An Attempt to Connect Leads to Broader Separation

From left: Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, and Lia McHugh
in "The Lodge"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Given how many horror films there have been that deal with characters being stranded in an isolated location, it can be a challenge to have this setup play out in a way that audiences haven’t yet seen.  With a restricted location and small cast of characters that these films typically have, you have to work hard within your limits to deliver a unique approach to this popular concept.

Directing duo Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala pull this off with their new horror movie, “The Lodge,” where they take moviegoers on a shattering sojourn where the characters reveal their darkest, most troubled selves.

Richard (Richard Armitage) decides to take his new girlfriend, Grace (Riley Keough), and his children, Aiden (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh), to a remote lodge for a vacation, following the passing of his wife, Laura (Alicia Silverstone), who he was soon about to divorce.  While he has to leave them to go on business, Richard hopes to that his children take the time to bond with Grace.  Soon, frightening events occur that threaten to bring out Grace’s unsettling past.

Just as Keough exemplified in Trey Edward Shults' “It Comes at Night,” she has a clear talent for delivering stunning  performances in the horror genre.  Keough has her character exhibit a reserved, yet friendly persona when we first meet her, hinting at someone who’s still trying to recover from her dark background.  There’s a lightness to her that’s trying to come out as she attempts to connect with Aiden and Mia, which makes it all of the more saddening when they ignore her, making her feel dejected.  All of this, mixed with the traumatic effects that her past has had on her, creates someone who slowly begins to lose her grip on reality, and Keough exemplifies that fragility as the isolation of the lodge and the lack of acceptance from Aiden and Mia begin to take destructive tolls on her.

Martell and McHugh are just as strong as two children who are trying to get through the loss of their mom and being stranded with a well-meaning, but enigmatic stranger.  They show the distress of losing a parent, while also presenting the understandable refusal of not wanting someone to take over the role of that deceased parent, and the way that Martell and McHugh are able to bring these emotional aspects to their performances and make it all look so genuine help to create an incendiary trio of characters with them and Keough that brings you into a twisted unraveling of sanity within the confines of their getaway home.

The screenplay by Franz, Fiala, and Sergio Casci has some intriguing parallels to that of Franz and Fiala’s 2015 horror film, “Goodnight Mommy.”  Both films have a limited cast; they take place in a secluded location; they deal with lookalikes (the film makes Keough and Stone look kind of similar); and they deal with two children who exhibit tensions with a maternal figure.  Despite these similarities, the writers are able to take their concept in a heart-pounding and disturbing new direction.  It plays with your expectations of what’s real and what’s not, and just when you think it’s going down a familiar route, Franz, Fiala, and Casci manage to toss you back into the unexpected.  And, although it may seem like at times that this film is trying to copy Ari Aster’s “Hereditary” with its motifs, “The Lodge” is able to overcome that because of the unique ways in which it attempts to trick your mind.

In addition to this, the screenwriters offer plenty time to establish the family and give us an idea of the troubles through which they were going before the events of the film.  And, we’re provided with just enough information about Grace to make us want to learn more, with the movie never revealing everything right away.  A decent portion of the movie’s first third has us seeing the family interact before they travel to the lodge, slowly setting up the tension that carries over to their vacation home and throws the characters’ lives into turmoil as their grieving turns into the need to survive.

The limited lighting from Thimios Bakatakis’ cinematography has us peering through and fearing the darkness of the lodge’s rooms and hallways.  And, between being shown the claustrophobic confines of the lodge and the intimidating expanse of the outside, we’re left reeling from a sense of hopelessness as Grace, Aiden, and Mia become more entangled in the horror that unfolds.

Just as Franz and Fiala accomplished with “Goodnight Mommy,” they’re able to construct superb sequences of tensions.  Similar to that movie, many of these are effectively low-key, carefully increasing the anxiety-inducing nature of the film, only to then bring us into a final 15 minutes that send you into a state of shock.  However, given how well this duo sets up the story, you’ll find yourself locked in “The Lodge” well before its startling conclusion.

Grade: A-

In an Office, Secrets Linger Behind Closed Doors

Julia Garner in "The Assistant"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Writer-director Kitty Green’s film, “The Assistant,” begins with Jane (Julia Garner) being driven to work when the sun isn’t even up yet.  Going into the office and not having anything the muffled sounds of the city, empty hallways, and droning of the florescent lights, Jane walks around the office, prepping it for the day, but looking as if she’s already defeated before that day even begins.  We’re not quite sure what her workday usually entails, but there’s obviously something going on.

This is a superb introduction to Green’s film, a chilling and searing drama whose power comes from its relevant subject matter and restrained, yet effective lead performance from Garner.

Jane is a college graduate who works in the Manhattan office of a film production company.  While she hasn’t worked there for long, she soon begins to suspect that there’s some sordid activity going on within the workplace.

Garner elicits a performance that shows Jane’s vulnerability in being in the oppressiveness of her job, but then shows a slowly rising resilience as her character begins to put clues together as to what’s been going on just a few feet from her desk.  Several times, we see Jane on the verge of possibly breaking down, but the way in which she displays signs of wanting to take matters into her own hands provides us with some hope that something might change.  There are times where we want her to have a chance to let out some pent-up emotion that she feels she can’t reveal in the office, to have herself be heard; but, when it doesn’t seem like there isn’t anyone who will listen to her, we want her hold those tears back so that she can maintain a steely resolve to do what needs to be done.  There’s a point in the movie where Jane says that she’s only been working at the company for a month and a half.  When we hear that, we have a hint of how, in that short span of time, she has gone through quite a bit that has made her feel uncomfortable, and the power of Garner’s performance has us feel that stomach-churning sense of not being taken seriously in a professional setting, especially at a time when a person needs to be heard and believed.

Just like Garner’s performance, the supporting cast does well in bringing you into the day-to-day operations of this office and giving you an idea of how these individuals interact with each.  The most memorable supporting character comes from Matthew Macfadyen, who plays a human resources rep at the production company.  He only has one scene, but it’s one of the film’s most-impactful, having him and Jane meet as she explains her suspicions pertaining to her boss.  Macfadyen presents his character as someone who seems to be understanding of Jane’s situation, only to then take on a more-hostile persona as he begins to discount the accusations that Jane brings to him, making this an unsettling and heartbreaking scene as Jane sees that the person who’s supposed to help her is against her.

Green’s screenplay tackles its subject matter by having the events of the movie take place over one day.  We see Jane going about her daily routines, and by approaching the story in this manner, we’re given the idea that nearly every day that Jane has worked in this office has unfolded in similar fashion.  Although the way in which the story is told may be straightforward, there are some nuances throughout that give the movie some of its depth.  Along with these subtleties, we have other factors that make us question what’s happening out of our sight.  Whether we hear a muffled conversation behind a door, or see a possibly incriminating act through an obscured window, we’re left wondering what’s happening at certain moments, which makes the story much more effective because this places us in Julia’s position of feeling uncertain of what’s going on, but having to go with our gut feeling that something isn’t right and must be addressed.

As a director, Green provides an aura of unease within the office, making us experience the emotionally cold conditions in which Jane has to work.  One aspect that helps to accomplish this is the film’s use of sound.  Except in the final scene, there isn’t any use of a score; so, instead, with most of the movie occurring inside the office, we’re pretty much just given the sounds of the workplace, which helps to heighten the sense of being in that environment.  With us being limited to just those sounds, the movie itself tends to be quiet, so we’re able to feel the full force of the words that are spoken, putting us on edge because of the tense conversations being the dominant sounds of the office.

If there’s a recent example of how effective the simplicity of closeups can be, it’s with Michael Latham’s cinematography, which Green uses to strengthen the sense of claustrophobia that Jane feels at always being scrutinized by her coworkers who keep their eyes on her to make sure that she does what’s expected of her.  With this, we’re placed alongside Jane in what appears to be an impending storm, where she must decide between doing what people want her to do, and what she believes must be done.

Despite its limited cast and setting, “The Assistant” utilizes everything that it has in order to present this timely story of workplace harassment, showing the actions that must be taken in order to expose the disturbing and festering secrets that are behind this topic.

Grade: A

Top 10 Movies That You Might Have Missed in 2019

Photo Credit: SiftPop.com

Check out my list on SiftPop.com!

Predictions for the 92nd Academy Awards

Best Supporting Actor: Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”; Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”; Al Pacino, “The Irishman”; Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”; Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Brad Pitt in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Will Win: Brad Pit, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” - This year is shaping up to be the third time that a Tarantino film scores a win in this category, this time for Pitt’s work as the stunt double to the star of a ‘60s television western, played by Leonardo DiCaprio.  Pitt has had a considerable amount of luck so far, winning Best Supporting Actor from multiple critics’ groups, the Critics’ Choice Awards, the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the BAFTAs (British Academy of Film and Television Arts), so it looks like he will be ending Oscar night with a win.  He might have played a stunt man in this film, but he will be front and center at the Dolby Theater.

Joe Pesci in "The Irishman"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Should Win: Joe Pesci, “The Irishman” - Pesci won in this category back in 1991 for his performance in Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas.”  In Scorsese’s latest film, Pesci provides an antitheses to his character in “Goodfellas,” playing a calm, but calculated crime boss who introduces truck driver Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) to the mafia lifestyle and molding him into a mobster.  Pesci has picked up several wins from critics’ groups, but he hasn’t had any wins at the major awards ceremonies.  Scorsese brought the out the best of Pesci’s talents in “Raging Bull” and “Goodfellas,” and he does it once again for this sprawling gangster epic.  Pesci was convinced to come out of retirement for this role, and given how astonishing he is, I hope he doesn’t decide to take another break anytime soon.

Best Supporting Actress: Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”; Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”; Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit”; Florence Pugh, “Little Women”; Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”

Laura Dern in "Marriage Story"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Will Win and Should Win: Laura Dern, “Marriage Story” - As the tireless divorce lawyer of Scarlett Johansson’s character, Nicole, Dern provides her role with a perfect balance of affability, charisma, and courtroom-battle readiness, and she looks like she had a lot of fun with the role.  She’s a character who understands Nicole’s situation, even if she might not grasp that Nicole still exhibits a sense of caring for her soon-to-be ex-husband, Charlie (Adam Driver).  Some of the best scenes of the film are those involving Dern, especially one later in the movie where she discusses the double standards of how mothers and fathers are perceived.  With multiple wins from critics’ groups and at the Critics’ Choice Awards, Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the BAFTAs, Dern winning an Oscar is a sure thing.

Best Actor: Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”; Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”; Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”; Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”; Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”

Joaquin Phoenix in "Joker"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Will Win and Should Win: Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker” - There wasn’t a performance in 2019 that rattled me quite as much as Phoenix’s masterful portrayal of the iconic comic-book villain in director Todd Philips’ unsettling, psychoanalytic origin story.  While Phoenix didn’t begin the awards season quite as strongly with the critics’ groups, he has picked up a lot of momentum with the awards shows, winning Best Actor at the Critics’ Choice Awards, the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the BAFTAs.  This is a performance that will pin your eyes to the screen, and what Phoenix accomplishes with the character isn't anything short of disturbing and unforgettable.

Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet”; Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”; Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”; Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”; Renée Zellweger, “Judy”

Renée Zellweger in "Judy"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Will Win and Should Win: Renée Zellweger, “Judy” - Zellweger’s performance as iconic actress Judy Garland was a case of making you feel like you’re actually watching the person whom the actress is portraying.  Between Zellweger’s appearance, physical movements, vocal cadences, and singing voice, especially a heartstring-tugging rendition of “Over the Rainbow” at the film’s end, Zellweger delivers a tribute that Garland deserves.  While Zellweger hasn’t been named Best Actress among many critics’ groups, she’s been dominating the awards shows, winning Best Actress at the Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the BAFTAs.  Zellweger hasn’t been nominated since winning Best Supporting Actress in 2004 for “Cold Mountain,” so this could very well have her returning to the stage on Oscar night.

Best Director: Bong Joon-ho, “Parasite”; Sam Mendes, “1917”; Todd Philips, “Joker”; Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”; Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Sam Mendes, director of "1917"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Will Win: Sam Mendes, “1917” - While Mendes might not be my personal pick for Best Director, there isn’t any denying the visceral impact that his World War I film leaves on the audience.  Through its brutal imagery, emotional performances, and appearance of being one long take, Mendes does whatever he can to immerse his audience in the horrors of war.  Although he hasn’t gained much attention from critics’ groups, Mendes won Best Director at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs, while tying with Bong at the Critics’ Choice Awards.  However, what seems to have sealed the deal for Mendes is his win for Outstanding Director-Feature Film from the Directors Guild of America Awards.  Mendes won in this category in 2000 for “American Beauty,” and it looks like the odds are in his favor for him winning his second Oscar for directing.

Bong Joon-ho, director of "Parasite"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Should Win: Bong Joon-ho, “Parasite” - While all of the nominees in this category provided wonderful work this past year, the filmmaking that Bong accomplishes with his dark-comedy thriller isn’t anything short of remarkable.  With a blisteringly original story involving a lower-class family slowly integrating themselves into an upper-class household, he jumps between genres without flaw, leaving us breathless in the movie’s unpredictability, offering a moviegoing experience unlike any other in 2019.  He perfects every aspect of the film to bring its narrative to life, and there isn’t any doubt that he will have you laugh, gasp, and keep your eyes wide open for the entirety of its runtime.  Bong has picked up many wins from critics’ groups and tied with Mendes at the Critics’ Choice Awards, and although it doesn’t look like he will win, I’m sure that no one will forget his direction for this cunning beast of a movie.

Best Picture: “1917”; “Ford v Ferrari”; “The Irishman”; “Jojo Rabbit”; “Joker”; “Little Women”; “Marriage Story”; “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”; “Parasite”

Dean-Charles Chapman (left) and George MacKay in "1917"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Will Win: “1917” - This is a tough Best Picture race to predict because “1917,” “The Irishman,” “Joker,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” and “Parasite” all have a potential shot at receiving the night’s top honor.  However, the movie that has the edge right now is “1917.”  Not only did it win Best Motion Picture - Drama at the Golden Globes and Best Picture at the BAFTAs, but it also won the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture, which is a pretty good indication of who will win Best Picture; the two awards matched up with the Academy’s Best Picture winner for 14 out of the last 20 years.  The film is both a technical and storytelling achievement, and with all of its previous wins, it has the edge to come out on top on Oscar night.

From left: Choi Woo-shik, Song Kang-ho, Jang Hye-jin,
and Park So-dam in "Parasite"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Should Win: “Parasite” - Bong Joon-ho’s film was, in my opinion, the best movie of the year, and seeing it win the Academy’s highest honor would be great to see.  However, what’s likely to happen is that the Academy will award Bong’s movie with Best International Feature Film, and then give Best Picture to another nominee, most likely “1917.”  As much as I like the other nominees, “Parasite” is such an incendiary and inventive concept that’s filled with surprises, terrific writing, timely themes, and performances that are both funny and heartbreaking.  This feels like a one-of-a-kind movie where pretty much every scene has something that catches you by surprise, but that doesn’t mean watching it a second time lessens the impact.  If anything, you’ll want to relive this movie in order to take in the thrills once again, and also to unpack what you might have missed the first time around.  Considering the amount of superb nominees that we have in the Best Picture race this year, it isn’t any small feat that “Parasite” stands above them.

Be sure to catch the 92nd Academy Awards on ABC on Sunday, February 9, at 8:00 p.m.

Between the Fabric and Pages of Fashion: A “Years Later” Review for The September Issue

Anna Wintour in "The September Issue"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com 

While I’m not knowledgeable of the fashion industry, director David Frankel’s 2006 comedy “The Devil Wears Prada” is a movie that I have to watch every time it’s on TV, even if it’s just for a few scenes, all because of the terrific performances from Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, as well as the view into the hectic nature of working for a fashion magazine.  Being a journalism major in college, seeing Hathaway’s character try to obtain a job in that field by starting out at a fashion magazine always drew me into her character’s journey.  It’s a movie that’s impossible to resist, as it not only focuses on the fashion industry, but also touches upon publishing and journalism.

Three years later, director R.J. Cutler gave audiences an up-close venture into the fashion industry with his fascinating 2009 documentary, “The September Issue,” in which he explores, in 2007, the intricacies that go into constructing the biggest issue of the year for Vogue magazine, all under the watchful eye of its editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. 

There’s a moment in the movie where Vogue publisher Tom Florio refers to Wintour as someone who’s “not inaccessible” to those whom to she doesn’t need to be accessible.  While that inaccessibility is present in this movie, it doesn’t hurt the documentary because it’s not strictly about her, but the magazine as a whole, and we do receive some details here and there about her life and family that offer us some picture as to how she became involved with fashion.  She remains a mystery to us because she’s also a mystery to several others who work in close proximity to her. 

Probably the moment where we’re given a just-scratching-the-surface, but still enticing insight to her thoughts is when she briefly mentions what her siblings to for work, and she describes that they see her profession as “amusing.”  Although Wintour shows a passion for her work, you’ll notice that she exhibits the smallest hint of her feeling self-conscious as to what others think of her.  It’s a quiet, yet telling couple of minutes that open up her inner feelings to the audience, if just for a little bit.

While we’re given some commentary from a few notable figures within the fashion industry, the individual from whom we receive the most behind-the-scenes information is former model turned Vogue creative director Grace Coddington.  Besides having her provide us with some intriguing details about her time as a model and her transition into working for esteemed fashion magazine, she talks a lot about what it’s like to work for Wintour.  After all of the time that she has spent collaborating with Wintour, we see that she has a lot of respect for the editor-in-chief.  However, we also see the downside that she experiences from working with Wintour.  As the September issue is in its final stages of preparation, Coddington displays a frustration over Wintour disagreeing with several of her ideas, but maintains a calmness because of how she acknowledges Wintour as being the top decision-maker and explaining how she still wouldn’t be working for Vogue if she didn’t love what she did.

In terms of how the magazine is put together, the film doesn’t go quite beyond what we would expect from this sort of topic, but it nevertheless offers an enjoyable glimpse into the world of fashion.  From the many people that it takes to put this magazine together, multiple photo shoots that have to take place, and the extensiveness to which the crew has to organize everything to have a proper flow when putting the issue together, we’re given a clue as to how many moving parts there are to make sure that the magazine suits Wintour’s liking and goes to the publisher on time.  We travel with the magazine staff through the halls and offices of Vogue, as well as the photo shoots in Paris and Rome, with the international travels helping to show the influences that such settings have on fashion.

Cutler is able to capture the tension of what it’s like to work for Vogue and have Wintour as your boss, making you think of one of those signs that says, “You don’t have to be crazy to work here, but it helps.”  It’s clear that it takes time to acclimate to the Vogue environment when working there, and everyone that’s interviewed seems to have become familiar with how to navigate their workspace and make sure that Wintour is pleased with their contributions to the magazine.  The interactions that we see between the staff members allows us to understand how they combine their talents in their specific area of fashion in order to do the best job that they can with the mammoth undertaking of getting this specific volume of Vogue out to readers.

Despite the movie not being quite as thick with the details as Vogue’s 840-page September 2007 issue (the movie only runs about 90 minutes), there’s still just enough that’s revealed within the frames of this fun foray into fashion.

Grade: A-