BROTHERS BY BLOOD

Matthias Schoenaerts     Joel Kinnaman     Maika Monroe

 

     Peter (Schoenaerts) and Michael (Kinnaman) are certainly brothers by blood (and it could be brothers inblood), because not much else connects them.  They are very different people with different values.  We see them growing up in Philadelphia in families involved in gangs and crime.  Peter is the logical one, trying desperately—all his life—to escape the violence surrounding him.  Michael insists on continuing the wars that have gone on for generations. Peter gets him out of many risky situations, but he seems to be determined to act out the family’s penchant for the macho code.  The “brothers” are actually cousins.

Writer-director Jeremie Guez is considered a prize-winning writer of French noir stories of crime and intrigue.  The dialog he writes is terse and his plots are dark with a heavy emphasis on masculine stereotypes.  Brothers by Blood (originally titled The Sound of Philadelphia) is based on Pete Dexter’s novel Brotherly Love (1991).

     The film is not an easy watch; it begins with a man relating a story about his prostate exam, followed by scenes of a crime showing wrecked cars, dead bodies, and police, all while credits roll.  In addition to these opening scenes that tell us little, overall. a major flaw in terms of storytelling is the darkness of the screen shots making it very hard to see what is transpiring, the absence of connections that will use the scenes you see to tell a logical story, and the introduction of characters who are not identified.  Much of this you have to figure out yourself perhaps many scenes later. An example is the sudden appearance of a small boy taking in the action around him, but it’s only later that you realize he is part of the main character’s reminiscences about his earlier life. 

     Matthias Schoenaerts is one of my favorite actors and the main reason I wanted to see this film.  He and Joel Kinnaman are indeed very good in portraying their characters as written.  But Peter is often portrayed as a Christ-like figure who is long-suffering and ever forgiving, making if difficult for me to appreciate his role, given this kind of movie.  But, at least, one of the ending scenes made me feel better about him.

     This is a movie that will appeal primarily to those fond of macho crime films without much character development or attempts to clarify the make-up of the main characters.   Because I found little of it to be constructive or worthwhile, I cannot recommend it to most.

 

A film noir made primarily for those seeking the thrill of blood and witnessing the crime system in a major city.

 

Grade:  D                                  By Donna R. Copeland

THE MUSTANG

Matthias Schoenaerts     Bruce Dern     Gideon Adlon     Connie Britton     Jason Mitchell     Josh Stewart

     This is Director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s first feature film, co-written with Mona Fastvold and Brock Norman Brock.  She has had a long acting career (including being in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), and after she became interested in animal therapy for prisoners, she visited prisons and attended film laboratories at Sundance for advice and consultation in making the film.  This was not only to understand the process of the therapy, but also to see first-hand actual prisoners who are incarcerated.

     Cinematography by Ruben Impers (Beautiful Boy) is impressive right away in landscape shots of wild mustang horses on the prairie being herded by a helicopter into prison corrals where they will be tamed by prisoners.  It’s meant to be a dual process of both the horse and the prisoner learning how to contain negative emotions and express positive ones.  The latter is demonstrated so beautifully in one tender moment between Roman Coleman (Schoenaerts) and his horse Marcus after numerous out-of-control scenes.

     When we first meet Roman he is almost entirely non-communicative; he’s been in prison 12 years, in and out of isolation, and after some sessions with the psychologist (Britton), he is assigned to an “outdoor maintenance program”—literally shoveling horse s---.  Advocating for himself is completely foreign to him.  While working at that job, he keeps noticing a mustang kicking against the enclosure it’s in (no doubt expressing what he himself feels), he walks over and begins to bond with the horse.  When the chief trainer (Dern) observes this (he’s already had a few hostile encounters with Roman), he decides that this man and this horse are meant to be a pair, and suddenly Roman is in animal therapy.

     Parallel story lines help maintain fascination and suspense in the prison setting related to one of the trainers (Henry played by Mitchell), an affable black man who is successful in undercutting some of Roman’s hostility with gentle teasing, and Roman’s roommate, Dan (Stewart).  These are woven together well with the main story line, adding depth and scope to the tale.

     I liked pacing in The Mustang in giving the viewer time to get to know the characters and absorb the import of it, but revving up the tension and excitement from time to time, keeping you on the edge of your seat.  It is also a film that can be instructive in showing the commonalities between humans and animals and demonstrating the effectiveness of rehabilitative therapy training/for both. One tiny drawback that I saw was the filmmakers not showing the inevitable pain prisoners experience when they must inevitably part.  This is shown to some extent, but not as much as (to me) it is warranted.

An uplifting and inspiring film for just about everyone, with a powerful performance by Schoenaerts.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

RED SPARROW

Jennifer Lawrence     Joel Edgerton     Matthias Schoenaerts     Charlotte Rampling

Mary-Louise Parker     Jeremy Irons

      A spy story can be a perfect thriller, especially when double-dealing is a part of it.  Red Sparrow refers to a Russian intelligence operation that trained young recruits how to extract information from targets by engaging them, giving them what they want, and gradually building trust. 

     The problem here is that young Dominika (Lawrence) a Bolshoi ballet dancer, has her career abruptly curtailed when her leg is injured permanently.  Dominika is desperate now, because the Boishoi pays for her rent and her mother’s medical care.  Forthwith, her Uncle Vanya (Schoenaerts) offers her a role in the Russian state security, where he has a high position.  “There are no accidents”, he declares ominously, making you wonder how Dominika’s leg injury came about.  He is frank about the kind of commitment it will take on her part, and reminds her that she doesn’t really have other prospects for taking care of herself and her mother.

     Vanya initially gives her a cryptic assignment, where she does very well; however, there is another agenda of which she is unaware.  She is very successful until…  Now, she has witnessed something that makes her dangerous, which gives Vanya additional leverage, which he uses by having her enroll in a special training program on the psychological manipulation of others.  Here, she is advised on principles such as to “forget sentimental morality”, given instruction about guns and shooting, and picking locks.  “Innure yourself to what you find repellant.”  “Learn to love on command.” Basically, the ends justify whatever means they need to use. 

     This is a time when the Cold War between the U.S. and Russia is still continuing.  On the American side, one of its CIA agents makes an error in judgment, and is sent home from Moscow.  Nash (Edgerton) is a dedicated operative who has spent years cultivating a source.  His burning desire to get back in the field is to hold onto this source, who won’t talk to anyone else. 

     One of the delightful intrigues in this film is to see how each side has more than an inkling as to what the other side is doing.  This means, of course, that Dominika and Nash will cross paths.  But I won’t give any spoilers as to how and how many times this comes about, but it is one of the most entertaining aspects of the film.

     Francis Lawrence has directed the Red Sparrow in an optimal way for this type of film, in which the viewer is challenged to figure out what is going on at every step, even to the ending of the story.  I think the standout actor is Schoenaerts, who has an uncanny resemblance to Vladimir Putin, which is enhanced by the actor’s skill in portraying Putin’s mannerisms and persuasive ways of reasoning.  He can be truly intimidating and terrifying.  Jennifer Lawrence and Joel Edgerton are skilled actors who always bring their characters to life, but in this instance, charisma between the two was slightly amiss.  Of course, Charlotte Rampling as the “Matron” is intimidating and precise in her dispassionate “teach by the book” approach to training in unorthodox(?) techniques.  Additional supporting actors who enhance the quality of the film include Jeremy Irons and Ciarán Hinds as Russian security agents, Joely Richardson as Dominika’s mother, and Mary-Louise Parker as an informer.

     This is a spy story that will not disappoint.  I have an objection to the level of violence and torture portrayed (from which everyone seems to recover miraculously), and wish that filmmakers would see that it is not really necessary.

A spy’s creed:  “Everyone is a puzzle of need.  Give him what he wants, and he will be yours.”

Grade:  B+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE DANISH GIRL

Eddie Redmayne     Alicia Vikander     Matthias Schoenaerts     Ben Whishaw

          The Danish Girl is a remarkable account of the transgender experience, not only from the subject’s point of view but for those close to him/her as well.  David Ebershoff’s book on which the film is based is a fictionalized account that used a transgender person’s diary for inspiration.  In the hands of screenwriter Lucinda Coxon and director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) and their fellow filmmakers, the drama blossoms into a visually beautiful, lyrical production with emotional realism and depth. 

         A young Danish couple, Einar (Redmayne) and Gerda (Vikander) (immeasurably more attractive than their names!), are both painters, she of portraits and he of landscapes.  He is better known, partly because this is in the 1920’s when women were “not supposed” to be painters.  They are obviously in love and playful with one another, and in one of their games, they dress him up as a woman to pose for her portraits.  It turns out that he revels in the feel of the fabric, moving like a woman, and calling himself Lili.  He shrinks from art shows; but once, for fun, they dress him up as a woman to attend a benefit, and he is hit upon by Henrik (Whishaw) who tries to kiss him. 

        The problem is that he so enjoys his “woman-ness” he goes into an identity crisis, starts dressing like a woman frequently at home, and it begins to affect his relationship with Gerda.  Eventually he realizes that he has always been female on the inside.

          One of the strengths of the film is that Gerda is not shown to freak out in response to these changes, but is genuinely troubled because she loves Einar.  And her love is the kind we always seek—one that flexes with change and sees into the soul of the other person.  She sticks by him throughout his major decisions while still giving him room to explore, and she eventually accepts him as Lili.  “We have to let Einer go”, Lili advises her at a sensitive moment, and she does.

         Redmayne is as good at playing a woman as he was in playing Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, for which he won an Oscar earlier this year.  Vikander is bursting on the Hollywood scene with premium and very diverse performances in Ex Machina, Testament of Youth, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Burnt—all this year!  Both Schoenaerts and Whishaw contribute to the quality of the film in their supporting roles. 

         Danny Cohen’s cinematography and Alexandre Desplat’s music play essential roles in making this a top-notch film.  The beginning and ending scenes of the Danish fiords are redolent with nostalgia and longing, and Cohen’s capturing Lili’s sensual qualities are palpable.  He has received awards from the American Academy, BAFTA, and the Golden Globes for his work in The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Painted Veil and The King’s Speech along with numerous nominations for other films.  Desplat’s compositions always seems to capture the mood and essence of the films he scores, most notably, The Imitation Game, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Philomena, and he does it again in The Danish Girl.

A film to help you understand and marvel at the power of love.

Grade:  A                                                   By Donna R. Copeland

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

--> Carey Mullligan     Matthias Schoenaerts     Michael Sheen     Tom Sturridge     Jessica Barden     Juno Temple

-->

            “It’s my intention to astonish you all”, announces the heroine in Far from the Madding Crowd to her newly hired farm hands.  And Bathsheba (Mulligan) does just that in the rest of the film based on Thomas Hardy’s classic novel.  In the artful hands of Director Thomas Vinterberg, and screenwriter David Nicholls, the movie lives up to standards of the dogme95 manifesto in which Vinterberg and Lars von Trier stood up for artistry by reacting to the big studios’ emphasis on action films with overloaded special effects and other technological advances.  Now, it is ironic that Vinterberg’s film is being released almost simultaneously as The Avengers:  Age of Ultron, and, sadly, the masses are flocking to the action film.

            Gratifying to many of us wanting to see more comprehensive—and realistic—portrayals of women in films, Bathsheba appears to us as one who values her independence, wants to compete with men on their own terms, and is sensible in wanting to know as much about her business as possible.  Despite this, she is a woman of her time (turn of the century), and a complex mixture of intelligence, assertiveness, and naïveté.  Her teasing and the variability of her affections make her even more alluring to the men around her.

            Three men rush to woo her and make her his own, promising her devotion and caring for the rest of her life.  First is Gabriel, the level headed neighbor farmer who ends up being in her employ; second is the well-to-do neighbor farmer, Boldwood (Sheen); and then Sergeant Troy (Sturridge), a handsome man and a master of swordsmanship, who sweeps her off her feet despite warnings about him from Gabriel.  High drama ensues with all the characters, and Bathsheba will undergo many trials.  These episodes have tinges of both drama and comedy, and we appreciate once again Hardy’s understanding of human nature.

            It’s wonderful to see Carey Mulligan ace this complex role with glittering, sometimes contradictory, facets to her personality.  Matthias Schoenaerts is a perfect contrast/counterpart for her, and the electricity between them really zings at times until she highhandedly puts him in his place.  He never wavers, however, in his loyalty to her.  Michael Sheen is a standout particularly in one scene where Boldwood confides to Gabriel his complete adoration and love for Bathsheba, and at the same time acknowledges her lack of passion for him, along with the astute observation of Gabriel’s and Bathsheba’s hidden attraction.  Tom Sturridge is dashing as a military officer, and easily slips into the posturing of a weak man using foolish means to underscore his masculinity.

            Thomas Vinterberg has once again directed a stellar cast in an absorbing and thoughtful story about thoroughly human characters with traits familiar to all of us. 

A refreshing visit into classical literature.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland