A New Golden Duo
May 20, 2016
The Nice Guys (2016).
D: Shane Black. DP: Phillippe Rousselot. W: Shane Black & Anthony Bagarozzi. Starring: Ryan Gosling/Russell Crowe/Angourie Rice/Margaret Qualley/Yaya DaCosta/Keith David/Matt Bomer/Lois Smith/Jack Kilmer/Kim Basinger.
This summer a new duo has joined the streets in an original story by action genre wiz kid and Lethal Weapon creator Shane Black. Also a co-writer and the director of Iron Man 3, Black returns to his roots so to speak with a witty film that has just the right amount of homage to 1970s action films to be fresh, but not overcooked.
Black finds his duo in Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. Not the most likely pairing, but believe me it works. Gosling plays Holland March, a weasel of a former detective who squeezes the most money out of every job he can. A single father to a 13 year old girl, Holly (Angourie Rice), his business is certainly paycheck to paycheck in more ways than one. During his investigation into the disappearance and death of a pornography actress he crosses hairs with Crowe’s Jackson Healy whose been charged with keeping men clear of Amelia Kuttner (Margaret Qualley). In the name of justice Healy throws his weight around for a living with plenty of middle aged machismo. Thrown together they soon realize the puzzle they are dealing with is a lot bigger than they knew.
Set in 1970s Los Angeles, The Nice Guys has a vigorous vintage feel in its construction as well as its trimmings. The credits and music grafts the 70s onto the Los Angeles skyline with its blinking yet homogeneous skyline that draws all sorts of characters into its bowels. The setting works to keep the investigation tools simple and humor brings lightness to a genre overlaid with one-liners and serious courage. Costume designer Kym Barrett (Jupiter Ascending, The Amazing Spider-Man) does not over do the period with Amelia’s flashy yellow gown a particular favorite along with Tally (Yaya Dacosta’s) jumpsuits and Afros. The production gets all its 70s weird out with one go at a Hollywood party that houses mermaids and contortionists.
This duo suffer from March’s excessive drinking and Healy’s inability to deduce anything from clues. The pairs chemistry drives the story rather than the other way around and each time Gosling appears with his caste arm ripped through another suit you have to chuckle. Crowe is a love-able brute here and keeps up with Gosling’s quieter mumbling. Neither actor brings shtick and perhaps this is because they both, for the most part, play serious roles. The script brings in the daughter Holly just enough to break the action and build protective tension between the men. Rice’s Holly is a clever and sassy kid who is a good sounding board for the duo and whose good instincts actually help the case. Maybe it’s time to bring back Harriet the Spy? Happy to see the female voice was not ignored in this film.
Black paces The Nice Guys exceptionally so that by the time you are ready it is over. He seems in command of the material and does not pull gags. Gosling in particular does well with his surprise delivery as he keeps surviving falls and mayhem. Now working on a revival of The Predator with the same producer, Joel Silver, it should be fun to see what Black brings up next. Here’s hoping another The Nice Guys comes our way as I sure hope to see Gosling saying ‘no’ like a child does when you take his toy. Granted he was about to get his arm broken, but it is still comedy gold.
Have not seen the trailer yet? Catch it here: The Nice Guys trailer
Your Dad’s New Favorite Movie
April 29, 2016
Taking pastiche and nostalgia to the extreme here is the new trailer for the upcoming flick The Nice Guys. A two handler with Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling the film is written and directed by Shane Black. This trailer gets a heavy 1970s retro treatment and is all around fabulous. The film hits theaters May 20.
The Nice Guys
A Cash Money Payoff
January 17, 2016
The Big Short (2016).
D: Adam McKay. DP: Barry Ackroyd. W: Charles Randolph & Adam McKay (Based on the book by Michael Lewis.) Starring: Christian Bale/Steve Carrell/Ryan Gosling/Brad Pitt/Marissa Tomei/Jeremy Strong/Hamish Linklater/Rafe Spall/Finn Wittrock/John Magaro/Max Greenfield/Billy Magnusson/Melissa Leo/Tracy Letts/Adepero Oduye.
Sandwiched between costume dramas and survival epics are a few films this award season based on large intricate real events. The Big Short is one of those and chronicles three different stories of the discovering of the housing market bubble that would lead to the financial crisis in America in 2008. A complicated system to even explain, The Big Short manages to be cynical, satirical, and directly engage its audience in understanding the bedrock of Wall Street.
Director Adam McKay, who wrote and directed both Anchorman films, received a gift from the Gods that his movie follows Martin Scorsese’s 2013 film, The Wolf of Wall Street. With the clear picture of a turned out Leonard DiCaprio in our minds as decrepit banker #85723 (number hypothetical), The Big Short can be self-aware that it is destabilizing a world just put on screen. In a delightfully silly, but helpful nod to Scorsese’s film Margot Robbie appears in a bathtub drinking champagne to explain to the audience some Wall Street jargon. These appearances of direct address to the audience are coupled with Ryan Gosling as banker Jared Vennett whose voice-over is sprinkled throughout the film. With dyed brown hair Gosling has a sickly orange glow to him and acts as a guide for the audience, a conceit that thankfully never gets overplayed.
In these ways McKay is in command of his material and plays with audience’s knowledge of the lifestyles of the rich and the famous. This includes music ques and the use of music videos to reiterate the complicity of media in the farce. Affirmations must also go to veteran female (!) editor Thelma Schoonmaker for a punchy style that isn’t overdone. In a fun twist she also edited The Wolf of Wall Street as the long standing editor for Scorsese. McKay’s vision was clearly deftly planned from the start.
McKay assembled a fine group of veterans to handle a wordy complicated script that does not ask for a tremendous emotional range. Rather Christian Bale’s Dr. Michael Burry is a subtle representation of a man whose brilliance does not necessarily compute to social skills. It is nice to see Bale in a produced down role, lacking capes and bellies galore. The center of the film however is Steve Carrell as hedge fund manger Mark Baum whose is the most emotionally conflicted character. This works because nearly everyone is so distracted with making money off of the destruction of American lives that his exhaustion and disgust plays true. Produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B he does his duty by showing up for a part in it, making sure to remind his young protege’s of where their profits come from.
The Big Short is based on Michael Lewis’ novel inspired by these events. His books also became 2011’s Moneyball and 2009’s The Blind Side so his track record is certainly enviable. In the impending Oscar race this film is hard to compare to treacherously emotional journeys of other entries, but ultimately is a clever and investigative piece of filmmaking. The use of flickering images and cash money rap songs around sequences of characters walking through empty homes abandoned by their broke families sends chills. As I left the theater it was heard not to hear Polonius saying “neither a borrower nor a lender be” and not rush home to put my money under my mattress.
Where The Money Is
September 22, 2015
Just announced as the closing film of AFI Fest 2015, The Big Short is an adaptation of the Michael Lewis novel. Lewis also penned the novels of The Blind Side and Moneyball, both films which made money and received critical attention. The film stars Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, and Brad Pitt among a slew of other names. Following the bank crash in the US a few years ago, the film will be released at the end of the year. Will it be a contender?
The Big Short
Get in and go…TO THE MOVIES
September 23, 2011
Drive (2011).
D: Nicolas Winding Refn. DP: Newton Thomas Sigel. W: Hossein Amini (based on the book by James Sallis). Starring: Ryan Gosling/Carey Mulligan/Bryan Cranston/Christina Hendricks/Albert Brooks/Oscar Isaac/Ron Pearlman/Kaden Leos.
This fall film season has now seen its first big independent hit with Drive. It’s star, Ryan Gosling, has already been seen this year in the summer comedy, Crazy Stupid Love and has another film, Ides of March, out later this fall. Can you handle the Gosling fever?
Drive rests nearly entirely on Gosling’s shoulders as his turn as the Driver (he’s so mysterious he doesn’t have a name) carries the whole project. Luckily for audiences Gosling’s usual slicked hair, sexy bravado, and goofy grin are coupled with a weighted performance that never reveals all that there is to his character. Rather as the film reaches its crescendo, Gosling pulls back layers and gives the film the strong thread it needs to succeed.
The weight in Gosling also forces the story of Drive to never feel too simple or its construct over stylized. His Driver soon meets Irene (Carey Mulligan) whose literally the girl in the apartment down the hall and befriends her and her son Benicio (Kaden Leos). It only gets complicated when Mulligan’s spouse played by Oscar Isaac turns up later on while Gosling’s stunt driving career (moonlighting as a getaway driver) might lead to a race car driving one. Yet none of these other actors can really pull focus from Gosling, whose bigger picture motivations are never actually revealed or relevant. However, Bryan Cranston makes a nice turn as Gosling’s boss/fellow car junkie.
Stylistically, Drive is the most memorable film of the year so far. It commits to its Los Angeles location and the image of the western lone ranger, now late night driver doing his best to get by and disappear. Even better is the contrasting use of music and silence. This allows the music to be delivered so deliberately that it enhances the visuals its coupled with. And therefore also allows the minutes and sequences without background noise to feel raw and stripped, allowing Gosling’s glove squeaking or the clock of a gun to contribute to a scene rather than be lost in it. This clear visual choices for the film are also in a nice balance with Gosling and the other actors’ performances. Whereas normally scenes might feel underplayed and a bit slow, you instantly forgive that since it is in such stark contrast to the music, the editing, and eventually, the distinct and unforgiving uses of violence.
Ultimately, the most impressive thing about Drive is its clarity of vision and use of style to tell a specific story. Although the scenes of violence might not be for all audiences, they are necessary and integral to the story. And who does not expect a bit of violence in a story about a man who crashes cars for a living? Yes, maybe not this level, but is exactly what Drive is. Nothing you expect and everything you want at the same time. All set to a soundtrack that will be played in cars all fall.
This is Funny…
August 5, 2011
Crazy Stupid Love (2011).
D: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa. DP: Andrew Dunn. W: Dan Fogelman. Starring: Steve Carell/Ryan Gosling/Julianne Moore/Emma Stone/Marisa Tomei/Analeigh Tipton/Jonah Bobo/Joey King/Kevin Bacon/Josh Groban.
Although considered another entry in the rom-com category for the year, Crazy Stupid Love actually holds its own and gives audiences an engaging, balanced, relationship driven comedy.
The film opens with Steve Carell’s Cal being told by his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore) that she wants her dessert a la a divorce. Visibly distraught and in shock, Carell later pitches himself out of their moving car and gives into Moore’s request. The rest of the film chronicles Carell’s messy journey to discover what went wrong in this relationship and build an identity that allows him to fight for what he wants. Carell ultimately grounds the film and provides the thread through which audiences experience the ups and downs of relationships. Currently the king of likable comedy, Carell is the perfect blend of apathy, normalcy, and humor all in one. Moore is a good screen partner for him, but the laughs are with her screen husband.
Yet what really works to the film’s benefit is its structure. Carell maybe be the main storyline, but the film also follows his son Robbie (Bobo), whose crush on his babysitter (Analeigh Tipton) is not only complicated, but charming. The film also spends sometime with Moore and young lawyer-to-be Hannah, played by Emma Stone. Stone’s scenes are some of the best, and although rail thin now her husky voice and delivery marks her as a great real young comedic talent. Her best scenes are with slick dynamo Jacob (Ryan Gosling). Gosling’s main relationship in Crazy Stupid Love though is with Carell. He “humbly” takes Carell under his wing and teaches him the ins and outs of picking up women (and getting laid). What is memorable about Gosling’s take on Jacob is that he never takes himself too seriously and allows the slick bravado to come from a real place that never feels pastiche or forced. And ladies, he’s not too bad to look at either.
The success of the film is ultimately due to Dan Fogelman’s script. Having enjoyed last years, Tangled, it is only surprising that a heavily Disney/animated screenwriter can give us something so strong and enjoyable. My only critique is that it does lose a bit of steam, but is able to end well and everyone leaves happy. Fogelman clearly represents talent that can cross genres and I only hope he does not get locked in anywhere, especially in the rom-com category.