Teri Garr, the offbeat character actor who made her name with hilarious comic turns in films and television shows throughout the 1970's and 1980's, has passed away at the age of seventy-nine. In 2002, she publicly announced that she was suffering from multiple sclerosis and having to retire from performing nine years later when it became too difficult for her to continue. Garr died from complications from this autoimmune disease on October 29th.
Born in Los Angeles, Garr came from a family of entertainers with her father, Eddie was a performer in vaudeville and her mother, Phyllis was a model and dancer. So it's not really surprising that their offspring would follow them into show business. After finishing high school and attending Cal State Northridge for two years, Garr dropped out and went to New York to study acting at the Actors Studio.
Back in Los Angeles, she began her professional career as an uncredited extra and performing as a background dancer in many television shows and films which included six Elvis Presley movies. One of her first major roles as an actor came in 1968 in "Head", a musical-comedy featuring the fictional-turned-real-life musical group, The Monkees that was directed by Bob Rafelson and written by Jack Nicholson. Another important appearance came in a episode of the sci-fi series, "Star Trek". In 1972, Garr became a regular cast member on "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour"
Around this time, she would begin making her mark in feature films, working with many of the big-name directors of this era. She first appeared in a supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation" in 1974 and would later get her first starring role ten years later in his musical-drama, "One From The Heart" (which was recently restored in 4K and re-released earlier this year); the outrageous comedy, "Young Frankenstein" with Mel Brooks; Steven Spielberg's classic sci-fi drama, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"; Martin Scorsese's black comedy "After Hours" and "Tootsie" from Sydney Pollack where this romantic-comedy would earn the actress her only Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1982. Garr would also make memorable appearances in "Oh, God", "The Black Stallion", "Mr. Mom", "Dumb and Dumber", "Prêt-à-Porter" (with director, Robert Altman) and "Ghost World".
Garr became a staple on television, making guest spots on numerous sitcoms and dramas. She would become a popular guest on several talk shows due to charming, quick witted banter, first making regular appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and later on "Late Night With David Letterman". One of her last prominent roles before her medical diagnosis was playing Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) estranged mother on the popular sitcom, "Friends" in 1997.
"Woman of the Hour", the feature directorial debut by actress, Anna Kendrick, examines Rodney Alcala who went on a horrifying, murder spree throughout the 1970's, killing numerous, innocent women before finally being caught and convicted in 1980. But it's his brazen appearance on the popular television program, "The Dating Game" where he was a contestant in search of potential date that is the focus of this film. Kendrick plays the game show bachelorette who falls for his slippery charm yet grows more uneasy with Alcala as she speaks to him at length. The compelling yet uneven "Woman of the Hour" may fall under the true-crime stories that are wildly popular right now yet this film's real aim is to sharply address how casual sexism and systemic misogyny, which was never questioned nor considered during this time, allowed Alcala's murderous rampage to continue far longer than it really should have.
Kendrick plays Cheryl Bradshaw, a nice, midwestern girl who has come to Los Angeles to try and make it as an actor. After many failed auditions and money running out, Cheryl tells her agent she might have to give up her dream and move back home. But the agent convinces a reluctant Cheryl to appear on "The Dating Game", proclaiming that Sally Field got her big break after appearing on the program. When Cheryl arrives for the live taping of the show, the pompous host, Ed Burke (Tony Hale) is unimpressed, having the crew put her in something that will make appear more appealing.
As she queries each of the scripted questions to the three bachelors hidden behind a partition, their answers aren't igniting many magical sparks between them and the bachelorette, potentially creating a dull episode of television. During a commercial break, a make-up artist suggests to Cheryl she should come up with some better questions and she proceeds to do just that. This begins lively and challenging conversation between Cheryl and these contestants, much to Burke's displeasure, which leaves only one clear choice for the bachelorette. And that selection was unfortunately Alcala, played by Daniel Zovatto who manages to find the right balance between being charmingly smooth, emotionally senstive and frightfully deranged.
While "Woman of the Hour" is based on actual events, much of this story here has been fictionalized including most of the characters and what happened during and after Alcala's appearance on "The Dating Game". Some of the reasoning for these changes were to protect the known victims and (which tends to be common in these fact based movies) to heighten the narrative for dramatic effect.
One clear moment of this action is the appearance of an invented character named Laura (played by Nicolette Robinson) who is in the audience during the taping of the show and recognizes Alcala as the man she is certain killed her friend after they met him on a beach. As she frantically tries to get ahold of anyone connected to the show, Laura is essentially dismissed with no one willing to take her seriously. This seemed to be on-going problem in real-life as many people tried to get the police to look at Alcala over the years yet their pleas would fall on deaf ears. He was even arrested for assaulting two girls but would later be released on parole, allowing him to continue his reign of terror.
As a first time director, Kendrick displays great promise behind the camera. She and her cinematographer, Zach Kuperstein perfectly captures the mood and vibe of sunny Los Angeles during this era, filling the screen with warm lighting and kitschy style. Kendrick also delivers a fine performance as Bradshaw, revealing her struggles, like many women of this time, with feeling obligated in appeasing unworthy, boorish men and standing ground in her own agency without giving in to the strong urge to submit to their desires. Intercut throughout the film, we see flashbacks of Alcala setting up some of the crimes he would go on to commit. He met these young women under several circumstances, usually complementing them and pretending to simply want to photograph them. Then after driving the woman to a far, secluded area and when they are comfortable and at their most vulnerable, Alcala assaults, tortures and ultimately kills his victim.
Kendrick does not explicitly detail or reveal the actual murders, preferring to keep the violence largely off screen. The focus seemed intended to be on the lives of these victims yet we still don't really get a clear enough view of who these women were, with these scenes being far too brief and at times the crimes seem too much like a set up for a slasher film which I'm certain is not the filmmaker's intention.
Artfully conceived and effectively suspenseful, "Woman of the Hour" is an admirable first film by Kendrick. While this drama isn't entirely cohesive in it's narrative execution due to its fractured structure, the film remains a potent thriller, crackling with deep-seated tension and driven by top-notch performances. I'm looking forward in seeing what Kendrick will do next as a director.
Maggie Smith, the highly honored British actor who found great success on screen and stage for over sixty years, has passed away on September 27th at the age of eighty-nine. She gained further international attention and acclaim during this century for her appearance in the Harry Potter film series and later for her sly performance playing the Dowager Countess of Granthamher in the beloved British television series, "Downton Abbey". The two-time Academy Award winning performer was still working having recently appeared in the drama, "The Miracle Club" with Laura Linney and Kathy Bates released in theaters last year. An accomplished and versatile performer, Smith could enliven anything she would appear in by creating rich, indelible characters. With an acerbic wit, razor-sharp tongue and undeniable charm, the actress could effortlessly decimate someone with a clever one-liner.
Smith left high school at sixteen in order to study acting at the Oxford Playhouse. During her time there, she appeared in numerous productions, delivering impressive performances. American producers took notice of her budding talent, casting her in "New Faces of '56" where she played several roles and made her Broadway debut. Smith would make her feature film debut two years later co-starring in the British crime drama, "Nowhere To Go". She also caught the attention of the theater legend, Laurence Olivier who invited her in 1962 to join the National Theatre Company which he had just founded and included in the company, Peter O'Toole, Michael Redgrave, Derek Jacobi and Ian McKellen. And while she was with the National throughout the rest of the 1960's, a tense yet professional rivalry would develop between the formidable Olivier and the tenacious Smith.
She would began to do more film work at this time as well, appearing in "The V.I.P.s" with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton; "The Honey Pot", "The Pumpkin Eater" and the film version of "Othello" which was adapted from the well-received Olivier staging for The National. Smith would receive her first Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress for playing Desdemona.
Smith's major breakthrough came with the film adaptation of the successful play, "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" in 1969. This story of an effusive teacher at an Edinburgh all-girls school with a tendency to create her own curriculum to mold select students into her worldview would win Smith an Academy Award for Best Actress. Other film roles followed that included George Cukor's "Travels With My Aunt" (which earned Smith another Best Actress Oscar nomination); "Murder By Death"; two Agatha Christie murder mystery adaptations, "Death on The Nile" and "Evil Under The Sun"; "Clash of The Titans" and "Neil Simon's California Suite" with Smith winning another Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Smith would continue to be an in-demand performer, appearing in filmed dramas and comedies, "A Room with a View", "Sister Act", "Richard III", "The First Wives Club", "Tea with Mussolini", "Gosford Park", "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" and "The Lady in the Van".
But Smith did not ever abandon the stage throughout her time doing acclaimed film work. She appeared in numerous productions of works by Shakespeare and plays by Anton Chekov, Noël Coward, Edward Albee, and Tom Stoppard. Smith received six Evening Standard Theatre Awards for her theatrical performances and won the Tony Award in 1990 for the comedy, "Lettice and Lovage".
This year's AFI Fest, an exciting celebration of new cinema from around the world in the heart of Hollywood, will be held October 23rd to 27th. The 38th edition of the fest will open with "Music By John Williams", a new documentary by Laurent Bouzereau on the extraordinary life of the five time Oscar-winning (and fifty-four time nominated) film composer which will cover his early days as a jazz pianist to his countless and influential musical contributions to motion pictures.
The other films making Red Carpet Premieres will be the latest from Robert Zemeckis, "Here" that has been selected as the Centerpiece Gala. This drama reteams the stars of his Best Picture Oscar winner, "Forrest Gump", Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in a story involving multiple families, looking at them through generations and capturing the human experience in its purest form. Zemeckis will also be honored with a Directors Spotlight, a special evening that will feature clips from his work and an in-depth conversation, hosted by Hanks, with the filmmaker. There will also be "Maria" by Pablo Larraín which explores the final years of the opera diva, Maria Callas and played by Angelina Jolie; the latest feature film directed by the ninety-four year old, Clint Eastwood with "Juror No. 2"; "Heretic", a horror-thriller starring Hugh Grant and directed by the writers of "A Quiet Place", Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and "Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl", the sixth installment in the British stop-motion animated franchise which will make its world premiere.
There will be sections of the Fest that will include Special Screenings; Luminaries, which will feature the latest films from world-renowned filmmakers whose work continues to challenge and inspire; Discovery, a showcase for exciting new voices that push the boundaries of contemporary cinema; World Cinema; Documentaries and a Short Film Competition.
For the complete list of films and to purchase tickets and passes, please click below:
Where & When: Landmark Theatres Sunset, West Hollywood, CA. September 20, 2024 8:15 PM
"The Substance", the sophomore feature from French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat, is a hyper-stylized, pitch-black feminist satire on aging and the low value placed on maturing women in society. But Fargeat pumps up her engaging film by utilizing body horror to convey the extremes that women will go through to maintain their youth and beauty. Between the blood and mayhem, the director has something quite intriguing to say. And while the message is clearly understood, it tends to get a little too muddled through all of the excessive gross-out carnage.
Demi Moore, in her first prominent starring role in some time, plays Elizabeth Sparkle, an award-winning actress in Los Angeles that has been reduced to having to appear as a host of a television fitness show called, "Sparkle Your Life". But following a taping on her fiftieth birthday, Elizabeth is informed by Harvey (Dennis Quaid), a boorish studio executive, that it's time for her to move on, making it clear he's looking for someone younger to host. Devastated by this news, a distracted Elizabeth ends up getting into a car crash. She is uninjured but while getting checked out, a young male nurse, sensing what she's going through, slips a flash drive and phone number into her pocket.
What is discreetly being offered is an experimental drug called, "The Substance" which promises to create a younger and more "perfect" version of yourself. Elizabeth initially rejects the idea but as she spends her newly free time wallowing in booze and her increasing anxiety, she decides to get her hands on this serum. After injecting herself, a fully formed, young being (played by Margaret Qualley) emerges from Elizabeth's cracked open back, leaving the host unconscious while the other is left to sew Elizabeth's body shut. This new form calls herself "Sue", enjoying her youthful body and successfully getting hired back as the host of the exercise program.
But there are strict rules that must be followed: each body can only be out for seven days before exchanging places so that their bodily fluids can recalibrate, they must feed each other intravenously; a "stabilizer" is to be withdrawn from Elizabeth's spine and injected into Sue in order to keep her balanced and most importantly, they must remember that while they are two separate bodies, they are still only one person.
Fargeat was first recognized for her 2017 debut feature film, "Revenge", about a young woman who is sexually attacked by three men and left for dead but she survives and seeks bloody retribution. While it was difficult to sit through at times, I still greatly admired the director's brutal yet razor-sharp cinematic statement. And with her follow-up, Fargeat continues to have no interest in subtlety, preferring to batter viewers severely over the head with her gruesome, surrealistic vision and unsettling themes. She is clearly inspired by fellow filmmakers who embrace the provocative and experimental (Kubrick, Cronenberg, Lynch, Haneke) and with "The Substance", Fargeat liberally borrows visual cues from some of these esteemed directors while still managing to forge ahead with her own distinctively ferocious style. The flashy camerawork by Benjamin Kracun is designed to keep you feeling unsteady, offering full-screen close-ups of eyes and mouths, darting down long narrow hallways, entering vast spare rooms and one particularly unpleasant moment of watching Quaid eating crawfish.
Moore's career took off when she became part of the ensemble of the daytime soap-opera, "General Hospital" in 1982. The following year, she moved on to movie roles, becoming a member of the Brat Pack after her appearances in "St. Elmo's Fire" and "About Last Night...". But it was Moore's tear soaked, moving turn in the 1990 supernatural romance, "Ghost" that helped make her a movie star. She became part of a Hollywood power couple when she married Bruce Willis, starred in several box-office hits and went on to become the highest paid female actor (receiving over twelve million dollars) in 1996 to appear in the movie, "Striptease". But this black comedy was a critical and box-office failure and her marriage to Willis came to an end not long after with Moore largely retreating from the spotlight. She would make the occasional film appearance over the following years, mostly in indie and arthouse fare.
With "The Substance", Moore delivers a bold and fearless performance, revealing herself completely emotionally and physically. She doesn't have much dialogue yet the actress rises to the challenge of expressing all of the anguish, fear and intense desires of Elizabeth, even through moments later in the film when she's no longer recognizable as her former self. And as her other half, Qualley is a compelling presence, a sweetly smiling, malevolent version of Elizabeth with a dark-edged soul. Elizabeth and "Sue" might share the same body however they display vastly different personality traits. While this variance might possibly be due to their age-gap yet over time this conflict leads to complications. Being young and impulsive, Sue begins to abuse the seven day rule, extending her time awake, at first just a few days and then later by weeks, which causes Elizabeth's actual body to age more rapidly.
I will admit that by the time we reach the final act, with the introduction of a third being called "Monstro Elisasue" which leads to an explosive shower of blood, gore and body parts flying in all directions from a stage onto an audience, it felt a little too much, becoming even more silly and excessive. But that's okay. This doesn't take away from "The Substance" being one of the most thrilling, adventurous and uncompromising films I've seen so far this year.
I can also say with complete certainty that no US filmmaker, male or female, would have made "The Substance", at least not in a way that wasn't far more cautious and focused on appealing to the widest audience possible. Fargeat (who actually shot the film in Paris) has made a clever, biting and humorous commentary on the horrors of America's obsession with eternal youth and the emotional torture this causes, especially for women. "The Substance" is absolutely insane and twisted. Yet the film also reveals Fargeat to be a true visionary, a modern filmmaker who respects the historical artform of cinema with no interest in making films that are easily digestible and a strong desire to challenge viewers to open their minds to unexpected and outrageous possibilities.
James Earl Jones, the highly regarded actor with a very distinctive voice, passed away on September 9th at the age of ninety-three. He made a great impact on the stage and screen throughout his long career but it was his voice work he provided for the villainous character, Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” film series that he will probably be best remembered.
Born in Mississippi, he was the son of Robert Earl Jones, who left the family when he was child and went on to have an acting career during the Harlem Renaissance and worked with Langston Hughes. Jones would not reconnect with his father until he was in his twenties when they reconciled their relationship. Jones had ended up going on to live with his grandparents on a farm in Michigan shortly after his father left. These traumatic events caused the young Jones to develop a stutter. While in high school, an English teacher encouraged Jones to read poetry aloud in class which helped cure him of his stuttering.
He attended the University of Michigan and initially had a pre-med major. But soon discovered he was not cut out to become a doctor, shifting his focus on the theater. After serving in Korea, Jones headed to New York to attempt a career as an actor and studying at the American Theatre Wing. He soon found work, appearing on Broadway and becoming well known as an accomplished Shakespearean performer. Jones made his film debut in 1964 in Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb". But his major breakthrough came through the play, "The Great White Hope" where he played a fictionalized version of Jack Johnson who became the first black world heavyweight boxing champion. The play went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Jones won the 1969 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He went on to recreate the role for a film adaptation of the play, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
Jones' career would take off, appearing in the films, "The Man" (about a senator who unexpectedly becomes the first African-American president of the United States), "Claudine" with Diahann Carroll, "The River Niger", "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings" and "The Greatest". He was hired to do a voiceover for Darth Vader in "Star Wars" after director George Lucas decided the voice of actor, David Prowse, who appeared on screen as the character, was not suitable. Jones had initially declined to be acknowledged for his role but by the third movie, he received a screen credit.
Another film that utilized Jones' iconic voice was in Disney's 1994 animated blockbuster, "The Lion King" with the role of Mufasa, Simba's father. Other screen highlights include "Matewan", "Field of Dreams", "Coming to America", "The Hunt for Red October", "Sneakers" and "Clear and Present Danger". One of Jones' last film performances was in the sequel to "Coming to America", "Coming 2 America" in 2021. Jones also continued to do stage work throughout his career with his final appearance was in "The Gin Game" with Cicely Tyson in 2015. The Cort Theatre on Broadway was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in 2022 in his honor.
"The Room Next Door", Pedro Almodovar's first feature film in the English language, went on to receive the top prize of the Golden Lion at the conclusion of the 81st Venice Film Festival. The Spanish director's latest stars Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton as close friends who drifted apart but are reunited years later due to difficult circumstances.
Actor Brady Corbet’s third feature as a filmmaker, "The Brutalist" won him the Best Director prize. This over three-hour long drama chronicles thirty years in the life of a Hungarian-born Jewish architect (played by Adrien Brody) who survived the Holocaust, later migrating to America for a better life only to endure new challenges.
The runner-up Grand Jury prize went to "Vermiglio", an Italian drama written and directed by Maura Delpero. Set during the second world war in the small mountainous village of Vermiglio, the film follows a large family who are deeply affected by troubling local and global events. A Special Jury Prize went to "April", by Georgian filmmaker, Déa Kulumbegashvili, which tells the story of an obstetrician who helps patients seeking abortions, despite this being illegal, and must defend herself when she is discovered.
The screenplay by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega for "I'm Still Here", the
first film by the renowned Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles in over ten years, won the top writing prize. Set during the Brazilian Military Dictatorship in 1971, the film follows a family in search of the patriarch, a former Labour Party congressman, who has mysteriously disappeared.
Nicole Kidman received the Best Actress award for her work in the erotic thriller, "Babygirl". She plays high-ranking CEO who begins a forbidden romance with a captivating and much younger intern, played by Harris Dickinson. The film's director, Halina Rejin received the honor for Kidman due to the unexpected passing of her mother. Vincent Lindon won Best Actor for "Jouer avec le feu (The Quiet Son)" in a film about a father who is estranged from his son over their disagreements on political ideology.
Here is a partial list of the winners of the 2024 Venice Film Festival:
Golden Lion: "The Room Next Door"
Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize: "Vermiglio"
Silver Lion Best Director: Brady Corbet, "The Brutalist"
Special Jury Prize: "აპრილი (April)"
Best Screenplay: Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega, "I'm Still Here"
Best Actress: Nicole Kidman, "Babygirl"
Best Actor: Vincent Lindon, "Jouer avec le feu (The Quiet Son)"
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress: Paul Kircher, "Leurs enfants après eux (And Their Children After Them)"
I live in Los Angeles where there is certainly no shortage of film events that occur here all year long. But I decided last year that I would really like to travel more to experience film festivals in other locations. So for my first outing, I will be attending the 2024 Toronto Film Festival. I have been to the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario before but it has been a number of years since the last time I have visited. I really love the city and the people and I get to see movies there so I would say it's truly a winning situation for me.
As for the 49th annual TIFF, there will be sixty-three movies in the Galas and Special Presentations section alone, hailing from twenty-five countries. This will include "Nutcrackers", a comedy-drama from David Gordon Green which will open the fest and make it's world premiere: the first movie in six years from British filmmaker, Mike Leigh which he reteams with his "Secrets & Lies" star, Marianne Jean-Baptiste; the latest feature directed by Angelina Joie, "Without Blood" with Salma Hayek and Demián Bichir; Edward Berger's papal movie, "Conclave" which stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini and John Lithgow; Fiennes will also appear in "The Return", a historical drama from Uberto Pasolini which reteams the actor with his "The English Patient" co-star, Juliette Binoche; Oscar-winning editor, William Goldenberg makes his directorial debut with "Unstoppable", a sports drama starring Jharrel Jerome and Jennifer Lopez; Cinematographer, Rachel Morrison makes her debut as a director with "The Fire Inside" a sports drama featuring a screenplay by Barry Jenkins: "Nightbitch" from Marielle Heller with Amy Adams as a harried mother thinking she's transforming into a dog; the animated, sci-fi wilderness adventure, "The Wild Robot"; the Cannes Palme d’Or winner, "Anora" from Sean Baker and Australian actor, Rebel Wilson's directorial debut, "The Deb", a musical-comedy will close TIFF.
There will also be programming sections of Documentaries, Centerpiece, Discovery, Primetime (which will focus on television programing), Short Cuts, Film Market (for film buyers and industry professionals), "In Conversation with..." events which will include Cate Blanchett (who will also be the recipient of the Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award), Zoe Saldaña and Steven Soderbergh and free outdoor screenings of classic films. There will be a lot going on and I'm ready for it. The 2024 TIFF will begin on September 5th and run through September 15th. I will be attending the first seven days and writing a viewing diary of the films I will see there.
For the complete list of films, events and to purchase tickets, please click below:
The summer movie season did not begin promising with the event films released over the Memorial Day weekend, "The Fall Guy" and "Furiosa", failing to generate much excitement or box-office. But as the season progressed, the fortunes managed to bounce back, largely thanks to the sequels and animated movies helping to lure audiences back into theaters. While it fell short from last year, this year's US summer box-office take will be about 3.6 billion dollars which is still quite impressive.
Now we are approaching the fall season that will wrap up this year. The movie output will be effected much like the summer due to two strikes over the previous year that brought production to a standstill with far fewer films to release in theaters in 2024. But there are some intriguing movies on the way and here are a few that have captured my attention:
All dates are subject to change:
"THE SUBSTANCE"
Release date: September 20, 2024
The French filmmaker, Coralie Fargeat is finally delivering a follow-up to her 2017 breakthrough debut, the action-thriller, "Revenge". With "The Substance" (which Fargeat was recognized for the Best Screenplay prize at this year's Cannes), the film is a feminist critique on aging and beauty told through a deranged, body-horror black comedy. Demi Moore stars as a long-time host of a popular aerobics program who is unceremoniously dropped from the show by her crass boss (Dennis Quaid) solely due to her age. After excepting an experimental black market drug, she is transformed into a younger version of herself (played by Margaret Qualley), getting her old job back as a new girl named "Sue". Yet there are also some unexpected side-effects which creates havoc to her mind and body.
"MEGALOPOLIS"
Release date: September 27, 2024
There has been a lot of chatter about Francis Ford Coppola's self-financed new film, "Megalopolis". After making it's world premiere at Cannes, the critical reviews have been decidedly mixed to downright panned, in addition to disturbing reports about Coppola's behavior on set. Yet there is no denying that the filmmaker's longtime passion project certainly appears to be very intriguing and you can see the reported one hundred million dollar budget on the screen. As far as the story, "Megalopolis" is set in the distant future with Adam Driver playing an architect who clashes with a corrupt mayor (Giancarlo Esposito) over how to rebuild the city of New Rome after a devastating disaster. I'm certain Coppola had little difficulty attracting this starry cast which includes Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne and Dustin Hoffman.
"ANORA"
Release date: October 18, 2024
Sean Baker, the indie director behind "Tangerine", "The Florida Project" and "Red Rocket", is one of the most thrillingly subversive filmmakers working today, tackling subjects in his films which involve struggling, marginalized people, typically sex workers. Yet Baker is never exploitive, delicately revealing their lives with compassion and humanity. With "Anora" (which won the top prize of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival), Mikey Madison plays Ani who works in a New York City strip club going by the name, "Anora". Since she can speak some Russian, Anora is set up with clients who speak the language. She meets a young man named Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn) and they fall in love. In order not to be deported, Vanya and Anora get married. But Vanya belongs to a very wealthy Russian family who are not happy about his new bride and will do whatever they have to do to end this relationship.
"A REAL PAIN"
Release date: November 1, 2024
Actor, Jesse Eisenberg moves behind the camera again for the second time as a writer and director with "A Real Pain". This comedy-drama follows two cousins (played by Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin) who take a trip to Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. But the more time they spend together, the more problems resurface between them, particularly around their family history.
"THE PIANO LESSON"
Release date: November 8, 2024
Based on August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning play, "The Piano Lesson" examines the bitter conflict in a family regarding a treasured heirloom: a piano which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor. The arguments are between a brother, Boy Willie (John David Washington) and his sister, Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler) who have very different viewpoints on what should be done with this piano. The film marks the feature directorial debut of Malcolm Washington, son of Denzel and brother to star, John David. Corey Hawkins, Ray Fisher, Erykah Badu and Samuel L. Jackson also star.
"GLADIATOR 2"
Release date: November 22, 2024
I will be the first to admit I groaned loudly when I heard a sequel was being made of "Gladiator", Ridley Scott's swords and sandals Roman epic that improbably became the Best Picture Oscar winner in 2000. Now twenty-four years later, "Gladiator 2" will soon be on the big screen with an eighty-six year old Scott back in the director's chair. I will also admit I was won over by the trailer and the cast which features Paul Mescal as our new gladiator along with Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington in prominent roles. The plot doesn't seem to stray too far from the original film with betrayal, revenge and bloody battles in an arena to be the driving force of this story. Yet it still does help make this new "Gladiator" very compelling. And I love the calculated attempt to try and recreate a "Barbenheimer" phenomenon with "Gladiator 2" being released on the same day as the long-awaited, highly anticipated movie version of the Broadway musical, "Wicked". "Wickiator", perhaps?
The 2024 Venice Film Festival is set to begin on August 28th and running through September 7th which will offer the first look at the upcoming films we will see throughout the fall season. "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice", the sequel to Tim Burton's classic 1988 horror-comedy, has been selected to open the 81st edition of the fest out-of-competition with original cast members, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara on board along with new additions, Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe making appearances.
French acting icon, Isabelle Huppert has been named as Jury President for this year's fest. The rest of the jurors who will help select the winners of awards are American director, James Gray; British filmmaker, Andrew Haigh; Polish filmmaker, Agnieszka Holland; Brazilian filmmaker, Kleber Mendonça Filho; Malian film director, Abderrahmane Sissako; Italian filmmaker, Giuseppe Tornatore; German director, Julia von Heinz and Chinese actress, Zhang Ziyi.
The impressive lineup of films from some of the world's greatest filmmakers that will make their premieres and selected to compete for prizes at Venice include Pedro Almodóvar ("The Room Next Door"), Luca Guadagnino ("Queer"), Pablo Larrain ("Maria"), Justin Kurzel ("The Order"), Walter Salles ("I'm Still Here") Halina Reijn ("Babygirl"), Brady Corbet ("The Brutalist"), Wang Bing ("Youth: Homecoming") and Todd Phillips’ "Joker: Folie à Deux", the sequel to the first film that unexpectedly won the top prize of the Golden Lion here in 2019 with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga co-starring.
Some highlights of films being screened out-of-competition will include the latest from indie American filmmaker, Harmony Korine ("Baby Invasion"); legendary French film director, Claude Lelouch ("Finalement") and the George Clooney and Brad Pitt Apple+ thriller, "Wolfs" from Jon Watts.
Peter Weir, the Australian director behind "Picnic at Hanging Rock", "Gallipoli", "Dead Poets Society", "Witness" and "The Truman Show", and Sigourney Weaver, the American actress who appeared in "Alien", "Ghostbusters", "Working Girl", "Gorillas in the Mist" and "The Year of Living Dangerously" (with Weir), will both receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement awards during the festival.
Alain Delon, the French actor who was considered by many to be one of the most handsome men to appear in cinema, died on August 18th at the age of eighty-eight. On screen, he could be remote and vacant yet smoldering and magnetic. His considerable looks certainly brought him plenty of attention but Delon was also a talented performer, helping him become popular and recognized as an international film sensation. No cause of death has been revealed to date but the actor had been in poor health recently, suffering a stroke in 2019 and treated for lymphoma three years later.
He was born to a lower-middle class family but his parents separated when he was four. His mother and father both remarried and had other children, leaving Delon with a foster family for a number of years. But he was eventually returned to his parents, who shared custody, and was shuttled back and forth between his second families. This lead him to become rebellious, misbehaving and disrespectful to his teachers which caused him to be expelled from his schools more than once. At seventeen, he joined the Navy and sent off to fight during the French-Indochina War. Near the end of his service, he was arrested for stealing a jeep and going on a joyride which caused damage the vehicle. This put him in prison for a short time before being expelled from the Navy.
Returning to France, Delon had to fend for himself, doing several odd-jobs and began to get more involved in the darker and seedier side of life. He became romantically involved with Brigitte Auber, an actress who recently had appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief". This brief relationship introduced Delon to other possibilities for his future. They attended the 1957 Cannes Film Festival together which lead him to met his future agent and get discovered by a talent scout.
The inexperienced Delon got a small part in the film, "Quand la femme s'en mêle (Send a Woman When the Devil Fails)" in 1957 where he learned on the job how to act with the help of the director, Yves Allégret. His next major break came when he was cast opposite the German actress, Romy Schneider (who had selected him herself) in the 1958 period drama, "Christine". They began a romance, with neither able to speak the other's language initially nor not particularly liking each other while onset, and became a celebrated couple for six years. After their relationship ended, Delon and Schneider remained friendly, even working together on screen again a couple of times, most notably in "La Piscine (The Swimming Pool)" in 1968.
Delon followed "Christine" up the following year with the comedy, "Faibles femmes (Women are Weak)" which became a big hit in France and was the actor's first movie to be released in the US. But what made audiences really take notice of Delon was his appearances in two films released in 1960; "Rocco e i suoi fratelli (Rocco and His Brothers)", Luchino Visocnti's drama about a poor family from Southern Italy and their struggles to achieve a better life up north in Milan. "Rocco" won a Special Jury Prize during the 21st Venice International Film Festival. And a leading role in the first screen adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel, "The Talented Mr. Ripley" called "Plein soleil (Purple Noon)" from René Clément. Together, these films helped make Delon a movie star.
He would go on to star in Michelangelo Antonioni's "L'Eclisse (The Eclipse)" with Monica Vitti; teamed with Visconti again for "Il Gattopardo (The Leopard)", a historical drama with Burt Lancaster and Claudia Cardinale; and worked again with Clément for "Les félins (Joy House)" with Jane Fonda, shooting French and English language versions. Hollywood certainly became intrigued with the actor and after working on his English, Delon made a few movies stateside for about three years beginning in 1964. But his accent limited what roles he could play and the movies he did make never made much headway with American audiences.
However, Delon remained very popular in France and eventually he returned to his home country where he could feel more comfortable and had plenty of more options for film roles. Some notable films he made include "Histoires extraordinaires (Spirits of the Dead)", a 1968 all-star horror anthology, from directors, Roger Vadim, Louis Malle and Federico Fellini, based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe. And his work with Jean-Pierre Melville in three crime dramas: "Le Samouraï", "Le Cercle Rouge (The Red Circle)" and "Un flic (A Cop)" all became classics and cemented Delon as an actor who could convey so much emotion and intensity without uttering a word.
Delon made over ninety films throughout his career and later going on to receive many honors and accolades. He won the César Award for Best Actor for his performance in "Notre histoire" in 1985, became a member of France's Legion of Honour in 1991, received an Honorary Golden Bear from the Berlin Film Festival in 1995 and the Honorary Palme d'Or from the Cannes Film Festival in 2019.
Gena Rowlands, an actress best known for her brilliant and unique screen performances, many of her most notable are in collaboration with her actor/director husband, John Cassavetes, has passed away on August 14th at the age of ninety-four. No specific cause of death has been given but she had been struggling with Alzheimer's disease for the last five years.
She was born Virginia Rowlands in Cambria, Wisconsin, one of two children to Wisconsin State Senator, Edwin Myrwyn Rowlands and Mary Allen Neal who later became an actress known as Lady Rowlands. After college, Rowlands went to New York to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She began her professional career performing in repertory theatre companies before making her Broadway debut in "The Seven Year Itch" as a replacement cast member and later toured in a national production of the play. She went on to do several live television programs and made guest-starring roles in many drama and western series. Rowlands made her film debut in 1958 with "The High Cost of Loving", co-starring with Jose Ferrer who also directed the film. But it would be her work with Cassavetes, whom she married in 1954, that would give her a greater opportunity to display all she could do as an actor.
While she had a supporting role in the 1963 Hollywood feature that he directed, "A Child Is Waiting" with Judy Garland and Burt Lancaster, it was six years later with "Faces", a cinéma vérité-styled drama that was entirely self-financed by the couple, when she and Cassavetes began to receive widespread critical acclaim for their work. The film about the final stages of the marriage between a middle-aged couple went on to receive three Academy Award nominations including Best Original Screenplay for Cassavetes. She would make ten films together with her husband who helped guide his wife to some of her most memorable roles. Her two Oscar nominations came from films directed by Cassavetes; "A Woman Under The Influence" in 1974 about a woman's strange behavior creating conflict with her spouse (Peter Falk) and "Gloria" from 1980 where she plays a gangster's former girlfriend who tries to protect a young boy (John Adames) being hunted by the mob for information. Rowlands went on to receive an Honorary Academy Award in 2015.
Some highlights of her later screen performances includes "An Early Frost", a 1985 made-for-TV movie that was one of the first to deal with the subject of AIDS. She played the former First Lady, Betty Ford in the 1987 television film, "The Betty Ford Story" where she won her first Emmy Award. Rowlands made appearances in the movies, "The Brink's Job", "Another Woman", "Something to Talk About", "Hope Floats", the drama, "Unhook The Stars" from 1996 and the 2004 romantic drama based on the best-selling novel, "The Notebook" both directed by her son Nick Cassavetes.
Rowlands is survived by her three children with Cassavetes (who passed away in 1989); Nick, Alexandra and Zoe who all have followed their parents to have careers in the performing arts and filmmaking.
I can't believe this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the live television, comedy sketch program, "Saturday Night Live". I am old enough to remember when this show premiered and although I didn't see the first episode at the time, I did begin to watch it regularly not long after. And ever since that very first televised show, when the sketches work, they are uproariously, laugh-out loud funny. However when a skit fails to coalesce, it can be agonizingly painful to sit through. But that is exactly what's makes "SNL" so great; it's a completely wild and unpredictable comedy show.
Jason Reitman has made a new film, "Saturday Night" which highlights all the unbelievably crazy and chaotic events that led to that first broadcast on October 11, 1975, originally called "NBC's Saturday Night". Gabriel LaBelle ("The Fabelmans") plays Lorne Michaels, the Canadian-born comedy writer who creates the idea of the late show performed live in front of a studio audience with producer, Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman) that they bring to the network. We witness all of the problems of getting the show ready to air that include deciding on the tone of show with his writers, wrangling his inexperienced yet talented cast of comedians dubbed "the not-ready-for-prime-time players" and convincing a skeptical NBC programing chief, David Tebet (Willem Dafoe) that the program should even make it to broadcast .
"Saturday Night" is due in US theaters on October 11, 2024
Where & When: Nuart Theater, West Los Angeles, CA. July 27, 2024 7:30 PM
The filmmaking team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger are responsible for some of the most exquisite, breathtaking works of world cinema, which includes "A Matter of Life and Death", "Black Narcissus" and "The Red Shoes", that have gone on to become important classics in motion picture history. Introduced by producer, Alexander Korda in 1939, the British Powell had worked in various roles in the early days of the film industry beginning in France before returning home to get an opportunity to write and direct while Pressburger, Hungarian-born of Jewish heritage, had begun his career as a journalist before turning towards screen writing, forced to migrate a couple of times before landing in Britain due to the rise of the Nazis. Pressburger was asked to doctor the script for the World War I spy thriller, "The Spy in Black" that Powell was directing which began the cinematic partnership between these men, eventually making over twenty films over the course of their career together.
The extraordinary documentary, "Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger" goes into great detail about the influence and craftsmanship of these groundbreaking filmmakers.
We have executive producer, Martin Scorsese as our on-screen narrator, delivering a masterclass on these highly esteemed and inspirational film creators in this captivating doc, directed by David Hinton. The now eighty-one legendary director begins by recalling his own childhood history with him being forced to be indoors most of the time due to being an asthmatic. This lead to him being brought to movie theaters where his love of cinema was developed. By the time Scorsese became a teenager, he had become obsessed with the work of Powell and Pressburger which would greatly impact not only his desire to become a filmmaker but his own cinematic style.
After making two more films together, realizing they work well together with a common viewpoint regarding cinema, Powell and Pressburger formed a partnership which would be known as "The Archers". While Pressburger would work on the initial script outline and Powell would essentially direct the film, together they would shape the complete movie with the screen credit going to both as writer, producer and director. The Archers were early indie filmmakers; experimenting with structure, demanding control over their work and never wanted to be forced to compromise on their productions. The duo assembled a regular group of actors and crew members that they worked well with and wanted to participate in fulfilling their creative vision.
Powell and Pressburger were enlisted to do their part for the war effort by creating films that would inspire and uplift during this harrowing time. However, they chose to do this on their own terms. "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" may have been a pro-British, romantic war drama but it was also a satire on the country's army, delivering soft jabs at the leadership. The original intention of "A Matter of Life and Death" was to help improve the tense relations between the late arriving American soldiers stationed in the UK and the war weary, British public. But what it became was a surreal romantic fantasy in stunning Technicolor set during the World War involving a British airman (David Niven) who survives a plane crash and falls in love with an American radio operator (Kim Hunter) only he begins to have visions of an angel summoning him to the afterlife.
The end of the war allowed the filmmakers to let their imaginations soar even further. "Black Narcissus" revolves around the increasing strain within a small convent of nuns trying to establish a school on top of an isolated mountain in the Himalayas. Filled with unexpected simmering sexual tension and grounded by exceptional realism, this film firmly establishes Powell and Pressburger as true cinematic artists highlighted by the Oscar-winning cinematography of Jack Cardiff.
But what is considered by many viewers and critics as this team's greatest masterpiece would be their follow-up feature, "The Red Shoes" from 1948. Boldly wanting to experiment with how music and visuals could effectively be used in a film, "The Red Shoes" is set in the world of ballet, exploring a dancer's conflict between living for their art and finding space to have a personal life. Determined to have a professional dancer who could act in the lead role, the duo managed to lure a very reluctant Moira Shearer, a ballerina from Scotland, to do the part after pursuing her for a year. The one sequence the film is best known for is the seventeen minute ballet centerpiece inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale which the film is based. Far from a traditional filmed dance number that was commonly done at the time, the scene utilizes editing, close-ups and impressionistic visual effects, creating an undeniable cinematic experience.
By the mid-1950's, The Archers had decided to pursue some separate creative paths. Pressburger would have two novels published and write a few screenplays for other filmmakers. Powell had begun working on some solo film projects, most notably beginning with the controversial, "Peeping Tom" in 1960. During this period, they came together to make a film, "They're a Weird Mob" in 1966 with Pressburger using a pseudonym, "Richard Imrie". But their final collaboration together would be "The Boy Who Turned Yellow", a 1972 feature made for the UK non-profit, Children's Film Foundation.
Scorsese's longtime film editor, Thelma Schoonmaker would go on to marry Powell in 1984 (after introducing the two to each other). This gave Scorsese an even greater opportunity to connect with Powell, allowing him to pick his brain over the films his cinematic idol had made and receive advice from him on the movies he was making at the time, ultimately forming an even closer bond. This relationship also helped gain access to a trove of archival footage seen in the film with interviews with the filmmakers, personal home movies and behind-the-scenes recordings.
Hinton, a British director of several documentary shorts and episodes of television series, basically gets out of the way, simply allowing the rapid-fire, insightful discussion by Scorsese and the resonant beauty of the images by Powell and Pressburger to do much of the work in "Made In England". While there are moments in his conversations that can feel a bit dry like a college lecture, Scorsese is a passionate cheerleader, reiterating why he loves their films and why you really should too. Long before they even ended their partnership, the work by these filmmakers would fall out of favor and they were never properly appreciated during their career by the critics of their native country. But time allows an opportunity for second look in order to consider a greater appreciation. "Made In England" is an excellent, helpful guide into the cinema of Powell and Pressburger and a wonderful encouragement into seeking out their movies.
Shelley Duvall, one of the alluring talents to emerge during the New Hollywood era of the 1970's, has passed away on July 10th at the age of seventy five. The filmmaker Robert Altman was the first to recognize her unique presence, casting Duvall in her first film and going on to have a thriving acting career where she memorably captured on screen the inner lives of offbeat and alienated characters.
Born on July 7th in Fort Worth, TX, Duvall stumbled into a movie career purely by chance. Altman was in Houston filming scenes for his wacky, black comedy, "Brewster McCloud", his follow-up to his hit film, "M*A*S*H*", when he noticed a twenty-one year old Duvall, living in the city at the time, at a party. Fascinated by her striking appearance, kooky style and gregarious personality, the director offered her a role as the love interest to the title character, played by Bud Cort.
This would began their long professional relationship with Duvall performing in several of Altman's films which include "McCabe & Mrs. Miller", "Thieves Like Us", "Nashville" and "Buffalo Bill & The Indians or Sitting Bull's History Lesson". He gave Duvall one of her first major lead roles in "3 Women" with Sissy Spacek in 1977. This psychological drama earned her the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival and a nomination from BAFTA. She would appear in one final film with Altman in "Popeye", the live-action, musical-comedy based on the animated, spinach loving sailor man (played by Robin Williams) with Duvall appearing in the role she seemed born to play: Popeye's long suffering girlfriend, Olive Oyl.
Duvall would follow this up with one of roles she is probably best known for due to her solid performance and all of hardship she endured during the filming; Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's novel, "The Shining". It is well documented that this year long shoot was extremely difficult for Duvall, particularly dealing with the mercurial Kubrick who apparently seemed to get pleasure from antagonizing the actress. Yet despite this, Duvall has since been praised for her work in "The Shining" as the suffering wife of a writer (played by Jack Nicholson) who loses a grip on reality and has been viewed as the heart of this horror film.
She would continue to work as an actress but she decided she wanted to get more involved behind the scenes in creating a project. In 1982, Duvall put together with the new cable channel at the time, Showtime, a children's television program called "Faerie Tale Theatre" where she hosted, narrated each episode, occasionally performed and executive produced the show. This popular series, which ran for six years, brought to life classic fairy tales which featured many well-known actors of the day performing in these short live-action episodes.
Over the later years, Duvall had begun to struggle with some mental illness and other health issues including diabetes. She had left Los Angeles and moved to the small community of Blanco, TX in 1994 following the Northridge earthquake. She would retire from acting seven years later but had recently returned to perform in the indie horror film, "The Forrest Hills" two years ago.
Catherine Breillat, the French cinematic provocateur, will be the focus of an American Cinematheque Retrospective beginning on July 15th through August 15th. Throughout her almost fifty years as a filmmaker, she has fearlessly explored female sexuality and the politics surrounding the subject with audacious imagery, perplexing characters, brutal candor and uncompromising style.
She began her professional career at the age of seventeen with the publication of her first novel, "l'Homme facile (A Man for the Asking)". Due to it's sexual themes, the book was banned for readers under eighteen years old. Breillat continued this exploration when she moved into filmmaking in 1976 with her debut feature, "Une vraie jeune fille (A Real Young Girl)" which was based on her fourth novel about the sexual awakening of a fourteen year old girl. Once again, the graphic depiction of sexual scenes led to the film being banned in many countries and was not released to theatres until 2000.
Breillat suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in 2004, causing a stroke and leaving her left side paralyzed. Yet after months of hospitalization and intense rehabilitation, the director was able to returned to filmmaking.
This fourteen film fest will lead off with Breillat's latest, "L'Été dernier (Last Summer)", her first film in ten years and based on the 2019 Danish film, "Dronningen (Queen of Hearts)". Léa Drucker stars as a lawyer who specializes in child protection. She is happily married with two children but after the troubled seventeen year old son (Samuel Kircher) from her husband's previous marriage moves in with them, an inappropriate intimate relationship begins between them.
Other films by Breillat to be screened include "Romance X" and "Anatomie de l'enfer (Anatomy of Hell)" which both feature hardcore sexual scenes and the famed Italian porn star, Rocco Siffredi; "Sex Is Comedy", a dramedy that revolves around a film director (played by Anne Parillaud) trying to film an intimate sex scene between two actors who can't stand each other and "Abus de faiblesse (Abuse of Weakness)", a semi-autobiographical film about a filmmaker (Isabelle Huppert) who suffers a cerebral hemorrhage that leaves her paralyzed. After therapy, the director begins to work on a new project about a working class man that falls in love with a famous actress, eventually beating her to death and decides to hire a real-life con-man to star in the film.
Also part of this retrospective will be the newest 4K restorations of Breillat's early works, "A Real Young Girl", "36 Fillette" and "Parfait amour! (Perfect Love)".
Please click below for the complete list of films, to purchase tickets and additional information:
Where & When: TCL Chinese Theatres, Hollywood, CA. June 23, 2024 4:20 PM
Inspired by the 1968 photo journal by Danny Lyon, writer/director Jeff Nichols takes us into the compelling world of a Chicago outlaw motorcycle club with "The Bikeriders". First formed by some suburban men who loved to ride together, drawing attention to other riders which helped expand the group across the country. They had their own code of conduct and specific lifestyle yet over time a more violent and criminal element entered the gang, shifting from the playful camaraderie of a social club into the ruthless dogma of a organized crime outfit. Filled with explosive moments and captivating imagery, this riveting film traces the history of these easy riders during the brief height of their infamous popularity in the culture.
Lyon (played here by Mike Faist) had gained the trust of members of the Vandals MC (which is based on the actual Outlaws Motorcycle Club in Illinois), allowing him entry into their exclusive club. One of his key interviews is with a person who would be considered an outsider of the Vandals yet still very much part of the gang. Kathy (Jodie Comer) recalls to Lyon how she first became involved with these bikers after meeting the brooding, charismatic member, Benny (Austin Butler) at a seedy bar. After locking eyes with him, Kathy's life changed almost in an instant; leaving behind her nice yet boring, long-time boyfriend and marrying Benny five months later. But this also meant, much to her dismay, that the Vandals would become an extension to their marriage.
The leader of the Vandals is Johnny Davis (Tom Hardy) who founded the gang after seeing a leather-geared, Marlon Brando on a Harley in the film, "The Wild One". A family man with a wife and children, Johnny rules his bikers much like he does at home with tough love and demanding they follow his decisions without question. There isn't much of a plot to follow, largely just detailing the typical routine of the Vandals which really only involves them riding their hogs, engaging in loud, riotous banter and drinking endless beers in a bar, usually leading to finishing the day with somebody getting involved in a vicious brawl.
But at the heart of "The Bikeriders" is a sort-of love triangle involving Kathy and Johnny each trying to win in a battle to secure their place with the remote, Benny. After getting seriously injured during a fight at a bar, almost losing his foot, Kathy attempts to convince her husband to slow down following his surgery while Johnny is wanting him get out to participate in a motorcycle rally. And certain that he's the only one the other bikers would even consider following, Johnny tries to talk Benny into succeeding him as leader. But they both fail to realize that Benny refuses to be controlled, unpersuaded by other people's desires and needs regardless of how he feels about them.
"The Bikeriders" is the first film in about seven years from Nichols, the creator behind the small-scale dramas with expansive viewpoints, typically set in the South where he is from, that include "Take Shelter", "Mud" and "Loving". Since first seeing this book, Nichols had been trying for about twenty years to find a way to turn it into a feature film, settling on creating characters based on the real-life subjects in the book. The film captures an authentic environment of time and place during the late '60's and early 1970's thanks to the production design by Chad Keith. The camera work by Adam Stone sets a proper mood, recreating the specific style and accelerated energy of the photos in Lyon's book.
The Vandals (which includes Norman Reedus and Michael Shannon appearing as bikers) are made-up of the expected arch types; chaotic and precarious men with restless spirits seeking freedom and adventure on the open road while riding a Harley-Davidson. While some do have jobs and family, they live mostly without commitment to anybody but themselves.
As for the women in their lives, occasionally sitting on the back of a bike or participating in rider gatherings, they typically remain in the background, stoically waiting for their men to eventually return home to them. The only substantial female voice in this film is Kathy, who fearlessly shares her thoughts on these guys and will aggressively push back against their macho postering when needed. Much has been made about the Midwestern accent she uses here yet regardless of it's accuracy, the British-born Comer perfectly captures the fiery soul of this woman, delivering another powerful performance. Not called on to do much more than glower and smolder, Butler remains very effective as Benny, proving with his Oscar-nominated performance as Elvis Presley and his menacing turn in "Dune: Part Two" that he certainly has the potential to become the next major movie star. And Hardy, who has spent most of the last few years playing Venom, the Marvel super-hero antagonist in those awful movies, is always a welcome presence on screen and nice to see playing a human being again.
"The Bikeriders" recalls a generation of working class men rebelling against the status quo by driving their own path through life. Some of these men were damaged, coming from broken homes but they all searched for a sense of family which they found together on the open road. The ideology of the bikers transformed following the end of the Vietnam War. These new riders who joined had their views and priorities severely altered after seeing so much destruction and death. The world had changed and society had abandoned them, with some even viewing these veterans as the enemy. Now being part of a gang of rebels had taken on a whole new meaning.
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