Tag: Movies
Movie reviews
“Sibyl” (2019) starring Virginie Efira, Adele Exarchopoulos, Gaspard Ulliel, & Sandra Huller
This French film (made for ONLY 5M euros) from Justine Triet (director/co-writer) and partner, Arthur Harari (co-writer/supporting actor), follows a 30-something psychotherapist, Sibyl (Virginie Efira). She is also wife to Etienne (Paul Hamy) and mom to 2 young kids. Sibyl decides to return to writing (her 1st career), yet still keeps a few patients. Harari plays Dr. Katz (Sibyl’s therapist), as is required in the mental health profession. One night, while dealing w/ writer’s block, Sibyl gets a (frantic) call from 20-ish/up-and-coming actress, Margot (Adèle Exarchopoulos). As Sibyl becomes more… and more wrapped up in Margot’s (turbulent) life, she starts to blur her past from the present… and reality from fiction!
I became curious re: this (genre-defying) film b/c it involved Triet, Harari, and Huller; it was made before they achieved international fame/critical acclaim w/ Anatomy of a Fall (2023). This is the last film released during his lifetime for Gaspard Ulliel (who plays Igor); he died in a ski accident in 2022 at just age 38. I hadn’t seen Efira’s acting before; she hails from Belgian. Efira and Niels Schneider (who plays Gabriel) are a couple IRL w/ one child. Exarchopoulos (then only 26 y.o.) has a French mother and Greek father; she co-starred in several well-known indies. The movie w/in the movie (starring Margot and Igor) was shot on the island of Stromboli (a part of Sicily, Italy).
From the trailer, I was expecting the tone of a dark/thriller; however, there are funny moments! This is free on streaming, so check it out (if in the mood for something unusual). Some viewers wondered: “Who is the patient and who is the therapist?” Gathering from reviews (IMDb; Letterboxd)- ppl are conflicted re: on this movie. Some called it a “hot mess” w/ “hot people”- LOL! Some expected more, yet did enjoy Huller’s performance as a perfectionist/Type A director. As in Anatomy of a Fall, Huller speaks more in English than in French. How cool is it that she can act in 3 languages!?
[1] You have to suspend your disbelief quite a lot and go with the flow. Having a love for making movies and understanding what can go on behind the scenes (it almost feels like someone is doing their own curing by doing the movie – the writer, the director, producers … all of the above and more?)
[2] I can’t recall seeing a film with so many good and great elements: cinematography, acting, a good deal of great dialogue, that was assembled into such a let down of total experience.
[3] The most enjoyable scenes for me were those with Sandra Huller, playing a film director, especially her reactions to the difficulties the actors are creating on her set. Her sensible response to the psychotherapist’s behaviour is long awaited and ultimately very satisfying.
-Excerpts from IMDb reviews
“To Live and Die in LA” (1985) starring William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, & John Pankow
A federal agent is dead. A killer is loose. And the City of Angels is about to explode. -Tagline
A fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner. -Synopsis
LA-based Secret Service agent, Richard Chance (William Petersen), becomes obsessed w/ finding counterfeiter, Eric Masters (Willem Dafoe), responsible for the killing of his former partner/friend, Jimmy Hart (Michael Greene). Chance loves the thrill of base jumping (similar to bunjee jumping); he is in a (complicated) relationship w/ a beautiful/blonde parolee, Ruth Lanier (Darlanne Fluegel). Chance gets a new partner, John Vukovich (John Pankow- best known for comedy)- who comes from a family of cops. Masters, a painter-turned-criminal, knows that the Secret Service is after him. Chance takes more… and more risks while conducting the investigation. Masters is NOT hesitant to use violence- even kill!
[1] I consider myself just another member of the crew, the highest paid member of the crew.
[2] If you’re going to make a film or an album of music or a painting, you cannot afford to stop and think what other people will think of it. You’ve got to take into consideration what your editor thinks, if, say, you’re a writer. But I don’t have anyone to answer to. I make a film because I want to. Sometimes they’re successful, sometimes they’re not, but the way I think about my films is always very personal. [2018]
-William Friedkin, filmmaker
The screenplay was written by Gerald Petievich (who worked mainly on police TV shows/movies) and William Friedkin (who also directed). Known as a filmmaker who stays on-budget and on-time, yet goes his own way, Friedkin (who passed away in 2024) grew up in a working-poor family in Chicago. His mother was a nurse; his father worked many different jobs (yet never made enough to support the family). After watching Citizen Kane (1941), he fell in love w/ movies. Friedkin went to work for local (WGN) TV after graduating HS; he started making docs (one of which won the Golden Gate Award at the 1962 San Francisco Film Festival). In 1965, he moved to Hollywood and started directing TV, incl. an ep of the The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962). Hitchcock (famously) chastised him for NOT wearing a tie- LOL!
Richard Chance [to Ruth]: Guess what? Uncle Sam don’t give a shit about your expenses. You want bread, f***k a baker.
This neo noir is called “very 80s”; it was influenced by TV’s Miami Vice. The clothes, music, and production design reflect that time period well. There are several tense stunts/action scenes; one fan commented watching Ronin (where you’ll see how this movie influenced a car chase). The dark tone of To Live and Die in LA is NOT a big surprise when I recall an interview where Friedkin commented policemen in his neighborhood were never friendly. The baddies are just as interesting as the (NOT so heroic) cops!
Here we see (hot/young) Petersen in his 1st film role; he is locked-in to the role (incl. w/ physicality of running, jumping, fighting, and… more). Some viewers/critics wondered: “Was he an athlete?” Yes, Petersen played football growing up, then became interested in acting in college. As Chance interacts w/ Ruth, you see just how much of a cold bastard he can be! Masters seems to have a much better relationship w/ his love interest/avant garde performer, Bianca Torres (Debra Feuer). Fans of (veteran character actor) Dafoe, will get a kick out of seeing how young he looks here. Though he stands at just 5’7″- he dominates (larger) scene partners w/ his intensity/screen presence. You see John Turturro (young) and Dean Stockwell (who passed away in 2021) in small/memorable roles.
[1] “To Live and Die in L.A” is an excellent non-stop action movie, having an excellent pacing and being a politically incorrect police story.
[2] The film works on many levels. Yes, it is about counterfeiting and superficial (re: counterfeit) relationships. It is about greed, survival, justice and morality. It is also about human beings using and laying to waste other human beings.
[3] The good guys are flawed. This isn’t really new, since the mid 1960s there were plenty of flawed heroes in Westerns or police thrillers. The difference is that not only their characters are flawed, they are vulnerable, destructible, they make mistakes. And they pay for their mistakes. Similarly the villains: yes, they are formidable and glamorous… They make mistakes too. And they pay too.
-Excerpts from IMDb reviews
“The Riot Club” (2014) starring Sam Claflin, Max Irons, & Douglas Booth
Filthy. Rich. Spoilt. Rotten. -A tagline for the film
The Bullingdon Club (founded in 1780) was notorious for booking a restaurant, trashing it, then handing the owner a check for damages on the way out. The unofficial club (which still exists today) consists of a group of male elites at Oxford. This film is based on the play Posh (by Lauren Wade); it premiered at the Royal Court Theatre (2010), before transferring to the West End. The Danish director, Lone Scherfig, was at the helm of An Education (2009) and The Kindness of Strangers (2019). Alistair (Sam Claflin) and Miles (Max Irons: son of Jeremy Irons and Sinead Cusack), both come from the British aristocracy. They start their 1st (freshman) year at Oxford. Miles appears relaxed w/ a down-to-earth personality; he starts dating a (middle-class) student, Lauren (Holliday Grainger). Alistair is uptight and wants to emulate his uncle (played by Tom Hollander)- a Tory Minister of Parliament (MP). These two young men end up being tutor partners and pledge to join the Riot Club.
This title came up as I was looking up films of Josh O’Connor; he plays Ed- goofy, naive, yet snobby. George (Jack Farthing- in his 1st movie) is quiet, wide-eyed, and eager to please. The president of the club is James (Freddie Fox: recently on S2 of House of the Dragon); the cast referred to him as “the most posh one” (in press interviews). Fox is the son of 2 veteran British character actors- Edward Fox and Joanna David. Harry (Douglas Booth) has a model-like face and eye for women; his family has a country estate (recently opened for tours). Hugo (Sam Reid- currently on Interview with the Vampire) is confident, titled, yet cash poor. Each of the young actors gets their moment to shine; all give believable performances.
This film could’ve been titled Toxic Masculinity: UK College Edition; it delves into issues which are timely and timeless. What happens when (rich/white) males grow-up w/ (unchecked) privilege? When any problem comes up, their 1st solution is to throw money at it! Women are seen as conquests, NOT friends or potential love interests. Isn’t the time of these type of clubs over? some may ask. Well, there are college boys who die still in hazing rituals at fraternities! College (late teens-early 20s) is time when we become adults (under the law), yet are still forming our identities (and susceptible to peer pressure). This story will take you on an emotional journey. At first, there are a LOT of laughs from witty one-liners; these kids are smart after all. Then, it becomes darker w/ some shocking scenes (which will make you tense/uncomfortable).
[1] As most will know, The Riot Club is inspired by the Bullingdon Club, an Oxford University dining society infamous for its destructive hedonism that boasts alumni such as David Cameron, Boris Johnson and George Osborne. The film’s main target of attack isn’t the purported anti-social behaviour of such people, the obnoxious decadence we witness is not endemic to the highly disagreeable “Riot Club,” what it attacks is rather the characters’ raging, blue-blooded superiority complexes that causes it.
[2] My only complaint about the movie would be the main character (Miles Richards) being a flawless Mary Sue – rich, handsome, witty, intelligent, kind and well meaning, as well as some of the other positive characters being presented as these morally superior beings. That felt very strange for a movie, the main idea of which is that not everything is as black and white as it seems, and we all just try to justify our own actions while doing what we feel (not think) is best.
-Excerpts from IMDb reviews
“The Messenger” (2009) starring Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, & Samantha Morton
An American soldier struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer. -Synopsis
While deployed in Iraq, US Army Staff Sgt. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster- aged 28) was injured by an IED. He’s back on base (Fort Dix, NJ was a shooting location) recovering from injuries to an eye and leg. Will reconnects w/ HS sweetheart, Kelly (Jena Malone). With just 3 mos. left in his enlistment (typically for 5 yrs), Will is assigned to the Casualty Notification Team. Not having a background in grief counseling, he’s unsure IF he can fulfill this role. He’s partnered w/ a career military man, Capt. Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), who tells Will re: the strict protocols to be followed. Tony (who never saw much combat) warns Will that this job has its own dangers. The next-of-kin (NOK) who Will and Tony visit come from different social classes and races (reflecting today’s Armed forces). One day, Will meets a single mom, Olivia Pitterson (Samantha Morton- who is British); her reaction to her husband’s death is unusually calm.
This indie drama/romance (streaming for free) was the debut of director Oren Moverman (who is Israeli). It received 2 Oscar noms in 2010: Best Supporting Actor for Harrelson and Best Screenplay for Moverman and Alessandro Camon (who is Italian). Sgt. Brian Scott, who was training to deploy to Iraq out of Fort Dix, was a Technical Advisor on this film; he was later injured in Baghdad. At various stages in development, Sydney Pollack, Roger Michel, and Ben Affleck (who all receive “special thanks” in the credits) were attached to direct; Moverman was finally asked to helm the project after other options fell through. Fans of Succession (HBO) will get a kick out of seeing young Jeremy Strong (30 y.o.) Merritt Weaver (known as an NYC theater actress; seen in Marriage Story) has a small role, too.
There is little that is political here; “it’s about empathy for the soldiers and their loved ones” (Foster said in press interviews). A friendship slowly develops btwn Will and Tony, who says the military is a place where many go “looking for family.” According to the Army, a physical relationship btwn a Casualty Notification Officer (CNO) and NOK (ex: a widow) is NOT allowed. Will and Olivia move around ea. other tentatively and speak carefully. A moving/emotional scene in Olivia’s kitchen goes on for 8 mins (done in one take). Moverman allowed actors to improvise in certain scenes. I was impressed by the dialogue and naturalistic acting. Foster (who had a slighter build then) shows that wearing a uniform doesn’t mean one can stifle their feelings.
[1] Brilliantly acted film… It’s emotional and engaging and genuinely painful at times.
[2] Every scene is handled marvelously through subtle performances by the actors. As the film unfolds, the viewer sinks into the complex characters on screen, discomforted by the internal struggles that slowly surface.
[3] The film is, in a word, compassionate, as it is almost entirely character-driven. The chemistry between Foster and Harrelson is incredible…
-Excerpts from IMDb reviews
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