Tag: Mystery

“Hail, Caesar!” (2016) starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, & Channing Tatum

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This movie follows a day in the life of Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), a Hollywood “fixer” in the ’50s; he cleans up messes made by actors under contract at Capitol Pictures. When the movie studio’s biggest star, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) disappears, Mannix has to deal w/ more than just the fix. This movie was written/directed by Joel and Ethan Coen; the brothers had been brainstorming the story for a decade, BUT never wrote anything. After Clooney (known for his practical jokes) announced Hail, Caesar! as his next project at a press conference, the Coens (who received a LOT of publicity), decided to make the film for real! There was real studio exec (E.J. Mannix) who worked as a producer/fixer at MGM. One of his contributions to motion picture history is a ledger w/ the budget and income of every film made at MGM from 1924-1962.

[Eddie has gathered several clergymen to get their opinions on how the issue of God should be handled in the Hail Caesar! movie]

Protestant Minister: God loves everyone!

Catholic Priest: God is love!

Eastern Orthodox Priest: God is who he is.

Rabbi: This is special? Who isn’t who he is?

Catholic Priest: But, how should God be rendered in a motion picture?

Rabbi: God isn’t in the motion picture!

Hail, Caesar! (the movie w/in this movie) paid several tributes to Ben-Hur (1959); one scene shows Baird (playing a Roman general; based on actor Victor Mature) becoming speechless at the sight of Jesus. DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson) is loosely based on swimmer turned actress, Esther Williams, who starred in musicals for MGM w/ elaborate sets, synchronized swimming, and high diving. To prep for playing Hobie Doyle (based on Will Rogers), Alden Ehrenreich learned horseback riding, rope tricks, gun twirling, and guitar- wow! The actor felt twirling the spaghetti (to mimic a lasso) was the hardest part; Hobie does that on his date w/ Carlotta Valdez (Veronica Osario- a Venezuelan-American actress). As Hitchcock fans will notice, Carlotta Valdez is also the name of a historical character mentioned in Vertigo (1958). Carlotta is based on Brazilian singer/dancer/Bdwy actress, Carmen Miranda (AKA “The Brazilian Bombshell” or “The Chiquita Banana”). Twin sisters/celeb columnists, Thora and Thessaly Thacker (Tilda Swinton), may be based on Ann Landers and her twin sister, Abigail Van Buren (AKA Dear Abby).

Hobie Doyle [repeating the line]: Would that it were so simple?

I’d recommend this to fans of classic films (like me), though it’s NOT a cohesive movie as a whole, it has several FAB scenes! As a fan of the Coens’ work commented: “They travel from universe to universe remaining true to themselves.” The scene btwn Ehrenreich (the standout among the large ensemble cast) and Ralph Fiennes (who plays British director Laurence Laurentz) is hilarious! The tap dance w/ Channing Tatum is a LOT of fun; he looks light on his feet and graceful. I’m sure many viewers will be surprised! Clooney is NOT afraid to portray the pathetic side of some Hollywood stars. If you are looking for LOL moments, those are few; there is plenty to smile (or chuckle) at.

[1] Quirky and lingering, that’s the Coen brothers way […]

…if you’re obsessed with cinema (I know I am), intrigued by the ins and outs of Hollywoodland lingo, and want to revel in the Coen brothers strutting their movie within a movie pedigree, then Hail, Caesar! will cure your wintry blues. All I gotta say is “hail” yes!

[2] It was as if the Coen Brothers simply said “let’s do a film for ourselves…who cares whether or not the public enjoys it or not!”. I appreciated it myself…but I am also not the average film-goer. As for the average viewer, the film makes allusions to many events in the history of Hollywood… but if you aren’t aware of these events or rumors, you’ll not understand or appreciate much of the film.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“10 Cloverfield Lane” (2016) starring John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, & John Gallagher, Jr.

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After getting into a car accident, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), awakens to find herself in an underground bunker w/ two men- Howard (John Goodman) and Emmett (John Gallagher, Jr). Howard offers her crutches to help move (w/ her leg injury from the crash); he tells her to “get good on those” before leaving. She is told that there has been an attack and the outside world is poisoned! However, Howard’s intentions soon become questionable. Michelle wonders: Is it better in here or try top get outside?

Howard: People are strange creatures. You can’t always convince them that safety is in their best interest.

I came across this film recently while browsing; I think it’s still streaming for free. I’m NOT an expert on modern horror; these movies are often shot quickly w/ low budgets. Teens/20s viewers seem to watch these more in theaters, from what I’ve observed/heard. There are some classic horror films which I still haven’t seen. I was impressed w/ the pacing (editing) and direction of this movie. Dan Trachtenberg, who now mainly works in TV, earned a Directors Guild of America Award (DGA) nom for Outstanding Directing – First-Time Feature Film. The screenplay was written by Josh Campbell, Matt Stueken, and Damien Chazelle (who most recently directed Babylon).

Emmett: We’re here. We’re alive. That means something… It’s gotta.

We know Goodman (a veteran character actor) is always good in every role; he creates an (unexpected) villain. I’d seen Gallagher, Jr. (who also has a career in folk music) in The Newsroom; he plays a farm boy-next-door who regrets missing out on college. Michelle and Emmett (a good guy) form a friendship bond, which Howard is angered (and perhaps threatened) by. I learned that different tonal versions of most scenes were shot (from light/humorous to angry), so filmmakers could find the right mix in the end. I enjoyed the story a LOT until the ending- it wasn’t what I expected at all!

[1] It’s incredibly compelling mainly because of its intense focus on character, while it’s the several subtle twists and turns that keep us on the edge of our seat as our reading of the situation (always seen through the lens of the protagonist) continues to organically change.

[2] There are little if any horror elements in this movie. […] Those of you looking for a tense, slow building atmosphere are going to love this one! This is primarily a mystery movie.

[3] This film done everything right in terms of keeping you on edge, building tension and keeping you guessing. You feel just as confused and vulnerable as the protagonist and have no idea where everything is leading. But then, out of nowhere, it suddenly takes a sharp turn down towards WTF-ville and completely kills everything that it worked hard to build over the duration of the film.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Love Crime” (2010) starring Ludivine Sagnier, Kristin Scott Thomas, & Patrick Mille

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An elegant business exec, Christine Rivière (Kristin Scott Thomas- who speaks fluent French), brings on Isabelle Guérin (Ludivine Sagnier) as her protege. Christine seems to enjoy toying w/ the young/naive woman. Christine is involved w/ Phillipe (Patrick Mille), an arrogant/charming lawyer who consults w/ this company. Soon, Isabelle’s ideas become creative enough for Christine to pass off as her own. In time, we see that Christine has underestimated Isabelle’s ambition/cunning!

As one viewer commented, this is “not a whodunit, but more of a what’s-she-gonna-do next” story. I heard about this French neo noir film on the Fatal Attractions podcast. Alain Corneau (1943-2010) was a Cesar Award-winning French writer/director; he died soon after Love Crime was released. The American remake (undercooked and boring) was titled Passion (2012); it was directed by Brian De Palma and stars Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace. If you like this movie, you may want to check out The Business of Strangers (2001) starring Stockard Channing and Julia Stiles.

The French ain’t like us (Americans) y’all- that can be surprising (yet refreshing) to watch! They don’t need big budgets, expensive sets, action scenes, or likeable lead characters. They also don’t carry the (Puritan) baggage when is comes to nudity, sex, or relationships btwn men and women. After a meeting out of town, Isabelle jumps into Phillipe’s arms and kisses him w/ fervor (looks a BIT aggressive). These women are battling it out in (and out) of the boardroom! The filmmakers don’t shy away from melodrama. If you like psychological thrillers, then I recommend this movie.

…Mr. Corneau makes witty use of the contrasting faces and temperaments of the two main actresses. Ms. Thomas, her manner as impeccable and dry as her French, is all angles and edges, most terrifying when she seems most at ease. Ms. Sagnier, soft and skittish and visibly struggling to maintain her composure, turns out to be even scarier.

-Excerpt from NYT review by A.O. Scott

[1] The narrative style is one of omniscient point of view. As an audience, you are along with the perpetrator for a ride all the time. The fun is in seeing (and sometimes guessing) how she uses the “self-framing” trick (think “The Wrong Man,” but in that movie the audience is in the dark and are in for a big surprise, unless they are really smart) to get away with murder, literally.

[2] What makes the film so fascinating is the clever move/countermove screenplay that provides tantalizing hints increasing skullduggery. The two female leads play beautifully off each other and the hapless men that get in their way are interesting in their own right.

[3] …here we have real human action. With women as the characters, “action” does not have to constitute external phenomena as is the case with men. For women, “action” is the deadly silent conflict between personalities, and how they outwit each other. This is a true “psychological thriller,” whereas many claims of that kind are made by films which are not all that psychological.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Bodies Bodies Bodies” (2022) starring Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha’la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Pete Davidson, & Lee Pace

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When a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game turns deadly in this fresh and funny look at backstabbing, fake friends, and one party gone very, very wrong. -Synopsis

This movie had a viral moment after Amandla Stenberg (who plays the lead- Sophie) messaged NYT film critic, Lena Wilson, after Wilson called the film a “95-minute advertisement for cleavage.” In a direct message (DM), the 25 y.o. actress wrote: “Ur review was great, maybe if you had gotten your eyes off my tits you could’ve watched the movie.” The title/game played are based on Body Body (or Murder In The Dark) where players run around in a dark room while the murderer “kills” players by tapping them, hoping to get away w/ “killing” the entire group. This is Dutch director Halina Reijn’s 1st film to be made in the US; she allowed the (young/Gen Z) cast to choose songs and improvise some of the dialogue. The screenwriters are Sarah DeLappe and Kristen Roupenian (who worked on the viral op ed turned movie- Cat Person). As this movie takes place mostly in the dark, w/ the only source of light being cellphones, a headlamp, and glow tubes, the cast was instructed on how to light scenes/themselves from the cinematographer, Jasper Wolf.

As one critic commented: this movie (distributed by A24) shows how “Gen Z’s social life has been greatly affected by the use of social media.” Another issue here is toxic masculinity, as the director noted. This cast is mostly little-known, though some may be familiar w/ 30 y.o. Pete Davidson (who plays Dave, Sophie’s BFF); he’s known for SNL and relationships w/ famous women. The other man here is played by the handsome/tall (6’5″) Lee Pace (now 45); he’s the slacker/Tinder hook-up of Alice (Rachel Sennott). As I noted before, Sennott appeared recently in two indie comedies- Shiva Baby and Bottoms. For sabering-the-champagne-bottle near the start of the movie, Pace practiced at home using Thranduil’s sword from The Hobbit (2012)- LOL!

The movie opens w/ a close-up of two young women kissing and sharing their emotions; it soon shifts to them in a car texting on their phones. Such is modern life! Sophie and her gf, Bee (Maria Balalova- a Bulgarian actress seen in Borat 2) go to a hurricane party at a mansion. These diverse partiers are ALL from wealthy families, perhaps aside from Bee (w/ an Eastern European accent) and Greg (who they assume to be a war vet). There is little character development; most of these ppl are NOT likeable. As they drink, take drugs, and- worst of all- treat each others cruelly, your patience might wear thin. The dialogue is often banal and unfunny, as many critics/viewers have commented. I realize that this is NOT geared to ppl my age; however, it’s an undercooked waste of time!

[1] A modern horror of sorts, no scares and mild action. Mostly focused on trying to study the breakdown of people in the wake of suspicion. As I was looking for some good scares, I left feeling disappointed. I should have kept my old ass at home.

[2] Part of me wants to rate this well for how good it is at touching on a lot of what Gen Z is today. A lot of me wants to give this a thumbs down for how completely unlikable the characters are, how overplayed the point is, and how predictable and dumb the whole movie ends up being.

I give it points for it’s grounded approach. It advertises itself as a slasher, but it really ends up mostly being a deconstruction of these characters. Nothing over the top or typically slasher. Unfortunately, everyone here is a cliche.

[3] Bodies isn’t scary and there’s only so much tension and excitement to be gleaned from the premise. The acting was fine, but it was also hampered by the characters being so self-absorbed and hard to like. While the twist is kind-of new, it didn’t mean much and I was still left disappointed that I sunk an hour and a half into this.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Internal Affairs” (1990) starring Richard Gere, Andy Garcia, Nancy Travis, Laurie Metcalf, & William Baldwin

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Vicious manipulations and power games between men made all the more dramatic being set inside a police drama. –Gene Siskel

A young/Hispanic cop, Raymond Avila (Andy Garcia- aged 33), has just joined the Internal Affairs bureau of the LAPD. He and his partner, Amy Wallace (Laurie Metcalf), get a case involving a young/hot-headed patrolman known for getting rough w/ suspects, Van Stretch (William Baldwin). However, they soon come to realize that Stretch’s more experienced partner, Dennis Peck (Richard Gere- aged 40), might be at the root of many illegal activities. This is a movie that seems of its time, yet also ahead of it’s time; issues incl. domestic violence, racism, adultery, and police corruption are explored.

As Garcia explained on the pod WTF with Marc Maron, Paramount selected this movie for him; one of its producers (Frank Mancuso) became like a father-figure to the actor. This was Mike Figgis’ 1st American movie; Garcia brought the British/indie director onto the project (for his fresh takes). I’m a fan of Garcia; I don’t know why he didn’t become a bigger star. (I even saw the movie he directed a few yrs ago- it was pretty good.) Gere has the more fascinating role as a multi-layered villain who manipulates (almost) everyone around him! Did y’all know that this movie came out the same year as Pretty Woman!? As some critics/fans commented, the haircuts may be bad (too short), BUT the jeans fit V well! In the scene where his character is introduced, there is a long/close-up shot on Baldwin’s butt.

Dennis Peck [to Van Stretch]: How many cops you know, huh? Got nothing. Divorced, alcoholic, kids won’t talk to them anymore, can’t get it up. Sitting there in their little apartments, alone in the dark, playing lollipop with a service revolver?

From the opening scenes, Peck is the “Alpha” among his circle; he puts a knife into the hand of the unarmed dead man to cover for the young/Black cop who shot him, Dorian Fletcher (Michael Beach). There is an instant dislike btwn Avila (ambitious) and Peck (working on the street); I learned that Garcia and Gere didn’t get along during filming. These two characters glare at each other w/ such animosity that we feel a fight could break out at any minute. Given his erratic schedule, Avila misses out on quality time w/ his wife/manager of an art gallery, Kathleen (Nancy Travis). Peck thinks of himself as a “family man;” he lives in a spacious house w/ a pool. He’s on his 4th marriage; his current wife is Heather (Annabella Sciorra), and father to 8 kids (no joke)!

It’s NOT easy to be in police work; the conditions can be V rough and the pay quite low (so that many cops have off-duty jobs). Peck helps Fletcher get a 2nd job at a good location; he counsels Van Stretch to return to his family- wife/banker Penny (Faye Grant) and young son. However, there have always been some who are “a disgrace to the uniform;” in one scene Peck is in bed w/ Penny fully clothed in his uniform. In another scene, Peck (in a calm tone w/ quiet menace) opens Stretch’s button-down and gently pats his chest down (looking for a wire) w/ one hand, while playing tea party w/ his daughter w/ the other hand.

Man, Gere was nasty in that movie- Internal Affairs! -Marc Maron

Yeah, Gere was terrific in that movie! – Andy Garcia

[1] Gere is on best form here, playing a character against type, he is the embodiment of corruption, deceit and murder. Garcia is also excellent as Raymond, who blends his actions well from good into bad. Metcalf is excellent as Garcia’s partner…

[2] Internal Affairs is a character study at it’s finest. There are few films out there that can compare to this one and that can be attributed to the director, Mike Figgis. He hits every note perfectly and the performances he gets from his cast is such a joy to watch.

[3] Gere fires on all cylinders in this performance, full of swagger and aggression, with a character that would easily dupe you into believing he’s on your side, while all the while setting up your execution. 

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews