Tag: Gender

#Oscars: “Triangle of Sadness” (2022) starring Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, & Woody Harrelson

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In Ruben Östlund’s wickedly funny Palme d’Or winner, social hierarchy is turned upside down, revealing the tawdry relationship between power and beauty. Celebrity model couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged boat captain (Woody Harrelson). What first appeared instagrammable ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island and fighting for survival. -Official Synopsis

Casting Juror: Can you relax your triangle of sadness? Like between your eyebrows here? A little bit more. OK. And open your mouth so you look a bit more available. OK, not that much, a little bit less.

The opening sequence w/ the casting of male models was inspired by writer/director Ruben Östlund’s wife (a fashion photographer). This is the Swedish director’s 1st film in English. This marks the 2nd time that Östlund has was awarded the Palme d’Or at Cannes; he previously won for The Square (2017). British actor Harris Dickinson (now 27 y.o.) won his role after 120 others had auditioned; he spent some time in the Royal Marines Cadets, so he’d have known exactly how to survive on a desert island (unlike Carl). This role is a far cry from Dickinson’s (villainous/macho) one in the disappointing movie Where the Crawdads Sing (2022). Charlbi Dean (a South African model-turned-actress) sadly died after the film’s release at age 32; no cause of death was released (though she had a lung infection, complicated by the fact that she’d lost her spleen years before in a car accident).

We [he and his wife] started talking about fashion and the strategy of marketing, and beauty as a currency. Beauty is attractive, but it’s also scary. Beauty is settling the hierarchy so much- that was really the starting point. -Ruben Ostlund

One critic commented that this (NO hold barred) dark comedy/satire is like 3 movies in one. Another said that “nothing is subtle about it’s delivery or message.” The 1st act (titled Part I) is about the relationship btwn two 20-ish models- Carl (Dickinson) and Yaya (Dean)- who are having relationship probs. Carl (though he posed for a fancy cologne ad a few yrs ago) now makes much less money than his gf, Yaya (who walks Paris runways). However, Yaya (who is also an influencer) is happy to let Carl pay for dinner (at a snooty/pricy) restaurant. (FYI: We learn that male models make about 1/3 of what the females in their field make.) Carl says: “I want us to be equals and is in love w/ Yaya. She nonchalantly admits that she’s waiting to become “a trophy wife.” Hmmm, we wonder IF they can make it (in the long-run)?

[Quoting From Noam Chomsky’s Book: How the World Works]

The Captain: ‘How people perceive themselves is nothing that interests me. There are very few that are gonna look in the mirror and say: The person I see is a savage monster. Instead, they make up some construction that justifies what they do.’

Part II takes place on a luxury yacht (price: $250M) somewhere in the Mediterranean. The diverse crew is made up of Aussies, Greeks, Filipinos, etc. The guests are from all over the world, incl. England, Germany, and Russia. There are a motley crew of character actors which we meet; most are terrible people, though a few are NOT unsympathetic. The boat’s possibly alcoholic/Marxist captain is played by Woody Harrelson (which will come as a surprise to some viewers)! IF you’re a squeamish/sensitive viewer, this section has gross elements (as I noted re: Babylon). As for Part III, I’m NOT going to say much, but it’s quite unexpected! This is the most interesting part of the movie; earlier parts tended to drag on (and could’ve been edited down more). Why are movies SO long lately!?

#Oscars: “Babylon” (2022) starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, & Li Jun Li

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A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood. -Tagline

Aging actor Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) is based on John Gilbert, a leading MGM star of the 1920s. He had a soft voice and dashing on-screen persona which didn’t match up w/ talkies. As his starring roles became few, Gilbert developed a drinking problem and died from a heart attack in 1936 (just aged 38). Gilbert’s story also inspired the screenplay for Singin’ in the Rain (1952). Emma Stone was originally cast in the role of ingenue Nellie LaRoy, which was announced to be based on Clara Bow, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts after the production was delayed b/c of COVID. After Margot Robbie replaced Stone, the role become more fictional in nature. Olivia Hamilton’s character is based on Dorothy Arzner, one of the 1st female directors in early Hollywood, and the inventor of the boom mic. (FYI: Hamilton is also the wife of the writer/director, Damien Chazelle).

WTF did I see!? OMG, that is 3 hrs. 9 mins. that I’ll never get back! As this came from the mind of Chazelle, I didn’t have high hopes; I wasn’t a fan of La La Land (and haven’t seen his other work). He was given $80M to make the movie- wow! The opening (coke-fueled/orgy-like party) sequence is over 30 mins. long. Warning: If you’re more of a sensitive viewer (or consider yourself squeamish), avoid this movie! Several critics commented that there are maybe 3 great scenes- NOT a harsh assessment.

