Month: January 2022

“The Dead Don’t Die” (2019) starring Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Chloe Sevigny, & Tilda Swinton

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In Centerville, PA (FYI: Hudson Valley, NY is where they filmed), Chief Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray) and Officer Ronnie Peterson (Adam Driver) respond to a report from farmer Frank Miller (Steve Buscemi) re: a missing chicken. They briefly interact w/ Hermit Bob (Tom Waits), a bearded/armed eccentric who lives in the woods. On the way back to the station, Cliff notices it is still daylight after 8pm; Ronnie’s watch and cell have stopped working. At the local diner, Hank Thompson (Danny Glover), hears a radio report on “polar fracking.” Two zombies reanimate when night falls; they drink coffee and kill two women (Fern and Lily) working at the diner. When Hank comes by early the the next morning, he finds their mutilated bodies- yikes! Ronnie believes zombies killed the women.

Officer Ronnie Peterson: Is our plan to inform people about the zombie danger before it gets dark?

Chief Cliff Robertson: I guess so.

Ronnie: Because we passed Farmer Miller’s place a little while ago, do we need to inform him?

Cliff: F**k Farmer Miller.

Ronnie: Oh ok.

I learned that this is the 1st film of director Jim Jarmusch’s long career to receive a wide release in theaters here in the US! It contains deadpan humor (which is common for Murray) and is meta (self-referential). You’ll probably notice more if you’re familiar w/ the horror (esp. zombie) genre. I’m NOT one of those viewers- LOL! Also, the pacing is quite slow and the characters aren’t well-developed. I didn’t know what to expect here, BUT this is NOT my kind of movie. The zombie makeup and special effects seemed OK to me; I didn’t expect to see the more gruesome (bloody) stuff though.

Zelda Winston: Ah, Star Wars. That’s good fiction.

When Ronnie comes to the diner in his little red Smart car, the sounds are taken from a Star Wars vehicle. Later, when he hands the keys to the Scottish mortician, Zelda (Tilda Swinton), she notices his Star Wars key chain. Of course, most of the audience will know Driver as Kylo Ren in the latest sequel trilogy. He ONLY had about 3 wks to shoot this movie, as he was due back in England for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Driver’s hair is NOT too long; it looks really good/natural. He also wears (nerdy) glasses, but still has the Kylo (action star) body- what a combo! I felt a BIT bad for him seeing this movie- it just didn’t work (for most critics/viewers).

SyFy Channel Interviewer: “If you were a zombie, what would you be obsessed with?”

Driver: “I’d say cereal. I like all kinds of cereal.”

Sevigny: “Well, it’s not a thing, but vintage shopping.”

Frank wears a red baseball cap w/ the words “Make America White Again.” RZA is the driver of a WU-PS delivery truck; he’s a founding member of The Wu-Tang Clan musical group. The gas station manager, Bobby Wiggins (Caleb Landry Jones), knows a LOT re: zombies; this actor appeared in Get Out. The young “hipsters” coming through town (in a Pontiac Le Mans) are driven by Zoe (Selina Gomez). I learned that this car was prominently seen in George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968). Each zombie says only one word, related to something from their past or an item they are obsessed w/: coffee, Chardonnay, wi-fi, Snickers, popsicles, Alexa, etc.

[1] The zombie material is extremely familiar and there isn’t much to be said or done about endless scenes of humans battling zombies, but some of the quirky character interplay hits the mark; I was just left wanting more of that and less of the generic.

[2] Director Jim Jarmusch is trying for a meta hipster zombie comedy. It’s a more dead-pan and less funny Shaun of the Dead. […] This one is simply trying for fun. It’s not trying to be that smart. Bill Murray is perfect for the dead-pan especially without the anger to taint it. The cast is talented and they’re having fun.

[3] The zombie make-up was good, so that at least counted for something, but it wasn’t enough to make up for everything else where the movie either lacked, came in short or just didn’t even bother to make an effort.

[4] …if you like the filmmaker, go see it. But don’t expect greatness. Even I as a huge Bill Murray fan, who also likes Driver, cannot say this was a great movie.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

“What If” (2013) starring Daniel Radcliffe, Zoey Kazan, Megan Park, Adam Driver, Mackenzie Davis, & Rafe Spall

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WHAT IF is the story of medical school dropout Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe), who’s been repeatedly burned by bad relationships. So, while everyone around him, incl. his best friend Allan (Adam Driver), seems to be finding the perfect partner, Wallace decides to put his love life on hold. It is then that he meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan), an animator, who lives with her longtime boyfriend Ben (Rafe Spall). Wallace and Chantry form an instant connection, striking up a close friendship. Still, there is no denying the chemistry between them, leading the pair to wonder, what if the love of your life is actually your best friend? -Synopsis from CBS Films

In Canada and the UK, this rom com (free on Amazon Prime) was called The F Word (as in “friend”); Hollywood changed it to avoid the R rating (LOL). It is based on the play titled Toothpaste & Cigars by T.J. Dawe and Michael Rinaldi. Radcliffe (at 25 y.o.) said that this role is the 1st contemporary character he’s ever played: “There was something lovely about just stepping up on set and talking.” The director (Michael Dawse) is Canadian; the screenwriter (Elan Mastai) later went on to work on the hit TV series This is Us (2016). The filmmakers brought the cast back together over 2 weekends to create a new ending, 18 mos. after the original one. Radcliffe was initially hesitant about changing the ending b/c of how much he loved the original (“kind of old-school Hollywood.”) After shooting and watching the screening, he was happy w/ the new ending.

Wallace: In fairy tales, love inspires you to be noble and courageous, but in real life, love is just an all-purpose excuse for selfish behavior. You can lie and cheat and hurt people, and it’s all okay because you’re in love.

I ONLY watched this movie for Driver (just keeping it real); this is his 1st rom com! I found the size difference between Radcliffe (5’5″) and Driver (6’3″) comedic. Their characters also have different personalities; Wallace lives in his head and is more of a thinker, while Allan is extroverted and acts on impulse. Allan and Nicole (Mackenzie Davis) have a love (or lust) at 1st sight connection at Allan’s house party. Driver and Davis (who I first noticed on Black Mirror) make a hot couple; both are V tall, lean, w/ frenetic energy. Driver brings humor and does well w/ what was given. The dancing scenes at the wedding are funny.

Allan: I just had s*x and I’m about to eat NACHOS! IT’S THE GREATEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE!

The relationship which develops between Wallace and Chantry (Allan’s cousin) is slow/complicated. I thought the scene where Wallace and Chantry meet by chance at a screening of The Princess Bride was cute. There was a LOT of banter (perhaps TOO much), esp. between Radcliffe and Kazan (w/ petite build and only 5’4″). Another petite actress (Sarah Gadon) plays a young doc who’s the ex-gf of Wallace; I really liked her performances in Belle and a Canadian TV series- Alias Grace. There are really NOT many stakes in this movie. Wallace is NOT interested in Dalia (Megan Park), the lovelorn/annoying sis of Chantry. Also, Ben (who is a nice guy) is sent off to Dublin for 6 mos. (removing possible tension between him and Wallace). I didn’t see the point of having the animation scenes. There are points where the movie drags. If you’re NOT a fan of the rom com genre, this may tax your patience.

Allan: It’s complicated. All this love shit’s complicated. And that’s good. Because if it’s too simple you’ve got no reason to try, and if you’ve got no reason to try, you don’t.

[1] Have you ever watched a film that was pretty good but easily could have been better? Well, that’s my reaction to What If… It’s a pretty decent little romance, but the film also sure looks like the script could have used a decent editing, as sometimes the dialog is needlessly offensive...

The film is much like the premise behind When Harry Met Sally. In other words, it questions whether a man and woman can be just friends and stay that way.

[2] Poor Daniel Radcliffe, it will be a long time before we think of him as anything else but Harry Potter. But give him credit, he is now establishing himself as a reliable young adult actor. After all he turned 25 in 2014 so these sorts of roles are appropriate for him.

[3] Adam Driver from Girls is a tamer version of Adam Sackler and he works quite well.

[4] …this film isn’t as quirky or as entertaining as it thinks it is…

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

“Tracks” (2013) starring Mia Wasikowska & Adam Driver

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Some nomads are at home everywhere. Others are at home nowhere, and I was one of those.

– Robyn Davidson

In 1977, a 27 y.o. Australian woman, Robyn Davidson (Mia Wasikowska), set out from Alice Springs (Northern Territory) to trek across 2,700 km of harsh desert of Western Australia to reach the ocean. Accompanied by her dog and 4 camels, she had NO other purpose than to find herself on a journey of self-discovery. At points along the trip, Robyn is joined by a young American photographer, Rick Smolan (Adam Driver); he works for National Geographic (which sponsored her trip). The director (John Curran) is an American; he worked on We Don’t Live Here Anymore (2004), The Painted Veil (2006), and various TV series. The cinematographer (D.P.) is an Aussie woman (Mandy Walker); she worked on Australia (2008), Hidden Figures (2016), and Mulan (2020).

Robyn: [in letter to the publisher of Nat Geo] I am well aware of the hardship I will be facing. I am the first to admit I’m remarkably unqualified for such a hazardous undertaking. But this is precisely the point of my journey. I’d like to think an ordinary person is capable of anything.

There were several prior attempts to bring Davidson’s adventure memoir (also titled Tracks) to the big screen; she is a well-known in her native country. Over the years, Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman were attached to the lead role. The actual clothes (skirts, blouses, flannel shirts, etc.) that Davidson wore during her trek were recreated in fine detail. Wasikowka (who is an Aussie and of Polish heritage) gained acclaim as a troubled teen gymnast in S1 (2008) of HBO’s In Treatment; she played the lead in Jane Eyre (2011) opposite Michael Fassbender. She went to a “camel boot camp” for 3 days to learn how to work w/ the animals.

Rick: I didn’t realize how big camels are. It’s like a cow and giraffe mixture. It’s crazy.

She’s an awesome, ferocious actor. She’s so present in the moment, playful, and brave. And you can’t really ask for a better scene partner, I think. -Driver re: Wasikowska

I didn’t know much re: this film until recently; I assumed it was re: a road trip starring Driver (from the few US ads and comments by his long-time fans on social media). This is more about the female character- Robyn- who is introverted/reserved (preferring animals to people). On the other hand, Rick is an extrovert/chatty (who wants to get to know people). I don’t think I’ve ever seen Driver smile so much in a role (which is refreshing)! Wasikowska and Driver (wearing wire-rimmed glasses and clothes of that era) bring differing energies to their roles; she is bemused (maybe even annoyed) by his ebullience. Driver takes on a physicality that it “a bit awkward” (as Curran commented), though it is part of the sweet/nerdy charm of his character. Both Davidson and Smolan participated w/ the filmmakers on this movie; Smolan has a brief cameo as a park ranger. You can see this (free) on IMDbTV!

[1]...the human story is impressive, showing us a side of camels that I had no clue of. Camels as other animals obviously have their own personality and their own mind, seeing this depicted in a movie like this is amazing. Speaking of amazing: It’s not only the performances of the actors that are great, but also the visual presentation of the journey we’re taking with the “characters”. Inspiring and emotional, this might be able to touch you, if you go along with it (no pun intended).

[2] Despite the fact that it is often leisurely in the telling of Robyn’s true story and that Robyn is, for much of the running time, the only person on screen, it is never less than engaging. […]

Mia Wasikowska is very good in this gently moving film, but the real stars of this beautifully photographed story are the Australian desert and the camels.

[3] …the screenplay by Marion Nelson superbly uses brief flashbacks to give a psychological depth to what Davidson is trekking over, which never over powers the spiritual and personal discover that Davidson is making on the tracks. Largely taking place in the desert, Nelson avoids things drying up by crossing Davidson’s solo walk with intersections which take Davidson out of the self-imposed wilderness,as a sweet bond of friendship builds with Smolan, and Davidson learns of a completely different culture from the aboriginals.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

“Midnight Special” (2016) starring Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kristen Dunst, & Adam Driver

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From a local Texas news story, we learn that 8 y.o. Alton Meyer (Jaeden Martell) was been kidnapped by Roy Tomlin (Michael Shannon). Alton (who doesn’t look hurt/scared) wears goggles over his eyes, headphones over his ears, and reads comic books. Roy has a friend, Lucas (Aussie actor Joel Edgerton), who is along on the road trip to Florida. Alton’s adopted father, Pastor Calvin Meyer (actor/playwright Sam Shepard; he passed away in 2017), is the leader of a religious cult (The Ranch). He sends two of his loyal followers, Doak (Bill Camp) and Levi (Scott Haze), to find and bring back the boy. Agent Miller (Paul Sparks) is on the case; The Ranch has raised the suspicion of the FBI in recent mos. (after members purchased many firearms). A young NSA agent, Paul Sevier, (Adam Driver), is flown in to lead the investigation. We will also meet Sarah (Kristen Dunst- understated w/ no make-up), a woman who left the cult.

This film (written/directed) by Jeff Nichols was shot in 40 days on a budget of just $18M. It still has the look (aside from the special effects) and feel of an indie, BUT was produced by Warner Bros. This is the 4th film where Nichols collaborated w/ Shannon (who came up from the Chicago theater world). I was quite impressed w/ Shannon when I saw him in Ramin Bahrani’s indie, 99 Homes (2014), co-starring Andrew Garfield. Before quarantine, I’d sometimes attend free/press screenings of films in/around DC. I’ve also seen him as the villain (Gen. Zod) in Man of Steel (2013) and as a sheriff in Nocturnal Animals (2016). He is tall w/ big/wide-set eyes and projects a lot of intensity.

I heard about this movie on a few podcasts (when it first came out); many critics praised it and referred to Nichols as an auteur (a filmmaker whose individual style and complete control over all elements of production give a film its personal and unique stamp). This film is moody, atmospheric, mysterious, and the characters usually express themselves (w/o saying much). Spielberg is (obviously) a big influence on Nichols, who wrote the screenplay after becoming a father for the first time. I learned that Nichols turned doing directing Aquaman– wow- b/c he prefers to work on his own (small) projects!

If you’re a fan of Driver, you’ll enjoy this movie. He looks youthful, cute in a relatable way (wears glasses and the clothes are a bit nerdy), and projects intelligence and open-mindedness. Yes, this is before he made it big as Kylo Ren. Nichols said that Sevier was influenced by Hopper (Richard Dreyfuss) in Jaws (1975) and Lacombe (Francois Truffaut) in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)- a movie I haven’t seen. Nichols had never seen HBO’s Girls; Driver was recommended to him by his casting director.

We took a character that could’ve been the most clichéd in the whole movie, and maybe still is, but I think it was Adam who started to ask the right questions about that character. […] I remember in one of the first scenes we did, he sat down at this desk and banged his leg on the table and dropped his bookbag. And I remember thinking, “Oh, that’s terrible, should I call cut?” And I realized, “Oh no, he’s being Paul Sevier. That’s how Paul Sevier enters a room.” And it just made it better and I’m quite impressed with Adam Driver. …I think he’s probably gonna be one of the most important actors of our generation.

-Jeff Nichols (from March 22, 2016 interview in Indiewire)

This has a great sense of sci-fi realism… Shannon simply has intensity.

A beautiful, touching story. Nice performances. Fascinating subject.

– Excerpts from IMDB reviews

“Silence” (2016) starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, & Liam Neeson

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In 1633, a Portuguese Jesuit priest, Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson), witnesses the torture/death of 5 fellow missionaries. He’s helpless (in the presence of Japanese inquisitors) to assist them in any way. In 1640, at St. Paul’s College in Macau (China), an Italian Jesuit priest, Father Valignano (Ciaran Hinds), receives news that Ferreira renounced his faith (became an apostate) after being tortured. In disbelief, Ferreira’s young Portuguese pupils, Father Sebastião Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver), set off to find him. Valignano explains that they “will be the last priests sent to Japan.” Rodrigues and Garupe find a guide, Kichijiro (Yosuke Kobuzuka), an alcoholic fisherman who lost his family (after they failed to renounce Christianity). When they arrive in Japan, they witness first-hand the incredibly difficult lives of those who live as Christians (of course- in secret).

Rodrigues: I feel so tempted. I feel so tempted to despair. I’m afraid. The weight of your silence is terrible. I pray, but I’m lost. Or am I just praying to nothing? Nothing. Because you are not there.

The story is based on historical fact; while keeping the name of the hero’s mentor, author Shusaku Endo changed the nationality of the hero (an Italian named Giuseppe Cara) to Portuguese. Endo gave him the fictional name of Sebastian Rodrigo (translated as Sebastiao Rodrigues). Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Jay Cocks had written an early draft of the film in the 1990s w/ the intention of Scorsese directing it after Gangs of New York (2002). But when Scorsese couldn’t get financing, he decided instead to do The Aviator (2004). When the project was announced, Daniel Day-Lewis was set to play Ferreira, Gael García Bernal was set to play Rodrigues, and Benicio Del Toro was set to play Garupe. They dropped out of the project after MANY development delays.

Interpreter: But everyone knows a tree which flourishes in one kind of earth may decay and die in another. It is the same with the tree of Christianity. The leaves decay here. The buds die.

Garfield took a year off, grew out his head/facial hair, and studied w/ Father James Martin (who is now editor of The National Catholic Review). Garfield (who was raised w/ no religion) and Driver (who was raised in Baptist churches) spent a week at St. Beuno’s, a Jesuit retreat in Wales. They didn’t speak for a week, as that was the rule, so they could get a feel for the spirituality needed for the roles. The most noticeable change is the weight: Garfield lost 40 lbs. (down to 130 lbs), Driver lost 50 lbs (30 lbs. before filming and 20 lbs. during), and Neeson lost 20 lbs. Scorsese noted that there was a nutritionist on location w/ them, but I’m sure it was tough to subsist on such little food. I also learned that Ang Lee advised Scorsese on which locations to use while filming in Taiwan.

This film is quite impressive (esp. the cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto); he worked on some great-looking movies, incl. Frida; Alexander; Brokeback Mountain; Lust, Caution; and State of Play. Silence was tough for me to relate to (until Neeson’s character appeared late in the 2nd act). I think I’ve been agnostic (or skeptical of all religions) since age 7. My family also comes from a faith tradition which does NOT include proselytizing (the act or process of converting or attempting to convert someone to a religion or other belief system).

I’ve watched Driver’s work in the past month; this was on the list (BUT I wasn’t excited to see it). I thought Driver did a great job (as usual); Garupe appears in the 1st hour, then we learn about his fate in the 2nd hour. Scorsese commented that he chose Driver b/c “he looks like he stepped out of a Flemish painting.” Driver said (in several interviews) that one of his “dreams” was to work w/ Scorsese; I’m sure this is true of many actors. At the Telluride Film Festival, the director called the actor “one of the best, if not THE best, of his generation.”

But for all the torments they inflict, the Japanese inquisitors are no generic movie villains. They truly believe that Christianity is incompatible with the Japanese spirit, an alien pathogen imported by arrogant and incurious Europeans. […]

…one of the chief weaknesses of Silence is that so many of the characters in orbit around Rodrigues convey more narrative gravity than he does himself: Asano’s translator, Ogata’s inquisitor, Kubozuka’s fickle Kichijiro, Driver’s Father Garupe, a village elder played by Yoshi Oida. Andrew Garfield is a fine actor, but his calling card has always been a kind of boyish ingenuousness, and here it is tested beyond its limits.

-Christopher Orr (The Atlantic)

In the lead roles, Garfield and Driver (respectively graduates of the Spider-Man and Star Wars franchises) bring mainstream appeal, although wobbly Portuguese accents threaten to undercut the solemnity of their English-language dialogue. With his angular features Driver catches the eye, but it is to Garfield’s leonine locks that Scorsese is drawn, the handsome face of Rodrigues evoking beatific images of Christ in whose likeness the padre presumes to style himself. No wonder he sees a vision of Jesus when gazing at his own reflection in a stream. As for Neeson, he played a Jesuit priest in The Mission, but his late-in-the-day reappearance here is more evocative of his turn as Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace…

-Mark Kermode (The Guardian)

…one of the things that impressed me most about it was the care it devotes to understanding the position of the Japanese authorities. Without condoning their brutality, it lets a major character—Inoue Masashige (Issei Ogata), one of the officials in charge of eradicating Christianity from Japan, and the supervisor of the hero’s suffering—explain the official point-of-view on Western religion. He doesn’t just consider it a corrupting influence on Japanese culture, he doubts that Christianity can truly take root in the “swamp” (his word) of his home country.

-Matt Zoller Seitz (rogertebert.com)

…judged in broadly cinematic terms, “Silence” is not a great movie, despite having been directed by one of the medium’s greatest masters at a point of great maturity… […]

Still, viewed through the narrow prism of films about faith, “Silence” is a remarkable achievement, tackling as it does a number of Big Questions in a medium that, owing to its commercial nature, so often shies away from Christianity altogether. […]

For non-believers in particular, when Neeson resurfaces, his arguments, intended as the cruelest temptation, will instead sound perfectly logical.

– Peter Debruge (Variety.com)

[1] All the acting is exceptional, helped by strong writing and sharply drawn characters. Andrew Garfield is subdued but still splendid, while Adam Driver is powerfully moody. Liam Neeson is on fearless form…

[2] I will talk about the major flaw I had with the picture and it’s during the first 90 mins. I honestly thought 20 of these minutes could have been edited out, because I thought it took the film way too long to move forward and get to the real meat of the story, which is the Priest [Rodrigues] and Father Ferreira having a battle of wills.

…I really loved the fact that it didn’t treat the subject lightly or take on that mentality that you can’t question your faith.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews