utters out some of the best one-liners ever as it’s a role that only he can play.

Scarface is a magnificent film from Brian de Palma featuring an outstanding performance from Al Pacino. Along with a great supporting cast, a cool soundtrack, and a wild script by Oliver Stone. It’s a film that is still wild nearly 30 years since its release as it still holds up and more. Filled with lots of dead bodies, mountains of cocaine, 187 “fucks”, and lots of more crazy shit. It’s a film that is very unapologetic in being excessive and extravagant. In the end, Scarface is a triumphant achievement from Brian de Palma.

Brian De Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) - (Greetings) - (The Wedding Party) - (Dionysus in ‘69) - (Hi Mom!) - (Get to Know Your Rabbit) - (Sisters) - (Phantom of the Paradise) - (Obsession) - (Carrie) - (The Fury) - (Home Movies) - (Dressed to Kill) - (Blow-Out) - (Body Double) - (Wise Guys) - (The Untouchables) - (Casualties of War) - (The Bonfire of the Vanities) - (Raising Cain) - (Carlito’s Way) - (Mission: Impossible) - (Snake Eyes) - (Mission to Mars) - (Femme Fatale) - (The Black Dahlia) - (Redacted) - (Passion)

© thevoid99 2013

2013 Cannes Film Festival Marathon Announcement

2013-05-09T14:33:00.001-07:00

From May 15 to the 26th, the 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival will commence to showcase many new films from the world's great filmmakers. New films from Sofia Coppola, Baz Luhrmann, Steven Soderbergh, Jim Jarmusch, Francois Ozon, the Coen Brothers, Roman Polanski, Nicolas Winding Refn, Alexander Payne, Asghar Farhadi, Takashi Miike, James Gray, Hirokazu Koreeda, and many others will be unveiled at the festival. Some of which will be in competition and some are just are there for different reasons to show new films. It's the moment where film buffs all over the world come together to see these films and it is around this time that I also will be taking part in my annual Cannes Film Festival Marathon. This year, I have selected a total of 15 films for the festival. 2 of which will be re-watches while 13 others will be first-timers as they will be competing for a fictional version of the Palme D'or.

The opening film of the marathon will be Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire that won the director the 1987 Best Director prize at the festival.

The closing film of the marathon will be Terry Gilliam's wild adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's classic novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas which played in competition at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.

Here are the 13 first-timers I will be watching for the duration of the Cannes Film Festival.

El Norte

Lenny

Farewell My Concubine

Certified Copy

Japon

Police, Adjective

Happy Together

Secret Sunshine

Z

Somersault

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

Le fils

& Enter the Void

These will be the films that will compete for the fictional prizes I will bestow at the marathon which will begin on the 15th of May and end on Sunday May 26th where the festival will announce the winners. Au Revoir.

In the House (2012 film)

2013-05-08T14:46:00.001-07:00

Based on the play The Boy in the Last Row by Juan Mayorga, Dans la maison (In the House) is the story about a 16-year old student whose visits to a house of another student has him creating story that intrigues his teacher as he encourages him to continue further as it leads to troubling consequences. Written for the screen and directed by Francois Ozon, the film is a look into the world of fantasy and reality as a teacher’s encouragement for his student to venture more would lead to some very surprising results. Starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Fabrice Luchini, Ernst Umhauer, and Emmanuelle Seigner. Dans la maison is an incredibly rich and mesmerizing film from Francois Ozon.

The art of writing requires the writer to go deep into a world and see something as if they’re watching something happening in front of them and thinking that else is happening around them. The film is about the art of writing as it involves a jaded literature teacher and his 16-year old student as the latter writes an assignment about his weekend that intrigues the teacher who believes the student has a gift for writing. The boy would make more visit to his friend’s home where he becomes an acquaintance to the family while the teacher encourages him to get more into deep with the story where the results would have some serious consequences for those involved. It’s all part of a world in which a teacher who tries to guide his pupil to discover his talents even further yet the idea of reality and fiction eventually blurs.

Francois Ozon’s screenplay explores this conflict into the world of reality and fiction as there’s these two individuals who definitely seem like there’s nothing for them. For the teacher Germain (Fabrice Luchini), he feels like he has nothing to prove as a teacher as his students are just kids who don’t really seem to care about literature until someone actually writes the assignment in the form of a gifted 16-year old student in Claude (Ernst Umhauer). Claude writes about spending his time at the home of his classmate Rapha (Bastien Ughetto) to help with him with math as Claude is intrigued by Rapha’s father (Denis Menochet) and mother Esther (Emmanuelle Seigner). Germain’s wife Jeanne (Kristin Scott Thomas) would also read Claude’s stories as she is also intrigued as it gives her some distraction from her failing art gallery in a subplot for the film.

Once the story progresses where Germain becomes a character of Claude’s story as he would pop up in the story to help Claude with what to do next. Things become much more complicated as Jeanne invites Rapha’s parents to her gallery while Germain would get an uneasy confrontation from Rapha’s father over an article Rapha wrote in school. Eventually, the idea of reality and fiction becomes confusing and troubling as it progresses to the point where Claude starts to believe things are really happening though it begs the question about fiction and reality. Even as Claude and Germain try to figure out how to end things where Germain thinks he’s created a monster while Claude becomes confused about everything he’s experienced in the home of this quaint yet loving family as they’re going through some troubles of their own.

Ozon’s direction is very entrancing for the way he explores the world of French high school life where students are more concerned with other things than education while teachers are just trying to get through the day. While some of Ozon’s compositions are simple in terms of its framing with some moments that are just hypnotic. The way he infuses the idea of reality and fiction has some moments of humor but also is quite dramatic where Germain is commenting on what Claude is doing and the dramatic impact it will play into the story. Notably as it plays to some tension as it features scenes of Rapha’s father dealing with his own issues at work as well as Claude’s growing attraction towards Esther.

Things do become much more provocative as the film progresses though it’s done with some restraint where Germain starts to imagine that something dreadful might’ve happened. There is an element of suspense in the story once the story that Claude is writing does go into dark places as Germain becomes more involved in guiding Claude to go more out there with his writing by giving him books and such. Even as the drama and suspense intensify in the third act where Claude is trying to find a resolution to end his story where things do become chaotic though it was expected due to Germain’s involvement. Overall, Ozon crafts a very rich and exhilarating film about the art of writing and the consequences from one man’s encouragement.

Cinematographer Jerome Almeras does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it‘s mostly straightforward and colorful with some low-key lighting schemes for some of the nighttime interior scenes. Editor Laure Gradette does fantastic work with the editing that includes a stylized opening credits sequence of a day in life in school along with some very methodical cuts to build up the suspense. Art director Pascal Leguellec does wonderful work with the art direction from the look of Jeanne’s gallery to the quaint home of Rapha’s family

Costume designer Pascaline Chavanne does nice work with the clothes as it‘s mostly casual with some stylish look in the school uniforms and the clothes that Jeanne and Esther wear. Visual effects supervisor Mikael Tanguy does terrific work with the minimal visual effects look for Jeanne‘s twin bosses. Sound editor Benoit Gargonne does some superb work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the scenes in school to the more intimate moments at Rapha‘s home. The film’s music by Philippe Rombi is brilliant as it is filled with lush orchestral arrangements and somber piano pieces to play up some of its drama and suspense.

The casting by Sarah Teper is amazing as it features some notable small roles from Yolande Moreau as twin owners of Jeanne’s art gallery and Jean-Francois Balmer as Germaine’s superior. Denis Menochet is excellent as Rapha’s father who is dealing with his own issues at work while Bastien Ughetto is terrific as Rapha who befriends Claude as he becomes confused by his feelings while being confused by Germain’s concern towards him. Emmanuelle Seigner is wonderful as Rapha’s mother Esther who is wary about Claude at first only to realize that he pays some attention to her while dealing with the issue she’s having with her husband. Ernst Umhauer is brilliant as Claude as a man with a sense of imagination and a gift for writing as he becomes more invested in his visits to Rapha’s family as he starts to lose sight of himself.

Kristin Scott Thomas is superb as Germain’s wife Jeanne who is dealing with her own issues as she’s intrigued by Claude’s writings as she gives out her own opinions that would prove to be fruitful in the writing process. Finally, there’s Fabrice Luchini in a marvelous performance as Germain as a jaded teacher who is amazed by Claude’s writing as he encourages him to write better only for things to go out of control as Luchini brings a lot of dramatic weight as well as some humor in his performance.

Dans la maison is an outstanding film from Francois Ozon. Thanks to a captivating theme on the art of writing as well as top-notch performances from Fabrice Luchini, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Ernst Umhauer. It’s a film that is definitely engaging for the way things can become real even if it’s fiction as it explores some of the ideas of what writing is and what it can be. Overall, Dans la maison is a tremendous achievement from Francois Ozon.

Francois Ozon Films: See the Sea - Sitcom - Criminal Lovers - Water Drops on Burning Rocks - Under the Sand - 8 Women - Swimming Pool - 5x2 - Time to Leave - Angel (2007 film) - Ricky - Le Refuge - Potiche - (Jeune & Jolie)

© thevoid99 2013

Ricky (2009 film)

2013-05-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

Written and directed by Francois Ozon, Ricky is the story about a couple who gain a baby only to realize that it has angel wings on its back. The film is about two people dealing with their newborn child’s abnormality as it’s told in a dramatic style with bits of humor. Starring Sergi Lopez, Alexandra Lamy, Melusine Mayance, and Arthur Peyret. Ricky is a strange yet heartfelt film from Francois Ozon.

The film is a simple story of two factory workers who meet, fall in love, and have a baby who later grows wings on its back. The film is more about this family dealing with this baby’s abnormality where a mother in Katie (Alexandra Lamy) and her young daughter Lisa (Melusine Mayance) are trying to figure out what is coming out of the baby’s back. While Katie at first accuses her Spanish boyfriend Paco (Sergi Lopez) for the bruises on the baby’s back as he leaves. Once they realize that the baby named Ricky (Arthur Peyret) has wings and can fly, they try to keep it secret until the whole world knows about it as Paco returns to find a way to make money for the family that will also ensure Ricky’s safety. Instead, things beyond their control only make matters much more complicated. Largely as writer/director Francois Ozon is trying to explore the world of family as they all try to come together to deal with something as strange as a baby with wings.

Though the plot is a simple one, its story is largely dramatic where there elements of realism into the way Katie and Lisa deal with Ricky’s growing wings. Eventually, things do get unveiled where it does have an element of comedy and fantasy though it makes it makes some of the narrative a bit uneven. Still, Ozon does play with the conventions of how of Katie and Paco meet and fall in love as well as the conception of Ricky. Though Lisa is understandably wary towards Paco at first, she eventually realizes that he is a good, kind-hearted man but also flawed since he’s also a guy. The direction is quite simple as it’s very low-key and restrained as far as the drama is concerned. While the compositions are direct and to the point, the scenes involving Ricky flying does have this element of fantasy as well as the idea of something that can be described as a miracle. Overall, Ozon creates a very worthwhile though uneven film about a baby with wings and a family coming together.

Cinematographer Jeanne Lapoirie does excellent work with the cinematography from the use of lights in many of the film‘s interiors to some of the low-key lighting schemes for some of its nighttime exterior scenes. Editor Muriel Breton does nice work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward except for some rhythmic cuts for the scene of Ricky flying in the supermarket. Production designer Katia Wyszkop does terrific work with the set pieces from the look of Lisa and Ricky’s room to look of the supermarket.

Costume designer Pascaline Chavanne does some good work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual. Visual effects supervisor Mathilde Tollec does some fine work with the scenes of Ricky flying where it has a realistic look but also can look wobbly at times. Sound editor Olivier Goinard does some terrific work with the sound to capture some of the chaos involving the media‘s search for Ricky. The film’s music by Philippe Rombi is brilliant as it features a somber yet serene score with some orchestral textures and piano pieces as it’s a highlight of the film.

The film’s cast features some notable small roles from Jean-Claude Bolle-Reddat as a journalist who is covering Ricky’s story late in the film, Andre Wilms as a doctor who is concerned about Ricky’s well-being, and Arthur Peyret as the very adorable baby Ricky. Melusine Mayance is excellent as Ricky’s older half-sister Lisa who is concerned for Ricky as well as the impact it’s having over everyone around her. Sergi Lopez is terrific as Paco as a man who is trying to be a good father only to be accused of doing something to Ricky where he eventually returns to try and do the right thing for the family. Finally, there’s Alexandra Lamy in a superb performance as Katie as a woman dealing with her newborn’s son abnormality while wanting to keep it secret as she becomes unsure of what to think about everything she’s dealing with.

Ricky is a good although somewhat silly film from Francois Ozon. While it has moments that are exciting as well as engaging, it’s really one of Ozon’s weakest films as it doesn’t have a lot of the more dramatic elements of his work as well as some of its more archaic humor. In the end, Ricky is a worthwhile and fine film from Francois Ozon.

Francois Ozon Films: See the Sea - Sitcom - Criminal Lovers - Water Drops on Burning Rocks - Under the Sand - 8 Women - Swimming Pool - 5x2 - Time to Leave - Angel (2007 film) - Le Refuge - Potiche - In the House - (Jeune & Jolie)

© thevoid99 2013

Potiche

2013-05-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

Based on the play by Pierre Barillett and Jean-Pierre Gredy, Potiche is the story about a trophy wife who takes over her husband’s umbrella factory following a worker’s strike as she hopes to improve things for everyone despite her family’s misgivings. Written for the screen and directed by Francois Ozon, the film explores a woman trying to find meaning in her life as she feels underestimated by her own family. Starring Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini, Jeremie Renier, Karin Viard, Evelyne Dandry, and Judith Godreche. Potiche is a stylish and light-hearted comedy from Francois Ozon.

In the 1970s where women are striving for equality in their roles, the film is about a trophy wife whose husband is a tyrannical boss of an umbrella factory where a worker‘s strike forces the wife to take over and change things. With the help of an old lover, she becomes a figure of hope for her small community as well as giving voice to the women around her world much to the chagrin of her husband who is striving to regain his role. It’s a film that plays into a world where a woman who enjoys being a caretaker of sorts until she is asked by a local mayor/former lover to handle a strike that could destroy the town. While her family and her husband don’t think she could handle all of that responsibility, she decides to disprove that in order to reveal why she should never be underestimated.

Francois Ozon’s screenplay definitely plays into the role of women in a crucial period in time where they’re demanding to have the same kind of equality in men. While Suzanne Pujol (Catherine Deneuve) seems to enjoy the role of being a trophy housewife, she is unable to deal with lack of her respect her husband Robert (Fabrice Luchini) treats her while her adult children in Joelle (Judith Godreche) and Laurent (Jeremie Renier) dismiss her opinions. When she is asked by the town’s mayor Maurice Babin (Gerard Depardieu) who is also a union leader, she does so as she improves things where Joelle and Laurent help her as does Robert’s secretary Nadge (Karin Viard) who decides to break off her affair with Robert. While there is a bit of a subplot involving Suzanne and Maurice’s old relationship as the latter still carries a torch for her, it does play into Suzanne’s growth as a character. Even in the third act where her husband’s return to the factory would have her do something that would define her more as a powerful woman.

Ozon’s direction definitely plays to a certain style that recalls some of the films of the 1970s where he aims for something that is very light-hearted and humorous. Notably in the comedy as it’s more subtle than slapstick as well as using flashbacks to express the youth that Suzanne has as well as the mystery about whether Laurent is really Robert’s son. There are also moments where Ozon just keep things simple in the compositions as well as some montages that play up the development of Suzanne’s life. There are also moments where Ozon uses TV stock footage to play up the sense of the times as it would upset Robert as he strives to regain some control. While it’s third act is a bit more dramatic in terms of what Robert does to regain his control, it does pick up the mood when Suzanne makes a decision that will show her growth as a woman. Overall, Ozon creates a very fascinating and delightful film about a woman’s desire for respect.

Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux does great work with the film‘s very stylish and colorful cinematography from the lush look of the film‘s daytime exteriors to the lighting in some of the film‘s interiors including the nightclub Suzanne and Maurice attend. Editor Laure Gardette does excellent work with the editing with the use of split-screens and montages along with rhythmic flairs to play up some of the humor and drama. Production designer Katia Wyszkop does amazing work with the set pieces from the look of the umbrella factory’s interiors to the Pujol home and the design of the umbrellas.

Costume designer Pascaline Chavanne does fantastic work with the costumes as it all plays to a particular sense of style of the times including the dresses that Suzanne wears. The sound work of Benoit Gargonne, Jean-Paul Hurier, and Pascal Jasmes is wonderful for the atmosphere that is created in the house and clubs along with some of the scenes at the town. The film’s music by Philippe Rombi is brilliant for its playful yet serene orchestral music that captures the sense of romance as well as some of its humor. The soundtrack consists largely of French disco music including the Bee Gees and a song sung by Catherine Deneuve.

The casting by Sarah Teper and Michael De Nijs is superb for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Evelyne Dandry as Suzanne’s sister, French pop singer Elodie Frege as the young Suzanne in the flashback scenes, and Sergi Lopez as a Spanish truck driver Suzanne gets a ride from late in the film. Karin Viard is wonderful as the secretary Nadge as she starts off as Robert’s mistress to a woman who takes control of her role as she becomes an ally of Suzanne. Judith Godreche is terrific as Joelle as a woman who is unsure about her mother taking over the business as she becomes conflicted over her loyalties. Jeremie Renier is excellent as Laurent as the son who also feels unappreciated by his father as he joins his mother where he helps give ideas into helping the business.

Fabrice Luchini is great as the very cruel and conniving Robert Pujol as a man who has little respect for people including his worker and his family as he struggles to regain control through schemes. Gerard Depardieu is marvelous as Maurice Babin as a union leader and local political figure who helps out Suzanne to stop the strikes while dealing with his own feelings towards her. Finally, there’s Catherine Deneuve in a delightful performance as Suzanne Pujol as a woman who feels unappreciated and underestimated by those around her as she is eager to prove herself that she isn’t some trophy housewife. Deneuve also displays some subtle moments of humor to showcase her very lively personality as it’s definitely one of best performances of her remarkable career.

Potiche is an extraordinary and splendid comedy from Francois Ozon led by the brilliant performance of Catherine Deneuve. Along with a wonderfully stylish look and a terrific supporting cast led by Gerard Depardieu. It’s a film that is very playful and witty while creating heartfelt message about the empowerment of women. In the end, Potiche is a marvelous film from Francois Ozon.

Francois Ozon Films: See the Sea - Sitcom -Criminal Lovers -Water Drops on Burning Rocks - Under the Sand - 8 Women - Swimming Pool - 5x2 - Time to Leave - Angel (2007 film) - Ricky - The Refuge - In the House - (Jeune & Jolie)

© thevoid99 2013

Le Refuge

2013-05-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

Directed by Francois Ozon and written by Ozon and Mathieu Hippeau, Le Refuge is the story of a woman whose lover had passed away as she learns she is pregnant. Wanting to isolate herself, she meets up with her lover’s gay brother as he joins her in their grief. The film is an exploration into the world of death as it involves two different people who don’t know each other as they’re connected by someone they know and care for. Starring Isabelle Carre, Louis-Ronan Choisy, Pierre Louis-Calixte, and Melvil Poupaud. Le Refuge is a compelling yet touching drama from Francois Ozon.

When death happens to someone that is loved dearly, the reaction can be overwhelming. For a woman named Mousse (Isabelle Carre), the death of her boyfriend Louis (Melvil Poupaud) from a drug overdose has left her devastated as she also learns she is pregnant. By taking refuge at a country home somewhere in the French coast, she is later joined by Louis’ brother Paul (Louis-Ronan Choisy) who stops by as the two are still trying to comprehend Louis’ death as well as what to do with Mousse’s baby. It’s all part of this story that Francois Ozon and co-writer Mathieu Hippeau are doing where it’s more about these two people, who don’t really know each other, come together based on grief as well as the prospect of someone coming into the world.

While there isn’t much of a story in the script, it’s more driven by characters and their reaction to death as Mousse is living all alone not wanting anyone to know that she is keeping the baby while she is also trying to kick her heroin habit through methadone syrups. The only people that know that Mousse is pregnant is Paul and a handyman named Serge (Pierre Louis-Calixte) who later forms a relationship with Paul. While she and Paul take the time to get to know one another, there are revelations into their own relationships with Louis as both of them do venture out of their own as they also need each other to deal with their grief.

Ozon’s direction is very understated as he doesn’t really aim for a particular visual style as he keeps things simple and to the point. A lot of the compositions are very straightforward but also direct as it’s shot largely in the French countryside near a beach as it represents a world that is calm as well as detached from any sense of a more chaotic world. While there some establishing shots of those locations, Ozon doesn’t go for a lot of close-ups in order to get coverage of the characters and their surroundings while the scenes in Paris are more eerie as well as discomforting. The drama is also restrained in order to capture the characters’ reaction towards their loss where Mousse would make a decision regarding her child in the end of the film as it plays to something much bigger than Louis’ death. Overall, Ozon creates a very delicate yet mesmerizing film about grief and the anticipation for a new person coming into the world.

Cinematographer Mathias Raaflaub does excellent work with the cinematography from the use of low-key colors in the scenes in Paris to using more brighter colors for some of the daytime scenes in the beach and countryside while keeping things low-key in its interior scenes. Editor Muriel Breton does nice work with the editing as it is very simple without a lot of cutting styles with a few rhythmic cuts for a club scene in the film. Production designer Katia Wyszkop does terrific work with the look of the country home that Mousse stays in. Costume designer Pascaline Chavanne does wonderful work with the costumes as it‘s low-key and simple to express the personality of the characters.

Sound editor Benoit Gargonne does superb work with the sound to play up some of the quietness of the film including a few scenes where the piano is played around the house. The film’s music by Louis-Ronan Choisy is amazing as it is melancholic with just the sounds of a plaintive piano and a somber guitar to express the sense of loss in the film.

The casting by Sarah Teper is brilliant as it features mostly a small cast that includes Emile Berling as the drug dealer who gives Louis the fatal drug, Jean-Pierre Andreani as Louis/Paul’s father, Marie Riviere as a woman Mousse meets at the beach, and Claire Vernet as Louis/Paul’s mother who tells Mousse early in the film to get an abortion as Mousse is startled by that comment until Paul later reveals some things about Louis’ relationship with their mother. Pierre Louis-Calixte is very good as the handyman Serge that Paul befriends while Melvil Poupaud is excellent in his small role as Louis. Louis-Ronan Choisy is wonderful as Paul as a man who arrives to see Mousse as he shares his grief over his brother as he later helps her. Finally, there’s Isabelle Carre in a splendid performance as Mousse as a woman dealing with loss and her pregnancy as she tries to come to terms with everything as it’s a very intoxicating performance to watch.

Le Refuge is an enriching yet subtle film from Francois Ozon that is highlighted by the evocative performance of Isabelle Carre. The film is definitely one of Ozon’s most intriguing as well as his most restrained film to date. Even as he goes into further exploration into the world of grief as well as the arrival of a new life. In the end, Le Refuge is a remarkable film from Francois Ozon.

Francois Ozon Films: See the Sea - Sitcom - Criminal Lovers - Water Drops on Burning Rocks - Under the Sand - 8 Women - Swimming Pool - 5x2 - Time to Leave - Angel (2007 film) - Ricky - Potiche - In the House - (Jeune & Jolie)

© thevoid99 2013

Australia (2008 film)

2013-05-04T14:05:00.001-07:00

Directed by Baz Luhrmann and screenplay by Luhrmann, Ronald Harwood, Stuart Beattie, and Richard Flanagan from a story by Luhrmann, Australia is the story of an Englishwoman who travels to Australia to discover her husband’s death as she takes over the cattle business with a help of a drover while taking care of a half-Aborigine boy. Set in the late 1930s to early 1940s during the start of World War II, the film is an epic story of how a woman tries to take control of her destiny while dealing with forces that are trying to stop her as she tries to protect a young boy. Starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Brandon Walters, David Wenham, Bryan Brown, Ben Mendelsohn, Jack Thompson, and David Gulpilil. Australia is a grand though underwhelming film from Baz Luhrmann.

The film revolves around a period in time where half-Aborigine children, known as the Stolen Generations, were taken away from their families by the governments of the early 20th Century to be integrated with white societies. Notably as it has a plot revolving around a boy named Nullah (Brandon Walters) who is half-Aborigine where he intrigues an aristocratic Englishwoman in Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) who later becomes the maternal figure he needed following the death of his mother. While she embraces the new world she has arrived into as well as gaining the trust of a hardened yet kind man known as the Drover (Hugh Jackman). She also deals with all sorts of trials and tribulations relating to her burgeoning cattle business as well as witnessing the bombing of Darwin in 1942 where many characters deal with its impact and near-tragedy.

The screenplay that Luhrmann and his co-writers create is very multi-layered with lots of storylines revolving around many characters set in the span of three years from 1939 to 1942. While there are moments in the story that do falter a bit such as the mystery into the death of Lady Ashley’s husband where it is obvious into what really happened. It does play into the arrival of this woman who comes into a land that she has no knowledge about as she is seen as an outsider of sorts. By discovering why her husband went to the Australian outback which involves cattle, she decides to take control by protecting Nullah who had been mistreated by the very cruel Neil Fletcher who had been working for the cattle baron Lesley “King” Carney (Bryan Brown). With the help of the Drover and various other people, the film’s first act is about Lady Ashley’s arrival into Australia and becoming the competition that Carney tries to avoid.

The second act isn’t just about Lady Ashley’s romance with the Drover and the brief happiness she has with him and Nullah but also revelations into her husband’s death and what Aborigine children have to do which also plays into the presence of Nullah’s grandfather King George (David Gulpilil) whom Fletcher claimed had killed Lady Ashley’s husband. The third act takes place in 1942 during World War II where Lady Ashley, the Drover, and Nullah are separated as Nullah was taken to a remote island with other half-Aborigine children as Lady Ashley vows to get him back as she thinks of him as her son. The script does allow its principle characters like Lady Ashley and the Drover to develop where the latter is also an outsider because of his friendship with the Aborigine as he had a wife who was Aborigine.

While some of the ideas about the attitude towards Aborigines at the time is a bit heavy-handed in the story, it does play into the fact that both the Drover and Lady Ashley are outsiders who are willing to do right for those people despite what society thinks. The antagonist in Neil Fletcher is a conniving individual who does have a secret of his own though it is one aspect of the character that doesn’t work where it is also obvious. Still, there is something about Fletcher as he’s character that audiences love to hate as he often spouts the words, “pride is not power”.

Luhrmann’s direction is definitely grand in the way he presents Australia during that time period where it is a mixture of a lot of genres ranging from the sweeping romantic epic, the costume dramas, some comedy, the war film, and elements of the western. It’s a film that is all over the place where it can be called a mess a times but it makes up for as Luhrmann aims to create a film that recalls the epics of the past. Shooting on location in Australia including the Never Never desert in the Outback, Luhrmann uses the locations to present something that is visually-astonishing as well as epic to express how vast the land is. The place itself is just as much as a character of the film as everything else.

There are also moments in the film when Luhrmann knows where he doesn’t need to be extravagant where he does keep things simple in the way the characters interact with each other. Luhrmann does create some shots that are filled with a lot of lively moments and surprises to amp up the romance or the drama including some very harrowing scenes of the Darwin bombings. Though there are bits of the film’s ending which are over-drawn, it does work to reinforce the idea of love and family that the three central characters need from one another. Overall despite some of its messy moments and a few flaws in the story, Luhrmann does create a very worthwhile and engaging film about love and identity.

Cinematographer Mandy Walker does amazing work with the film‘s very gorgeous and colorful cinematography from the look of the rugged landscape with its naturalistic look to the more stylish scenes in some of the interiors and exterior settings in Darwin. Editors Dody Dorn and Michael McCusker do excellent work with the editing as it plays to an air of style with some rhythmic cuts for some of the film’s action moments as well as some montages to help establish a few key moments in the story. Production/costume designer Catherine Martin, with set decorator Beverley Dunn and supervising art director Ian Gracie, does fantastic work with the set pieces to recreate the look of late 1930s Darwin with its bars as well as the home Lady Ashley has in the Outback while the costumes that Martin creates are just beautiful to play up the evolving style of Lady Ashley along with the rugged look of the Drover who also shows that he has a very classy side to himself.

The film’s visual effects by Chris Godfrey does wonderful work with some of the film‘s visual effects for the extravagant Darwin bombing scene as well as a few visual effects shots in the Outback. Sound designer Wayne Pushley does superb work with the sound to capture some of the tense atmosphere in the Outback along with more layered sound work in the Darwin bombing scenes. The film’s music by David Hirschfelder is terrific for its use of sweeping orchestral arrangements and bombast along with some serene moments that includes the use of Somewhere In the Rainbow that becomes a key piece for Nullah and Lady Ashley. The soundtrack consists of music from that period with its mix of jazz, Australian folk, and pop along with new songs by Elton John and Angela Little to play up the sense of adventure and romance in the film.

The casting by Nikki Barrett and Ronna Kress is brilliant as it features a large collective of actors for this film. The film features appearances from Bill Hunter as a skipper, Barry Otto as a government representative overseeing the cattle industry, Ursula Yovich as Nullah’s mother, Ray Barrett as Lady Ashley’s British counsel, Sandy Gore as King Carney’s wife Gloria, Yuen Wah as a Cantonese chef living in Faraway Downs, Jacek Koman as the Faraway Downs saloon keeper Ivan, and Tony Barry as Sgt. Callahan who heads the Northern Territory police unit. Essie Davis is very good as King Carney’s daughter Catherine who is an admirer of Lady Ashley while Jack Thompson is quite funny and excellent as Lady Ashley’s alcoholic accountant Kipling Flynn. David Ngoombujarra is wonderful as the Drover’s brother-in-law Magarri who helps him out while Ben Mendelsohn is terrific as the army officer Captain Dutton who becomes a close ally for Lady Ashley.

David Gulpilil is amazing as the mysterious Aborigine King George who aids Lady Ashley and the Drover through the Outback despite his distrust towards the whites. Bryan Brown is great as the cattle baron King Carney as a man eager to have a monopoly in the cattle industry. Brandon Walters is remarkable as the half-Aborigine boy Nullah who becomes the one person in Lady Ashley’s life to make her stay in Australia as he also helps her become a rich cattle baron. David Wenham is superb as the very slimy and conniving Neil Fletcher who tries to do whatever to bring down Lady Ashley.

Hugh Jackman is marvelous as the Drover as a man who knows Australia better than anyone as he comes off as a very rugged yet stubborn man but also one who is very kind and can become a gentleman. Nicole Kidman is radiant as Lady Sarah Ashley as a woman who arrives to the country as an outsider only to become a more proud and fierce woman eager to lead and become someone not to be messed with. The scenes with Kidman and Jackman are just glorious to watch as the two have great chemistry together as they are among one of the film’s highlights.

Despite some of its shortcomings in its story, Australia is a still a visually-gorgeous and stellar film from Baz Luhrmann. Thanks to the leading performances of Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman along with some amazing technical work and a supporting cast. The film is definitely a worthwhile film that has a lot to offer though it is a bit of a mess at times. In the end, Australia is a very good film from Baz Luhrmann.

Baz Luhrmann Films: Strictly Ballroom - William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet - Moulin Rouge - The Great Gatsby (2013 film) - The Auteurs #23: Baz Luhrmann

© thevoid99 2013

Angel (2007 film)

2013-05-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Based on the novel by Elizabeth Taylor, Angel is the story of a writer who is eager to succeed while enduring all sorts of trials and tribulations throughout the course of her life. Directed by Francois Ozon and screenplay by Ozon and Martin Crimp, the film is a look into the life of a woman who is eager to succeed yet deals with the reality she tries to run away from in her life. Starring Romola Garai, Michael Fassbender, Sam Neill, Lucy Russell, and Charlotte Rampling. Angel is a gorgeous yet extravagant melodrama from Francois Ozon.

The film is essentially a rise-and-fall tale told in a melodramatic style about a young girl named Angel Deverell (Romola Garai) who craves to live a life that doesn’t exist as she constantly writes stories filled with imagination and fantasy in the hopes to succeed and live a rich, fabulous life. Once she’s published and becomes successful, she has everything a woman could want in the early 20th Century including the love of her life in an artist named Esme` (Michael Fassbender) and a supportive assistant in Esme’s sister Nora (Lucy Russell). When World War I arrives and Esme` decides to enlist, Angel’s world crumbles little by little as her book sales decline as well as her detachment from reality leading to elements of tragedy and despair.

Francois Ozon’s screenplay that features additional dialogue from Martin Crimp play into that rise and fall schematic where they use a traditional structure to convey the journey of this woman who is ambitious and talented but also very self-centered, melodramatic, and is practically a dreamer. Still, there is something about Angel Deverell that is intriguing for someone who has this idea about what people should strive for and how she expects to be treated. While her publisher Theo (Sam Neill) is intrigued by her ambition as well as the stories she writes. She is disliked by his wife Hermione (Charlotte Rampling) who sees Angel as an outrageous dreamer with no sense of reality. While she does have another admirer in Nora who would eventually become Angel’s caretaker, there are things in Angel’s world that includes the house called Paradise that seems very surreal.

The film’s second half has this sense of collision between reality and fiction where Angel deals with World War I from afar as she starts to not just lose touch with an ever-changing world. She is in complete denial over the fact that her work is too detached from that ever-changing world which doesn’t reflect anything that she is surrounded by. It’s a character who is very flawed and can be very despicable towards people as she would try to get Esme` to paint things that doesn’t really suit what he’s feeling as he couldn’t live up to her idea of what he should be as he is carrying a secret of his own that only his sister and later Theo would know. The third act isn’t just about the tragedy Angel deals with but also some harsh truth that she faces not just about herself but also the world that she had wanted to leave behind in the beginning of the film.

Ozon’s direction is very stylish in not just the way he presents the film as this rise-and-fall melodrama but also in the moments where reality and fantasy collide. Notably as there’s scenes where Angel is traveling with these artificial backdrops to play up this idea that she’s living a life that is extraordinary and lives up to what she thinks is the way to live. There’s compositions that do play up something that would recall these period-costume films filled with lavish set pieces and gorgeous costumes. Even as it plays to that idea of melodrama where a woman is so full of herself as she has to make a grand entrance to make people believe she is great. It’s all part of this world in the film’s first half that builds up to Angel being a woman that people admire and revere for her work.

By the film’s second half, Ozon goes for less artificiality while upping the melodrama even more where it plays into Angel’s sense of denial about the real world as well as the fact that Esme` is a man eager to find himself only to come back the war a ravaged and detached man. With Esme` wanting to pull away from Angel, he has no choice but to come back to her as she welcomes back in a grand style oblivious to what he is feeling. It does lead to this very dreary third act where the shots are much tighter and the drama is stripped-down a bit to unveil the sense of loss of not just what Angel is feeling but also the realization of a world that has changed and in no need of her at the moment which does lead to an ending that is quite extravagant in some respects to who Angel Deverell is. Overall, Ozon creates a very fascinating and exhilarating film about the rise-and-fall of a dreamer.

Cinematographer Denis Lenoir does brilliant work with the film‘s very gorgeous cinematography that is filled with lush images for some of its exteriors and interiors as it‘s colorful as well as intoxicating to look at. Editor Muriel Breton does nice work with the editing to create some wonderful jump-cuts to play with the rhythm while keeping things methodical for some of its drama. Production designer Katia Wyszkop, with set decorator Gerard Marcireau and art director Alexandra Lassen, does amazing work with the set pieces from the lavish home that is Paradise to some of the halls and places set in the early 20th Century.

Costume designer Pascaline Chavanne does fantastic work with the costumes to play up Angel‘s vivacious personality as it has her becoming a young woman being poor to someone being glamorous with all of these expensive dresses. Visual effects supervisor Daniel Trujillo does terrific work with some of the backdrops that is created in Angel‘s travels to showcase her idea of the world as she‘s disconnected from reality. Sound editor Benoit Hillebrant does excellent work with the sound to capture some of the atmosphere of the intimate moments of the film as well as some of the livelier moments such as the play Angel attends based on one of her books. The film’s music by Philippe Rombi is just exquisite for its serene yet soaring orchestral flourishes with some lush string arrangements and melancholic piano pieces to play up the melodrama.

The casting by Karen Lindsay-Stewart is superb for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small roles from Simon Woods as an art curator looking into Esme’s work, Christopher Benjamin as Esme` and Nora’s uncle Lord Norley, Jemma Powell as a woman Esme` knew in Angelique, Janine Duvitski as Angel’s aunt Lottie, and Jacqueline Tong as Angel’s mother whom Angel would later claim that she was a famous concert pianist. Charlotte Rampling is wonderful in a small but crucial role as Theo’s wife Hermione who watches Angel from afar with some disdain while later gaining her pity to see how far she’s fallen. Sam Neill is excellent as Angel’s publisher Theo who takes on the young writer as he’s amazed by her work while also falling for her from afar as he also tries to deal with her disconnect from the real world.

Lucy Russell is great as Nora as a woman who goes from an admirer of Angel to someone who is devoted to make sure she is in a good state of mind while forcing to carry secrets to not make Angel lose control. Michael Fassbender is amazing as Esme` as a man eager to succeed with his own approach to art while dealing with the expectations he’s been saddled with when he’s with Angel as he is later undone by his time in World War I. Finally, there’s Romola Garai in a magnificent performance as the titular character as a woman who is clearly someone filled with imagination but couldn’t handle the idea of reality as Garai isn’t afraid to make the character very un-likeable at times while displaying a bit of sympathy to a woman who later endures tragedy in her life.

Angel is a splendid and delightful film from Francois Ozon that features a mesmerizing performance from Romola Garai. Along with a supporting cast that includes Michael Fassbender, Sam Neill, Lucy Russell, and Ozon cohort Charlotte Rampling. The film is definitely one of Ozon’s most stylish as well as intriguing films that explores the plight of dreamers. While it’s a film that can be overwhelming at times, it is still fascinating to showcase a woman’s rise and fall as she is disconnected from reality. In the end, Angel is an extraordinary film from Francois Ozon.

Francois Ozon Films: See the Sea - Sitcom - Criminal Lovers - Water Drops on Burning Rocks - Under the Sand - 8 Women - Swimming Pool - 5x2 - Time to Leave - Ricky - The Refuge - Potiche - In the House - (Jeune & Jolie)

© thevoid99 2013

Sitcom

2013-05-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

Written and directed by Francois Ozon, Sitcom is the story about a once-revered family who starts to free-fall into a state of decadence following the purchase of a small white rat. The film is a satire into the world of families with references to American sitcoms as well as adding an element of surrealism to the film. Starring Evelyne Dandry, Francois Marthouret, Marina de Van, Adrien de Van, and Stephane Rideau. Sitcom is a wild and zany black comedy from Francois Ozon.

Change is something that can threaten the livelihood of a family, especially one that is rich and live the life of a family that is quite normal. The premise of this film is about a man named Jean (Francois Marthouret) who brings home a lab rat as a gift for his family much to the chagrin of his wife Helen (Evelyne Dandry) who is afraid of rats. Immediately, things start to happen as members of the families behave in a strange manner while it would also affect the lives of those close to the family. Things progress into something much stranger where Jean is oblivious to what is happening until he has an encounter with the lab rat he had given his family.

Francois Ozon’s screenplay is a bit of a satire of sorts in which a family’s life comes undone by this new arrival where the nerdy son Nicolas (Adrien de Van) becomes an extroverted gay man while the very upbeat daughter Sophie (Marina de Van) becomes obsessed with death and sadomasochism following a suicide attempt. Though the film starts out at the end where something gruesome happens, the film then goes back to see what led to this event where everything went wrong as it relates to this little lab rat. Due to the encounters with this little lab rat, members of this very normal rich family descend into a world of decadence where all sorts of things happening that just pushes the limits of what is decent in the world. Still, Ozon finds ways to create something that doesn’t play to convention as well as some twist and turns to unveil things that play into the changes of this family.

Ozon’s direction is quite stylish in not just some of the compositions he creates but also the way he plays out some of the idea of a family coming undone. A lot of it is presented with this mix of black comedy where a lot of things are off and zany. At the same time, there’s an absurdity to the comedy where it involves family members doing strange things including orgies and sadomasochist games. Ozon isn’t afraid to even do things that can be very disgusting but let it play out naturally as if there aren’t any rules as far as bad taste is concerned. Overall, Ozon creates a very off-the-wall yet entertaining film about the decline of a normal family.

Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from some of the look of the interiors in the house the characters live in to the some of the lighting schemes set at night along with a beautiful shot of the family in a swimming pool. Editor Dominique Petrot does nice work with the editing as it plays to an element of style that captures the energy of the humor as well as the intensity of some of the drama. Production designer Angelique Puron does wonderful work with the look of the house the characters live in that includes the beach painting wall in Nicolas’ room and the strange pictures that Sophie has in her room. Costume designer Herve Poeydemenge does terrific work with the costumes to play up the development of the characters as some of them become more outlandish as the film progresses.

Sound editor Benoit Hillebrant does superb work with the sound to capture some of chilling moments of the film as well as some wilder moments in the humorous scenes. The film’s music by Eric Neveux is quite good for some of the darker moments that is played out in the film such as the characters’ encounter with the rat while the rest of the music consists largely of classical pieces by Gustav Mahler, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig Van Beethoven, and Frederic Chopin as well as a dance-pop song in Corona’s The Rhythm of the Night.

The film’s cast is brilliant as it features some notable small performances from Jean Douchet as a family shrink, Jule-Emmanuel Eyoum Deido as the maid’s husband Abdu whose encounter with rat has him do strange things, Lucia Sanchez as the family maid Maria who becomes more outlandish with her hairdos, and Stephane Rideau as Sophie’s boyfriend David who becomes saddened by Sophie’s dark attitude. Adrien de Van and Marina de Van are terrific in their respective roles as siblings Nicolas and Sophie as they go into many changes with Adrien becoming more out while Marina is more dramatic. Francois Marthouret is excellent as Jean as a man who is oblivious to the changes until he’s confronted by his family about doing into therapy where he would have his own encounter with the rat. Finally, there’s Evelyne Dandry in a wonderful performance as Helen as a woman who is shocked by these changes only for her encounter with the rat to make a big change in her own behavior.

Sitcom is a strange yet off-the-wall black comedy from Francois Ozon. Featuring a great cast as well as very provocative themes about the idea of family, it is a film that definitely pushes the ideas of what is considered to be bad taste. Even as it is one of Ozon’s most outlandish films during an early period of his career in the late 90s. In the end, Sitcom is a fucked-up yet enjoyable film from Francois Ozon.

Francois Ozon Films: See the Sea - Criminal Lovers - Water Drops on Burning Rocks - Under the Sand - 8 Women - Swimming Pool - 5x2 - Time to Leave - Angel (2007 film) - Ricky - The Refuge - Potiche - In the House - (Jeune & Jolie)

© thevoid99 2013

Where the Wild Things Are

2013-05-01T12:34:00.001-07:00

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 10/18/09 w/ Additional Edits.

Based on the children's picture book by Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are is the story of a young boy who is sent to his room where he lets his imagination roam with the wild creatures he encounters. Directed by Spike Jonze and screenplay by Jonze and Dave Eggers, the film is look into the world of imagination from the eyes of a young child as it takes Sendak's book to a much broader world. Starring Max Records, Catherine Keener and Mark Ruffalo along with a voice cast that includes Chris Cooper, Michael Berry Jr., Forest Whitaker, Lauren Ambrose, Catherine O'Hara, Paul Dano, and James Gandolfini. Where the Wild Things Are is a sprawling yet and enthralling film from Spike Jonze.

Max (Max Records) is a young boy who is trying to deal with his parents separation while his older sister Claire (Pepita Emmerichs) is more interested being with her friends. Max is also trying to deal with his own wild imagination where he wears a costume while roaming around everywhere. One night as his mom (Catherine Keener) has invited her boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo) for dinner, Max's wild behavior causes mayhem as he runs away from home and finds a sailboat. The boat takes him across the sea to an island where wild creatures live as one of them named Carol (voice of James Gandolfini) is smashing homes. Around him are Ira (voice of Forest Whitaker), his wife Judith (voice of Catherine O'Hara), a bird-like creature named Douglas (voice of Chris Cooper), a silent bull (voice of Michael Berry Jr.), and a goat named Alexander (voice of Paul Dano).

Max goes wild around them as he tells them to be still as Carol sees him as their new king. Another wild creature named KW (voice of Lauren Ambrose) arrives to see Max become king as he declares to let things go wild. Everyone has a good time while Carol shows Max his little world that he made prompting Max to want to make a fortress and home for everyone to live in. Things go world though things start to go wrong when KW wants to invite a couple of owls to the family upsetting Carol. When Max decides to settle things with a dirt fight, everything seems to go well until the fight manages to affect a few of the participants. When the events after the fight transpire, things become problematic as Carol becomes angrier while truths about Max's true nature is revealed prompting him to make a huge decision.

Adaptations are tricky, particularly with children's story as it's about trying to be faithful to the book but also present it with a unique vision. What Spike Jonze and co-screenwriter Dave Eggers did is a mixture of both by being faithful to the book but also present in a way that is more lively. In adding dramatic elements to the story such as a boy dealing with his parents divorce, sense of feeling neglected, and acting out by running to an imaginary world. Jonze definitely brought a different take of sorts on Maurice Sendak's beloved novel which was just a simple story of a boy running into his imagination to roam with wild creatures.

The simplicity of the story is there though like the book, doesn't exactly follow a conventional plot structure in what is expected for a children's story. The first act follows Max being a wild kid, getting into trouble, and then running away to meet with the wild creatures. The second act is him becoming king and letting things run wild while the third is the fallout over a huge dirt fight. Yet, the creatures are all based on Max's own life with Alexander representing Max's sense of neglect since the goat-like creature is trying to get attention. Carol represents the angry side of Max as the others play people who Max had encounter with KW as a maternal figure of sorts with Ira as the friendly creature and Judith as the cynical one. Others like Douglas play as a conscience of sorts while Bull is the silent observer who participates in the rumpus.

Jonze and Eggers not only add personalities to the creatures but also explore the complex emotions of what Max is going through as an eight/nine-year-old boy dealing with all sorts of things. In the process, he starts out as this boy feeling neglected and angry where he has to act out into someone who realizes that life isn't so simple and it must be hard for his own mother to be attentive to him. The complexity of the film might seem a little broad for young audiences but Jonze and Eggers are aware that they can an idea of what is happening.

Jonze's direction for the film is truly stunning from the opening scene of Max running wild in his house as he hopes to make an igloo to the scenes of the island shot in Australia. The approach for this wild, free-wielding look of the film truly captures the spirit of the book in shooting the film at the forest, mountains, beaches, and deserts. Jonze also creates something that is huge as it is all about the imagination of the child from the huge wooden ball-nest that the wild things live in to the little place that Carol has created. With a lot of hand-held work in the rumpus and dirt-fight scenes to tracking shots in scenes of action. Jonze also utilized numerous special effects styles from CGI, suitmation, animatronics, puppetry, and all sorts of ideas to flesh out the story to make it as realistic as he can.

While there's actors wearing suits inside the creatures, the movements of their eyes and faces are just as spectacular where there's life to the characters while the voices add an emotive quality to them. What Jonze did overall in presenting the film with lots of wide angle, beautiful shots, and ideas that are truly from the imagination of a child is exhilarating. In bringing the book to life while making it into its own story is just amazing as Jonze creates what is possibly his best work yet along with a film that is probably become a hallmark of great film that kids could watch.

Jonze's longtime cinematographer Lance Acord does amazing work with the photography from the dark-colored look of the nighttime scenes when Max runs away from home to the colorful, bright look of the snow in that same location at the daytime. The scenes in the wood show Acord bringing lots of color and looks to capture the emotion of the film from the sunny, bright colored look of the sun and sky in the deserts along with grey, colorless look of the woods during the rumpus scenes. Even the scenes deeper in the woods with shades of darker colors play up to the dark emotions that goes on in the third act as Acord's work is truly amazing overall.

Editors Eric Zumbrunnen and James Haygood do fantastic work with the editing in providing a nice sense of rhythm for the film's action while not making things move too fast. Leisurely-paced, the film knows when to slow things down for the dramatic elements without being too slow as the editing is overall solid. Production designer K.K. Barrett along with set decorator Simon McCutcheon and supervising art director Jeffrey Thorp do brilliant work with the overall design of the places at the island from the large circular nest that the wild things live in to the tunnels, deserts, and the model place that Carol had created. Barrett's work in the design work along with sculptures and such is truly some of the best art direction ever created for a film with a lot of imagination.

Costume designer Casey Storm does an excellent job with the creation of Max's wild thing costume that looks exactly like the costume from the book along with more casual clothing for the actors to wear in the non-island scenes. Yet, the look of the creatures from the hair and makeup is fantastic in its realism. The credit really should go to the special effects team that include special effects supervisor Peter Stubbs, visual effects supervisors Daniel Jeanette, Marc Kolbe, and Chris Watts along with a team of animators. The design for the creatures are phenomenal as they all look like creatures from the book coming to life. Sound designer Ren Klyce does a phenomenal job with the sound work in the chaos of the rumpus and creatures along with the sounds of the location that is happening.

The film's score by Carter Burwell and Yeah Yeah Yeahs vocalist Karen O is a playful, intimate, yet sparse score that recalls the acoustic work of the YYYs' Show Your Bones album back in 2006. Along with contributions from Deerhunter's Bradford Cox, former YYYs touring member Imaad Wasif, The Dead Weather's Jack Lawrence and Dean Fertita, and YYY members Nick Zinner and Brian Chase. The music plays up to the spirit of Max's raucous energy along with its sense of melancholia. Notably songs like Hideaway and a cover of Daniel Johnston's Worried Shoes. Overall, it's a fantastic score and soundtrack that reflects on the spirit of the story and film while its trailer is wonderfully accompanied by a re-recorded version of Wake Up by Arcade Fire.

The casting by Justine Baddeley and Kim Davis is superb with notable appearances from Max Pfeifer, Madeleine Graves, Joshua Jay, and Ryan Corr as friends of Claire who engage in a snowball fight with Max along with Steve Mouzakis as Max's teacher. Other small roles from Pepita Emmerichs as Max's older sister Claire to a cameo appearance of sorts from Mark Ruffalo as Max's mother's boyfriend are nice to see while Catherine Keener is excellent in a brief role as Max's mother. The voice casting is truly phenomenal with Michael Berry Jr. providing the grunts of the mostly silent Bull while Chris Cooper is sort of unrecognizable as the voice of the bird-creature Douglas. Catherine O'Hara is funny as the cynical voice of Judith while Forest Whitaker is excellent as the calm voice of Ira. Paul Dano is great as the voice of Alexander, the goat wanting some attention as he also carries some pain around him.

Lauren Ambrose is wonderful as the voice of KW, the maternal figure of the wild things who is troubled by Carol's anger while being kinder and more loving towards Max. James Gandolfini is perfect as the voice of Carol from his light-hearted humor to his more angry side to show Carol's troubled personality as Gandolfini's voice brings a surprising depth to the character that no one expected from the guy who played Tony Soprano. Finally, there's Max Records in an amazing performance as Max. Records provides all of the wild and complex emotions of a young boy as he is really the heart and soul of the film as he shows surprising depth to a boy that feels neglected and sad. When he's wild, he's full of energy as he really captures the spirit of the character in the book as it's truly a mesmerizing performance from the young actor.

Where the Wild Things Are is an amazing, imaginative, and heartfelt film from Spike Jonze and company. Fans of Jonze's work will see this as not just his most ambitious but also heartfelt film as he truly captures the spirit and innocent of a child while being truly faithful to Maurice Sendak's beloved book. Fans of the book will be amazed to see the story come to life while seeing how much is kept with not much being missed. Overall, this is a film that can be described as an art film of sorts for children while adults will be amazed by its production values, wondrous cinematography, and visual effects along with its complex, melancholic story. In the end, Where the Wild Things Are is one of 2009's best films from the wonderful mind of director Spike Jonze and its creator Maurice Sendak.

Spike Jonze Films: (Being John Malkovich) - (Adaptation) - (She)

© thevoid99 2013

The Films That I Saw: April 2013

2013-04-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

The summer film season is about to begin but there is also an end of sorts that is happening as I’ve decided to put my music blog The Void-Go-Round on indefinite hiatus due to lack of enthusiasm and ideas I’m shutting it down for an in-determined amount of time. Largely because I just don’t really care to write about music again even though I have been listening to some new records that I like. Even as I’m taking the time to discover other elements of classic hard rock like Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, and several other acts just to fill my time and add something to my music catalog.

For me, April was a pretty good month though the past couple of weeks had me decided to slow things down as I was feeling a bit tired and wanted to save some energy for next month. I saw a total of 38 films, 20 first-timers and 18 re-watches. Definitely down in comparison to last month as one of the things I saw was a 7-part TV mini-series. Still, I think I did pretty good though I felt a little burned out in the last few weeks. Notably as I found a major highlight of the year in my Blind Spot assignment in Floating Weeds.

Here are the top 10 first-timers that I saw this month:

1. Trance

2. The Place Beyond the Pines

3. A Matter of Life and Death

4. Red Road

5. To the Wonder

6. Top of the Lake

7. Wuthering Heights

8. I Know Where I'm Going!

9. Ruby Sparks

10. A Canterbury Tale

Monthly Mini-Reviews:

American Reunion

I enjoyed the American Pie films (not the bloody awful straight-to-DVD films) though I wasn’t sure about seeing this. It was on TV and I decided to check it out where it wasn’t as bad as some people said it is but it’s not as interesting. Sure, characters like Stifler and Jim’s dad are fun to watch as well as seeing that 18-year old neighbor of Jim who’s got a very nice pair of tits. It was just that some of the humor didn’t work while some of the people in the film like Mena Suvari was underused.

Dark Shadows

The trailer for this film when it was about to come out looked like Tim Burton was going back to his comedy roots. Yet, the lukewarm reviews did worry me as I decided not to see it in theaters. Now that it’s on TV, it was OK but a lot of it revealed that Tim Burton really needs to stop using CGI, certain color palettes, and really strip things down again. Despite some good performances from Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Bella Heathcote, and Eva Green, it got to silly while things definitely went out of control towards the end.

Ric Flair: Unemployed to Undisputed

A YouTube-made documentary about a crucial period in the career of one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time. It’s a very well-made documentary that showcased a period in time in which Ric Flair had left NWA/WCW due to a contract dispute and other reasons (which were stupid from WCW’s part) where he went to the WWE from the fall of 1991 to early 1993 though the film chronicled Flair’s arrival in the WWE to the moment in January 1992 where won the Royal Rumble to become the undisputed WWE Champion. It’s something wrestling fans must see which featured some rare footage and moments where Ric Flair proved to be the Man in pro wrestling for a brief moment in time.

The Watch

This was excruciating to watch from start to finish. It was bad enough that some of it was shot in areas where I lived including my old high school football stadium and the parking lot at my local Costco. What pissed me off about this film was that it tried too hard to be funny and instead, it came off as just embarrassing and dull. Jonah Hill’s creepy schtick doesn’t work while I think it’s time for both Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller to just simply retire because these old dinosaurs aren’t funny anymore. Definitely one of the worst films I had ever seen.

Top 10 Re-Watches:

1. Blade Runner

2. Ghostbusters

3. Rocky

4. Strictly Ballroom

5. Flight of the Navigator

6. The Rocketeer

7. Born on the 4th of July

8. Rookie of the Year

9. October Sky

10. A Life Less Ordinary

Well, that is it for April. Next month will be the start of the summer film season as well as the Cannes Film Festival where I will be doing my marathon as I’ve selected 15 films to watch for the duration of the festival. Before that, there will be a mini-marathon of films by Francois Ozon that I had never seen along with two new theatrical films in Iron Man 3 and The Great Gatsby where the latter will coincide with the next Auteurs piece on Baz Luhrmann. Until then, let’s make this summer our bitch.

© thevoid99 2013

Rocky

2013-04-29T14:53:00.001-07:00

Directed by John G. Avildsen and written and starring Sylvester Stallone, Rocky is the story of a club fighter who is down on his luck as he is given a shot to fight the heavyweight champion of the world. The film is the first of a series of films that explores the trials and tribulations of Rocky Balboa as he is a kind-hearted man that is trying to make it in the only thing he knows how to do. Also starring Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young, Tony Burton, and Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed. Rocky is a heartwarming and sensational film from John G. Avildsen.

The film is a simple story about a club fighter named Rocky Balboa who is a good, kind-hearted man with little prospects as he is given a shot to fight the World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed. Yet, the film follows the life of this guy who knows how to fight while he spends part of his time collecting money for a loan shark just to make a living. Still, it’s not enough as he’s considered a bum by most people living in the urban neighborhood in Philadelphia while a gym owner named Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith) is convinced that Rocky is wasting his potential by working for a loan shark. When opportunity arises to fight Apollo Creed all because of his nickname in The Italian Stallion, it becomes one of many things that help Rocky’s life as he also falls for a shy pet store clerk named Adrian (Talia Shire). While he is considered a long-shot to win the fight, Rocky would do something to surprise everyone in his climatic fight with Creed.

Sylvester Stallone’s screenplay reveals a lot of the struggles of a man just trying to get a break in life as he wants to do good yet he isn’t given many opportunities to do so. Particularly as he is someone who is street-smart but had to give up school as a teenager making life much tougher for him. The only friend he has is an alcoholic meat-packing plant worker named Paulie (Burt Young) who is also Adrian’s older brother. Adrian becomes the one person in Rocky’s life that shows him a world with love as he would help her come out of her shell more as she eventually stands up to the abusive tirades of her brother. The opportunity to fight Creed isn’t just something that Rocky needed to help his life but also prove to the people that he’s not a bum. Even as he turns to Mickey for help as Mickey had been reluctant in the past but knows Rocky needs someone who can help him.

The Apollo Creed character is based on some of the more outrageous fighters of the 1960s and 1970s as he’s a man that needed to fight a fighter as his original fight fell through. By giving an unknown a shot at the title on New Year’s Day in 1976, it would give Creed the publicity that he craves for as a man who is generous with the people. What he doesn’t know is that his opponent is training for the fight a little more seriously as it does lead to this fight. There’s a moment in the third act before the fight where an admittedly-scared Rocky knows that he couldn’t beat the undefeated Creed. Yet, he doesn’t want to go out there and lose like a bum where the fight would have Rocky do the unthinkable in that fight.

John G. Avildsen’s direction is quite understated for much of the film in terms of creating the sense of drama as it has this sense of looseness in the way things play out. Even as it features scenes of Rocky walking around place in Philadelphia where the place itself is a character in the film. While a lot of the dramatic moments are shot with some simplicity, the scenes involving the fights are more stylish. Notably in the way it shows Rocky’s training methods like hitting meat in a meat locker or running around the streets of Philadelphia. Avildsen also creates some amazing training montages where the shots of Rocky running in training featured one of the most early uses of the Steadicam that would also include the shot of Rocky reaching the top of the steps of Philadelphia Museum of Arts.

The climatic fight scene is presented with such degree of style where Avildsen does use some stock footage for the crowd scenes as while having the camera be in and outside the ring to capture the intensity. Even as it reveals what the crowd is seeing as there’s a lot of drama in the fight including some moments where both Rocky and Creed put their bodies at great risk. Overall, Avildsen creates a very gripping yet powerful film about a fighter getting the opportunity to do good and fight the champ.

Cinematographer James Crabe does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography by using very simple lighting schemes for some of the film‘s interiors and exteriors while creating a sense of style for the film‘s fights with some unique uses of lighting. Editors Scott Conrad and Richard Halsey do great work with the editing to use more simple but effective cuts in the dramatic portions while creating some amazing montages in the training sequence as well as some rhythmic cuts in the climatic fight. Production designer William J. Cassidy, with set decorator Ray Molyneaux and art director James H. Spencer, does nice work with some of the set pieces along with the lavish look of the climatic fight.

Makeup designer Michael Westmore does terrific work with the makeup for the film‘s climatic fight to showcase the brutality the two men put upon each other. The sound work of Bud Alper, Lyle J. Burbridge, William McCaughey, and Harry Warren Tetrick is wonderful for the atmosphere that occurs in the gym and in the fights along with the intimate scene of Rocky and Adrian at the ice skating rink. The film’s music by Bill Conti is brilliant as it features some soaring orchestral music including the theme Gonna Fly Now along with some plaintive piano pieces to express Rocky’s melancholia.

The casting by Caro Jones is fantastic as it features some notable appearances from famed fighter Joe Frazier as well as performances from Joe Spinnell as the loan shark Tony Gazzo, Thayer David as the promoter George Jergens, and Tony Burton as Creed’s trainer Tony “Duke” Evers. Carl Weathers is great as the flamboyant fighter Apollo Creed as a man who is full of charisma and skill only to realize that the opponent he picked isn’t some bum. Burt Young is excellent as Rocky’s friend Paulie who tries to help Rocky out while being very cruel towards his sister claiming she’s making his life difficult. Burgess Meredith is superb as Mickey as a former boxer who is aware of Rocky’s potential as he helps trains for the fight. Talia Shire is wonderful as Adrian as a shy pet store clerk who falls for Rocky as she helps him deal with the doubts he has. Finally, there’s Sylvester Stallone in a magnificent performance as Rocky Balboa by displaying a man who is very good to people though doesn’t get appreciated while being a tough guy with heart as it’s definitely a true breakthrough for Sly.

Rocky is a tremendous film from John G. Avildsen and its star/writer Sylvester Stallone. The film isn’t just one of the great sport movies but also an inspirational story of how an underdog can overcome the odds. Even as it’s a film that started one of the great franchises in films while finding a character in Rocky Balboa for the people to root for. In the end, Rocky is an outstanding film from John G. Avildsen.

Rocky Films: (Rocky II) - (Rocky III) - (Rocky IV) - (Rocky V) - (Rocky Balboa)

John G. Avildsen Films: (Turn on to Love) - (Guess What We Learned in School Today?) - (Joe) - (Cry Uncle!) - (Okay Bill) - (Save the Tiger) - (The Stoolie) - (Fore Play) - (W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings) - (Slow Dancing in the Big City) - (The Formula) - (Neighbors) - (Traveling Hopefully) - (A Night in Heaven) - (The Karate Kid) - (The Karate Kid Part II) - (Happy New Year) - (For Keeps) - (Lean on Me) - (The Karate Kid Part III) - (The Power of One) - (8 Seconds) - (Inferno)

© thevoid99 2013