This movie boasts a large/diverse cast, but two of the most interesting characters, the Black trumpeter Sidney Palmer (Jovan Adepo) and Chinese-American writer/singer Lady Fay Zhu (Li Jun Li), could’ve been developed much more. In the early days, the movies were NOT considered classy/respectable; POC, women, and queer individuals played various parts (behind and in front of the camera). Pitt is phoning it in; he did better in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Robbie can tackle what she is given; she got to show her stuff on Nellie’s 1st day on set and the (stressful) 1st day making a talkie. The audience surrogate is the young/ambitious Manny Torres (Hollywood newbie/Spanish actor) Diego Calva. I learned that Calva has a big role in the Netflix series Narcos: Mexico. (I’m finishing up S1 of Narcos co-starring Pedro Pascal). Things just happen to Manny; he doesn’t get much character development. In the 3rd act, Tobey Maguire pops up; he plays a (cartoonish) rich/evil/villain. (FYI: He’s one of the movie’s producers.)

Is there anything I was impressed by here? Yes, Jean Smart does a terrific job (as usual); her gossip column writer and Pitt have on of the best scenes. The production design (Oscar-nominated) is great; the audience is taken into the (wild/crazy) past of early Hollywood. The cinematography (esp. in the early war/epic scene) is beautiful. The (jazzy) soundtrack suits the action; it was composed by Chazelle’s friend/former college roomie- Justin Hurwitz. This is one of the (many) cases of style over substance and self-indulgence (by the filmmakers) common in modern entertainment. Don’t watch it, b/c you MAY get mad at yourself!

Two Films re: #MeToo: “The Assistant” (2019) & “She Said” (2022)

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The Assistant (2019) starring Julia Garner & Matthew Macfadyen

Follows one day in the life of Jane (Julia Garner), a recent college graduate/aspiring film producer, who recently landed her dream job as a junior assistant to a powerful entertainment mogul. Her day is much like any other assistant’s – making coffee, changing the paper in the copy machine, ordering lunch, arranging travel, taking phone messages, onboarding a new hire, etc. But as Jane follows her daily routine, she, and we, grow increasingly aware of the abuse that insidiously colors every aspect of her work day, an accumulation of degradations against which Jane decides to take a stand, only to discover the true depth of the system into which she has entered. -Synopsis (Bleecker Street)

We have a V toxic working environment here in this indie film- yikes! The boss (modelled on Harvey Weinstein) is a bully who can reduce Jane and his two male assistants (Jon Orsini; Noah Robbins) to shaking messes. The boss (unseen) barks on the phone at Jane, after she has had a perfectly reasonable phone convo w/ his wife. Jane is invisible to most of her coworkers; they don’t give her eye-contact (even when she’s talking to them). People barely register her presence when sharing the elevator, most notably an actor (Patrick Wilson); his real-life wife (Dagmara Domenczyk) plays a producer. If you are a sensitive viewer, don’t worry, as there is no violence depicted.

Some viewers called this “a horror movie,” BUT re: the horrors of everyday life. Jane seems to have no allies, so nowhere to turn when things get rough. She even missed her father’s recent birthday. One of the main themes is complacency, as writer/director Kitty Green noted; she is a young filmmaker who comes from the world depicted. Jane is blonde, slim, and pretty, though NOT in the obvious (Hollywood) fashion. A stream of wanna-be actresses arrive in the office. Sienna (model-turned-actress Kristine Froseth), a V young former waitress from Boise, suddenly arrives as a “new assistant.” She is put up in a fancy hotel room, which seems V problematic to Jane. After dropping this woman off, Jane goes to see the company’s HR manager, Mr. Wilcock (Matthew Macfadyen), who is no help at all!

[1] How can something appearing so mundane, everyday, lackluster be so powerful. Outstanding piece of work. Nothing happens but still so much happens. Subtlety reigns supreme.

[2] Here we have the toxic world of white men. Pointless jobs that keep the “machine” rolling, I don’t care if this job is about the movie industry or whatever; this girl’s job is reflected in a million offices around the globe in a million industries.

[3] An old Spielberg trick is to increase tension by keeping the “monster” hidden from view: cue the tanker driver from “Duel” and (for most of the film) the shark from “Jaws.” Here, the boss is felt only as a malevolent force and never seen on screen. It’s an approach that works brilliantly, focusing the emotion on the effect he has on those flamed.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

She Said (2022) starring Carey Mulligan & Zoe Kazan

Two-time Academy Award® nominee Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman, An Education) and Emmy nominee Zoe Kazan (The Plot Against America, The Big Sick) star as New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, who together broke one of the most important stories in a generation- a story that shattered decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault in Hollywood and impelled a shift in American culture that continues to this day. -Official Synopsis

The movie was shot in the New York Times (NYT) building and is the 1st movie ever to use the real offices. The leads, Mulligan and Kazan, had already been close friends for 14 yrs before being cast; Kazan was a bridesmaid at Mulligan’s 2012 wedding. I’ve been a fan of Mulligan for many years; she can play any type of role. I’ve seen Kazan only in a few light/comedic roles; she gets to show her serious side here (and does a fine job). Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Judith Godrèche (a French actress from The Man in the Iron Mask), who were important sources for Kantor and Twohey’s investigations into Harvey Weinstein, each play themselves in this film. Paltrow and Godrèche appear as off-camera voices on the phone, but Judd plays herself onscreen. Actress Rose McGowan also appears as an off-screen voice, but chose NOT to play herself (her voice is portrayed by Kelly McQuail). James Austin Johnson (voice of Donald Trump) was in 2021 hired into the cast of SNL mainly to play the role of Trump (after videos of his impersonation went viral).

So to our surprise, Gwyneth Paltrow had a really powerful story of sexual harassment by Harvey Weinstein and of being threatened when her first really important roles were on the line. And early on in the investigation, when almost nobody in Hollywood would talk to us, she did. And she even tried to help us find other women. But she was very scared to go on the record. And it became clear, in the course of the investigation, that Harvey Weinstein was obsessed with the question of whether or not we were speaking to Paltrow. He showed up at a party at her house early. She called us from the bathroom completely panicked. -Twohey and Kantor (in interview on NPR’s Fresh Air, SEPT: 2019)

The German actress-turned-director, Maria Schrader, recently got acclaim for the streaming series Unorthodox (Netflix) and the movie I’m Your Man (2022). It’s difficult to make this subject matter cinematic (as critics on NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast noted). There are no assaults (physical violence) depicted here, though we do see the aftermath (emotional toll). If you’re interested in journalism and liked All the President’s Men and Spotlight, then this may be of interest to you. It’s still rare to see supportive men (husbands of Twohey and Kantor) who happily share domestic duties; many working moms appreciated seeing this aspect of the movie. We learn that Twohey was dealing w/ post-partum depression after having her 1st child.

There are two actresses (well-known to those of us who love Austen/British period series/movies) who steal this movie w/ their terrific/emotional performances. In London, we meet Zelda Perkins (Samantha Morton- a Brit), who describes how a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) kept her from taking action against Weinstein’s behavior or even talking about any aspect of it to family members, friends, or even doctors (incl. therapists). IRL Perkins co-founded an organization called Can’t Buy My Silence dedicated to reducing the use/abuse of NDAs. In the coast of England in a small town, we meet Laura Madden (Jennifer Ehle- an American who primarily works in England), a mother of four young kids bravely preparing to undergo a mastectomy.

Spoiler-Free Review: “Normal People” (2020) starring Daisy Edgar-Jones & Paul Mescal

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The series follows Marianne and Connell, from different backgrounds, but the same small town in Ireland, as they weave in and out of each other’s romantic lives. -Synopsis

Marianne (British actress Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Irish actor Paul Mescal) are classmates at a secondary school (high school) in County Sligo on Ireland’s Southern coast. Among her peers at HS, Marianne is regarded as an oddball/loner; she has an abrasive personality and says she cares nothing for social standing. Despite her academic achievements, her family life is unhappy b/c of her dismissive/solicitor (lawyer) mother, Denise, and resentful/older bro, Alan. Marianne’s father is deceased. Connell is a high-achiever also, but popular w/ athletic skills/laid-back attitude. (FYI: The sport they play at school is Gaelic football, a combo of rugby and soccer.) He lives in a humble (yet happy) home w/ his single mother, Lorraine, who works for Denise as a cleaner of their (fancy/spacious) house. There is no father in the picture; it’s obvious that Lorraine had Connell when she was a teen. The focus is Marianne and Connell’s romantic relationship over their last year of HS through college (undergraduate) years.

Normal People is based on the bestselling book by a millennial/Irish author, Sally Rooney, who co-wrote the first 6 eps (out of 12 total eps at less than 30 mins each). The show became hugely popular worldwide (esp. w/ young adults) when it was released in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can watch it now on Hulu. I saw it a few weeks ago, after some of my Twitter gal pals praised it; I’ve been skeptical of shows re: teens/college kids in the past. Wow, was I (pleasantly) surprised; the writing and acting are terrific! Silence is also used effectively at key moments. As I’ve written before, there is nothing like a love story, BUT only when it is done well (NOT cliched or simplistic). I kept thinking- why can’t we (Americans) have smart/sensitive entertainment like this w/ teens/young ppl!?

I hadn’t seen the lead actors before; they had great chemistry together. Mescal (now garnering acclaim for the indie movie Aftersun) will play the lead in the sequel to Gladiator; director Ridley Scott will be filming it after he wraps up Napolean. Connell is (traditionally) masculine, yet also has a sensitive/vulnerable side. Edgar-Jones was the lead in Where the Crawdads Sing (2022), based on a bestselling novel by Delia Owens. Marianne can be tough, mysterious (as in hard to know), yet also quite vulnerable. Check this show out ASAP- you won’t regret it!

[1] Brilliant, heartbreaking viewing experience. Give yourself over to this wonderful story and be ready for a genuine rollercoaster. 

[2] What I liked is that I felt both Marianne and Connell were well-rounded characters that didn’t fall into stereotypes. […]
That it pierced the heart of this wretched old soul speaks volumes to the quality of the series.

[3] These young new faces are truly engaging and they are beautiful to boot. As characters, there are emotions beneath that are really worthwhile to explore. They become more and more fully formed people and that’s the brilliance of this limited series. These are great characters performed by compelling new faces.

[4] It felt almost like reading a book where you envision the characters so vividly, you can almost touch them. The chemistry the two leads have, their acting, the cinematography, are all so well blended together, so seamless, it’s palpable. A melancholy trip worth taking, if only to remind the ones past teenage years how vulnerable and all-engulfing a young love is.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Lady Macbeth” (2016) starring Florence Pugh, Cosmo Jarvis, Paul Hilton, & Naomi Ackie

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Rural England, 1865. Katherine is stifled by her loveless marriage to a bitter man twice her age, whose family are cold and unforgiving. When she embarks on a passionate affair with a young worker on her husband’s estate, a force is unleashed inside her, so powerful that she will stop at nothing to get what she wants. -Synopsis

In the north of England, a young woman named Katherine (Florence Pugh) is sold into marriage (along w/ some land) to a middle-aged man, Alexander Lester (Paul Hilton- a character/theater actor). Sadly, there is no love or even common kindness involved here; this marriage was arranged by Boris Lester (Christopher Fairbank), Alexander’s domineering father. Katherine is prevented from leaving the house. Boris scolds her for not giving Alexander a son, but her husband doesn’t even touch her! One day, both men have to leave the estate for separate business matters, leaving Katherine alone with the housemaid, Anna (Naomi Ackie- also in an early role). Finally, Katherine is free to explore the area to alleviate her boredom!

This indie film (streaming on MUBI) is based on the Russian book Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Nikolai Leskov. I learned that iFeatures is a collab btwn the BBC and the BFI; every year, they produce 3 feature films for £350,000 as a stepping stone for 1st time directors. Lady Macbeth (directed by William Oldroyd) was chosen out of over 300 applicants- wow! It was filmed over 24 days on location at Lambton Castle, County Durham and Northumberland, UK. Shaheen Baig was the casting director on Florence Pugh’s 1st film, The Falling (2014); when the script came her way, she suggested Pugh (then just 19 y.o) to Oldroyd.

I loved the fact she was naked all the time. At that point in my life, I had been made to feel sh*t about what I looked like and that film was perfect. There was no room for me to feel insecure. -Florence Pugh, in an interview (ES Magazine)

This is a V dark tale; the first 35 mins. are quite slow and NOT much happens (w/ little dialogue); the next 45 mins. is an unbridled (and often) violent trip! There is almost no music to be heard. The setting is oppressive, the tone is foreboding, and there are bursts of violence (which will be quite jarring esp. to sensitive viewers). Unlike most period dramas you may be familiar w/, this film uses colorblind casting. Ackie is a Black woman from the UK w/ Caribbean roots, Cosmo Jarvis (Sebastian- the horse groomer) is of British/Armenian heritage from the US, and Golda Rosheuvel (most recently Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton) is a British biracial woman. The acting is quite effective, esp. from Pugh (mature beyond her years); I wanted to see more of Ackie’s character (as she does a fine job also). Ackie (only early 30s) went on to work on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. She plays the lead in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody.

[1] The film seems to be a pre-feminism manifesto for women’s rights. […]

The interesting thing is how Katherine evolves from victim to culprit. She seems to have learned from her husband how to use and misuse power. The lack of social conscience of which she at first is a victim, becomes a driving force for her own behaviour.

[2] Lady Macbeth features a mesmerising and beguiling performance from Florence Pugh. It is far away from these slushy chocolate box romantic period dramas. Katherine is steel edged and deadly.

[3] Several archetypal themes arise in this somber, artfully-photographed drama. For instance, one that emphasizes the wages of sin is prominent; another about the subjugated rising against the oppressor; and another about the danger of socially imprisoning smart women in a paternalistic society. A leitmotif also surfaces about the dangers of debilitating class distinctions, which are never a good thing in the long haul.

Ari Wegner’s cinematography is portrait-like if considering only the recurring shot of Katherine sitting on her Victorian couch in a consuming dress that seems to deteriorate with each similar shot. Underneath the dress is the corset, so long a symbol of the era’s tight hold on women.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews