Tag: Mystery

“Gunshy” (1998) starring William Petersen, Michael Wincott, & Diane Lane

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Jake Bridges: [narrating] I always wanted to be close to dangerous guys. Even wanted to be a dangerous guy. Truth is, didn’t know what I wanted.

After losing his job at a NYC magazine and finding his gf in bed w/ a younger man, a depressed writer named Jake Bridges (William Petersen) goes on a drinking spree in Atlantic City, NJ. At a seedy-looking bar, Jake gets argumentative w/ a tough/beefy patron (played by singer Meat Loaf). The fight turns violent fast and continues out on the street. Suddenly, a stranger comes to Jake’s rescue! This man is an enforcer named Frankie (Michael Wincott); he takes Jake to his house. Luckily for Jake, Frankie’s gf Melissa (Diane Lane) is a nurse. Frankie wants to become book-smart; in return, he’ll teach Jake how to be street-smart. Jake even gets a bit of a makeover (w/ a tailored suit). Soon, Jake feels himself drawn into Frankie’s (criminal) world and falls in love w/ Melissa. Jake also gets inspo to write- again!

Frankie: A man once told me that the only thing you really own is a piece of ground the size of your shoes.

Perhaps you are fans of the 3 leads, who were NOT then big stars at that time. Petersen (best known as the lead on the CBS drama CSI) had appeared in 2 big films- To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) and Manhunter (1986). Those of you (near my age) may know him from Young Guns II or as Reese Witherspoon’s dad in the teen drama/thriller Fear (1996). Lane was having a lull in her career (which I don’t understand); I think she does a good job w/ what she is given here. She’d soon receive critical acclaim for roles in A Walk on the Moon (1999) and Unfaithful (2002). A character actor (playing tough guys/villains), Wincott had a key supporting role in Jordan Peele’s latest movie- Nope (2022). Wincott plays a cinematographer obsessed w/ getting the perfect shot.

Melissa: What can I tell you about men? They want you to be their daughter, their mother, their addiction. They want you to want them, and then they don’t want you anymore.

This is for those of y’all who want to dive deep into the film noir genre. You can see this low-budget indie for free (Crackle or Plex). The video was pausing for me on those apps, so I rented it (Amazon). There are tropes found in noirs of the ’40s and ’50s, BUT w/ ’90s attitudes and modern language. The locations/sets are (usually) bleak and darkly lit. Some of the dialogue is predictable, BUT some of it still comes off as fresh. From what I read/heard, viewers esp. liked the scenes btwn. Petersen and Wincott (where they read/discuss the classic book- Moby Dick). We see that Frankie possesses some good qualities that Jake lacks. The movie blurs the distinction btwn hero and villain. There is also a plot twist after the hour mark.

[1] Well acted and with solid dialogue, the film has a few cliched moments, but they are ultimately forgivable in the end.

[2] The plot, too seems somewhat contrived in bringing together Petersen and Wincott as friends, but somehow the whole is better than the sum of it’s parts. Once Wincott enters, it is an engaging though flawed piece with good action sequences. With more care in the scripting, this could have been a really good film but as it is, well worth a watch.

[3] The film may seem dated at the beginning, but follow the story and you’ll be surprised, and pleased. The editing is clearly 1998; if it were shot and edited today, it would probably be smoother, and a bit more coherent. There are pieces of the soundtrack that are very pleasing, but mostly too 90’s in style. The movie probably would be a terrific re-make…

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

#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!?

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.

“Frank & Lola” (2016) starring Michael Shannon & Imogen Poots

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A psychosexual noir love story, set in Las Vegas and Paris, about love, obsession, sex, betrayal, revenge and, ultimately, the search for redemption. -Synopsis

Frank (Michael Shannon- in his 1st romantic leading role) works as a chef in a classy/high-end restaurant in Vegas. One night, he meets a young student who wants a career in fashion, Lola (Imogen Poots- a petite/blonde British actress). Frank’s (calm/routine) life is changed by Lola, who may NOT be as uncomplicated as she seems! I saw Shannon (6’3″ w/ large/wide-set eyes) a few yrs. ago in the indie drama 99 Homes (starring Andrew Garfield); I was impressed b/c he had such a commanding screen presence. In they stylish Nocturnal Animals, he made a fine impression as a small-town cop. Shannon is the lead in Midnight Special co-starring Adam Driver (my current fave actor). To add some (needed) lightness/comedy to the story, we have Justin Long. Rosanna Arquette has a small role as Lola’s mother. Michael Nyquist (a famed Swedish actor/fluent French speaker) has an important supporting role; he passed away in 2017. Writer/director Matthew Ross had been trying to make this film for 10 yrs prior to its release in 2016- wow! It was shot in less than one month on location in Vegas and Paris. The film was well-received at Sundance.

Beware, my Lord, of jealousy, it is the green-eyed monster that doth mock the meat it feeds on. -Iago in Othello

I was reminded of the (above) line from my fave Shakespearean tragedy while watching this movie. Like Othello and Desdemona, Frank and Lola are opposites when it comes to age, looks, and personalities. Frank is of a different generation than Lola. They don’t know much about each other before they become involved; Lola is new in town and Frank (w/ a no-nonsense attitude) says he doesn’t fall in love easily. Lola says she was attracted to Frank b/c he’s a “real man.” We realize that Frank has insecurities when it comes to romance, though he is V experienced/confident in his career.

The look (visual style) sometimes reminded me of the movies of director Michael Mann. I liked how the filmmakers shot the Vegas and Paris scenes quite differently. Most of the movie was filmed at night; Vegas is depicted as modern, steely, and cold (isolating). We see some daytime in Paris; the look is softer and warmer (more inviting). Shannon speaks some French, too. If you’re a fan of the noir genre (like me), you may like this movie. As one viewer noted: “rarely do contemporary movies go as deep into the male psyche of obsession as this one.” You can watch it on Netflix.

Spoiler-Free Review: “The Menu” starring Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, & Nicholas Hoult

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Painstakingly Prepared. Brilliantly Executed. -A tagline for the movie

A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises. -Synopsis

Chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes- who always does a great job) is at the top of his field; the multi-course meals at his restaurant (located on a small private) island cost $1,500. Elsa (Hong Chau) is the manager (AKA right hand) of the chef. Chau is a Vietnamese-American actress who just received an Oscar nom for Best Supporting Actress for The Whale (2022); she is having success after age 40 (quite rare in Hollywood). A young couple, Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) and Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), are two of the guests; Tyler is V excited, being a foodie/fan of Chef Slowik. John Leguizamo plays a character called George Díaz, simply credited as “Movie Star.” Leguizamo based his character on former action star, Steven Seagal, whom he called a “horrible human” due to a V bad experience while working w/ him on Executive Decision (1996). The references to Diaz playing a cook in one of his movies may be a nod to Under Siege (1992), where Seagal played a cook- LOL! George is accompanied by his young assistant, Felicity (Aimee Carrero). A well-known food critic, Lillian (Janet McTeer), and her editor, Ted (Paul Edelstein), are among the guests; she’d written V positively re: this restaurant. Three jovial 30-ish Wall Street bros (played by Rob Yang, Arturo Castro, and Mark St. Cyr) want to spend their money and have a new experience. A tense/posh older couple, Richard (Reed Birney) and Anne (Judith Light), round out the group of 12 diners.

Tyler [eating some oysters]: You have to try the mouthfeel of the mignonette.

Margot: Please don’t say mouthfeel.

This movie (which I saw recently on HBO Max) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 10, 2022. It was released November 18 in the US in 3,211 theaters (the widest release in Searchlight’s history). The director, Mark Mylod, has mainly worked in TV (Succession). One of the screenwriters, Will Tracy, came up w/ the idea of the story while on his honeymoon in Bergen, Norway, when he took a boat to a fancy restaurant on a private island. Tracy realized that diners were stuck (trapped) on the island until the meal was done!

Elsa: Here, we are family. We harvest. We ferment. We slaughter. We marinate. We liquify. We spherify. We gel.

Margot: [to Tyler] They gel?

Elsa: We gel!

There are many references to restaurant Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark), starting from the location, idea, concept, and ending w/ the menu itself. Several of the beach shots were filmed at Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island (Georgia). The food layouts were prepared by the famed French chef, Dominique Crenn, the ONLY female chef in the US to attain 3 Michelin stars for her restaurant, Atelier Crenn (San Fran). At one point, Chef Slowik insults Richard by calling him “donkey,” a reference to (famous/abusive) chef Gordon Ramsay. The kitchen team were trained to actually create the dishes, broken down station by station, as one would see in a real restaurant.

Chef Slowik [introducing the dessert course]: The s’more. The most offensive assault on the human palate ever contrived.

This is a social satire that makes fun of the uber-wealthy, esp. pretentious foodies and the celeb chefs who cater to their needs. I heard that Triangle of Sadness (2022) deals w/ similar themes. The look is sleek/ultra-modern and cold. It’s moody, atmospheric, and (often) tense. However, some of the occurrences are preposterous! The characters act like those in a horror movie in one scene, then turn goofy in the next one. This movie has been called “silly” by critics/viewers; I think it’s a waste of talent and under-cooked (pardon the pun). I was impressed esp. by Fiennes and Taylor-Joy (who have good chemistry), though some others were under-developed.

[1] This is a movie that plays on something everyone has come across in their lives: obsession. The movie starts out as a seemingly eerie thriller/suspense type movie with weird and unique quirks, but slowly devolves into something much more wild and very obviously takes it too far.

[2] I think I understood what The Menu was trying to convey with its deeper meaning, but I still came up disappointed. Anya Taylor-Joy and the rest of the cast gave great performances, but there was little that really brought the movie together.

[3] The entire cast gives great performances with Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy truly being the standouts as they playoff each other very well. Each character purposely reflected a personality type that, if you ever worked in service, you would encounter and come to know very well.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews