The Searchers Review

You may have noticed that I’m talking about genres this month instead of a director that I’ll be spotlighting. Well, I have got a director to talk about in the summer. For now, I’ve decided to talk about another genre. This one seems to be part of a bygone era. While not eliminated since there’s some semblance of Westerns coming out. At the time, they were uniquely American and managed to showcase some talent and scenery. While this isn’t a condensed history of the genre, but something where this is the greatest hits or entry level to get into. 

1. Ethan’s Search

        When I was young, my first exposure to the genre was passively watching some westerns that my dad was viewing. One of them happened to be Tombstone. It would be years later when I was in university where in the intro to film studies class, my professor had us watch this film. It’s always a thing where you watch the movie but you must pay attention at the details so that the professor knows that you’re keeping up with her in the lecture. Time’s passed and after further viewings it has become my favorite. Maybe it’s a thing where you don’t appreciate something when you’re studying but do when you’ve finally got the time and won’t be quizzed. 

        Anyways, this film is amazing, what can I tell you. We follow Ethan Edwards as he’s coming back from serving in the Civil War. We see his family welcome him but is alarmed that his family has adopted a Native American named Martin. He soon assists the local Texas Rangers to investigate cattle theft, unbeknownst to them that it was a red herring. The family homestead had been raided as Ethan and Martin go on to search the kidnapped niece. 

        The whole film is straightforward as we see as John Wayne portrays Ethan. Now, Ethan is a very complex character from the time he’s introduced and in the entirety of the film. What makes him interesting is that he’s the odd one out when he returns to his existing family. For one thing there’s a level of mystique about him where there’s a lot that we don’t know about him. Obviously, it’s established that he was a Confederate and has certain knowledge about the Native Americans. One moment adds to the mystery about him. 

        Just prior to when the Rangers take off, we see a moment where Ethan’s sister-in-law is tending to his old military jacket. She caresses it and hugs it, implying that she had feelings for Ethan and is glad that he returned. There are even theories that have been circulating where the reason why Ethan is obsessive with the search for his niece is that she is his daughter. And I’m glad that it’s left entirely vague since it gives Ethan an aura of mystery as he isn’t to be trusted. It’s established that he stole gold coins, and he scoffs at the Texas Rangers’ captain request to join them. 

        I can go on about Wayne’s performance as the secondary characters make the film even more epic ensemble wise. Along with Ethan, Martin is the only company that follows him as they try to search for his stepsister. The moments between them are almost like an odd couple thing where Ethan doesn’t want to put up with Martin, while he wants to prove to him that he’s worthy of joining him. The duo practically makes the movie worthwhile and highlights Ethan’s utter disdain for the Natives. 

        One more thing before I talk about the director, I know that with the topic of Native Americans that is being presented in the film. We see them as savages and of course, the whole film is a product of the time. I’m defending the film through its merits and with its representation being questionable I feel that I must acknowledge it. The film is based on a story which in itself is based on actual events. What matters is that knowing that how the film went about casting the Natives is wrong then and is wrong now. Ignoring it is to pretend that there wasn’t an issue to begin with and should be discussed and not condemned. 

2. John Ford

        This is the first film that I’ve seen that bears the director’s name. One could even say that he’s one of the most influential American directors during the Golden Age of Hollywood. More so that he even helped elevate the Western to what it mainly is just by cultural osmosis. With how he shot the film, it practically requires to be seen on the biggest HD or 4K TV screen that you can find. Nowadays, depending on the film it mostly looks the same since any movie can be shot either digitally or through film stock. 

        With how the film is presented in the frontier just looks gorgeous. For a film that is approximately 60 years old, the fact that it influenced more films later is more of a tribute than an homage. I just love how Ford captured the whole shot, to me it feels more epic since the whole area is so expansive where the action is just a blip when taking it. I think the best moments is when the horse chase happens and in the shootouts is when we see the full scope. Part of the shots are closeups, but we see the long shots of the horsemen giving chase to showcase Monument Valley. 

        And when you watch it, there are moments where it’s a dead giveaway that it’s a closed set. It’s almost stark when we see a grand vista and then transition to a closed set with fake snow raining down. It almost, slightly ruins the immersion that the filmmakers couldn’t fly or go somewhere where it was legitimately snowing. Beyond that, I just adore how Ford conducts the whole thing without being artsy. I feel as though with his experience in filmmaking, he conducts everything as a feeling instead of intent. Which is what I would think since he prefers it as a job than having to explain everything through some visual symbolism. 

3. Legacy and Influence

        There’s no other way to further highlight the film in a positive light. I mean, here I am talking about it for a new generation to enjoy and to really marvel how it looks. To me, I feel that it rightly deserves the title as being the best Western film of all time. With the characterization and the cinematography, it’s clear that the film has been influenced as the century progressed. Little did I know that when Ethan sees the homestead on fire, it inspired George Lucas to pay homage to that moment when Luke sees his homestead on fire in Star Wars. 

        I think the most surprising thing about it is that influenced the filming of Lawrence of Arabia. Apparently, Lawrence’s director David Lean had repeatedly watched the film to give him the inspiration of how to do the scope of it. I can immediately see it as rewatching The Searchers, there’s moments that easily capture moments involving the dunes and the characters in them. And it only proved logical that Lawrence influenced Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films since they have the same epic scope to them. It’s basically chain of film influences that only seem to be getting longer. 

4. Overall

        The Searchers is one of the best films of the 50s, the premier Western film and one of the best films that I’ve seen of all time. 

Poor Things Review

        I’ve decided to pick this film to wrap up my look into Searchlight Pictures. Starting back during the start of the new decade, Disney decided to drop the Fox label on their recent studio acquisitions of 20th Century and for the company in question. Their reason is that they didn’t want any brand confusion with Fox News. Albeit I think it’s a sly way to not associate themselves with the conservative network and have the baggage. With that, this film is I think the next evolution for the studio to embrace a new kind of big budget indies.

1. Bella’s Odd Journey

        I think of all the film’s that I’ve covered so far involving the studio, this is by far the strangest and sort of unorthodox film that I’ve seen. I think what made me second guess is that it was a huge swing from Searchlight that I’d assume it was their attempt to imitate A24’s style of films. Just how it looked reminded me of something I watched back in the mid-2010s. While I’ll get to the production, this is a unique film that is at its core about woman’s independence. 

        Based on the book of the same name by author Alasdair Gray, the film is about Bella Baxter who is a young woman who has been brought back to life via a brain implant. That’s barely scratching the surface with this one, since there’s a lot that goes on with the film. While it’s not that complicated to follow, since we follow Bella as she grows and matures. Although, having the same body but having a brain like a toddler. I’m pretty sure I’ve lost any potential readers due to the strange plot. 

        It's interesting watching Emma Stone perform in this role. At the time, I mostly associated with her with doing mainstream roles. From Easy A to La La Land, she became the new female lead, especially with winning an Oscar with the latter film. I think with any actor or actress, they have a phase where they want to divert from their mainstream output with something where they want to be artsy. The only example I can think of is Robert Pattinson, from Twilight to appear in a film where there’s multiple copies of himself. I believe that it’s a unique way to diversify their range as far as acting. 

        Back to what I was talking about. In a way, this is sort of like a unique take on the story of Frankenstein’s monster. Where we see Bella being experimented on and inevitably having independence as a creature created by science. There’s never a moment when she goes on a rampage, but one where we see her slowly gaining enough intellect where she’s defying societal norms. It’s interesting where her intellect and curiosity is mostly derived from her creator Dr. Baxter. To the point where she basically is curious enough to see what the world is like. 

        Although, when it comes to her curiosity, she attracts some men in her life who only love her to control her. Part of the highlight when it comes to the film is seeing her interact with the different men in her life. Willem Dafoe does a good job with being the Dr. as he’s the father figure to Bella. And speaking of men, Mark Ruffalo just hams it up with his accent as he portrays Duncan. He mostly seduces Bella to be his wife but is mostly vexed by her unorthodox personality. The scene I think represents it is when they’re dancing at a hotel. Bella dances to the music as Duncan joins her

2. Yorgos Lanthimos 

        To be honest, this is the first movie that I’ve seen of the director. Years prior, I remember seeing ads to one of his movies called The Lobster with Collin Ferrel as the lead. From there, I wasn’t into the weird cinema since my head was stuck with the mainstream stuff and watching assigned films that I had to be discussed in my film classes. With how everything is presented in this film, from the location title cards to the film’s distinctive look, it’s clear that only Lanthimos can pull off the visual aesthetic. 

        There’s a limit to how weird a director can go to the point where the abstract can be a film’s detriment since it takes away with what’s going in the central story. This isn’t David Lynch with how weird his films are and it’s up to the viewer’s taste. With how Yorgos shows the Victorian era in his own way, I feel that it’s very hyper stylized to the point where one can say it’s gothic but maybe Hyper-Gothic is sufficed. With the costumes and everything about the world gives it’s own sense of weirdness where it’s legible. 

3. "Barbie"

        It’s surprising that I haven’t dedicated a month where I talk about the copycat films. What those are is when two films have near identical plots but the only thing different about them is the title of the individual movies. The easiest examples is when DreamWorks released Antz and Disney/Pixar released A Bug’s Life, both center on insects as the ant is the main character. What I’m getting at is during 2023, Barbie the movie was everywhere as far as the public consciousness while Poor Things came out near the end of the year. 

        Both films deal with the main character figuring out who they are as they are exposed to a world that is male dominated and having a figure that tries to win their affection respectively. Having watched both films, since I wanted in on the Barbenheimer craze since I wanted to know what the hub bub was for the Barbie movie. I feel that when you put the film together, it’s clear in my mind that Poor Things is the more ambitious film as far as having the main character gain her own independence.

        Mind you, Barbie is a great film in its own regard. Although, I feel that where it falls short is the ham-fisted message that of course lies in with the toy that has been beloved by generations. Now, a movie based on a book and a toy is mostly like this. A book adaptation can go in any direction that the author couldn’t and a film based on a toy can’t quite be progressive and evocative since it’s mostly confined to being a toy. It’s a product where the only real difference it can make is mostly through the dollars that Mattel can conjure up. Maybe someday I’ll talk about Barbie, but when comparing the two. Poor Things is superior when talking about independence. 

4. Overall

        Poor Things is one of the best films of the 2020s and one of Searchlight’s best film of the decade so far. 

Jojo Rabbit Review

        We’re halfway through with my opinionated greatest hits of Fox Searchlight Pictures. From Whip It and in this film, the studio has become a critical darling by gaining multiple accolades and earning multiple wins at the Oscars. During the 2010s, other studios popped up to be the competition for Fox Searchlight. You have Neon and A24 who have taken a stab with their films that have an indie feel to them but with a moderate budget. I didn’t know what to expect with this film when it premiered in 2019, and it only took two years later to finally sit down and watch it.

1. Jojo’s Bizarre Adolescence

        Like most things, I was not aware that the film was based on a book titled “Caging Skies”. And when I say based on, I mean like a loose adaptation since the book has some heavy material and it only made sense for a comedic director to try to imbue a sense of irony and satirization. Crazy to think that this film was stuck in development hell. Meaning that, this niche idea was practically laid dormant since the director wrote the screenplay of it. With the material that was in it made it be deemed unfilmable due to just how odd it is. 

        I’ve already talked about Taika Waititi last year when I discussed his entry into the MCU with Thor: Ragnarök. I feel that with the unexpected success of that film, Disney basically gave him a carte blanche of doing whatever the hell he wanted as his next film. It only made sense that he would bring this concept up and make it his own. I think it’s almost risky to try to have any sense of comedy when dealing with Nazism. Like, only Waititi and Mel Brooks managed to have the talent to show off the comedy of a fascistic force such as the Nazis. 

        Anyways, we follow the main character as he’s part of the Hitler Youth Organization. Taking place during the final years of Nazi Germany’s existence, Jojo is a brainwashed kid who has an imaginary friend that is modeled after Hitler. Stay with me for a moment. After an incident at the camp, Jojo is sent home and uncovers a secret that his mother has been keeping. 

        I’ll talk about that final tidbit in a moment. I love how the film is mostly focused on Jojo’s point of view of how he sees things. He’s a kid and is heavily indoctrinated to the point where his own mother is aloof to it. Roman Griffin Davis does a great job playing Jojo. I like how he’s not just a miscreant but a boy who thinks what’s right is the dominant might of the Nazis. He wants to be tough but is a big softie when the moment arrives to show his supposed strength. And I like how he has a group of people that practically represent his whole worldview. 

        For instance, the supporting characters aren’t just relegated to the background and have a lot to do when they encounter Jojo. I think how they’re used to show Jojo how the world he lives in is and one where it’s his preferred vision. To start off, I love how it’s a contrast. We see Captain K and Jojo’s imaginary Hitler. Both show that the captain is miserable and imaginary Hitler is a wacky overzealous person. Jojo’s mother on the other hand, is not like the others since she’s the only positive person in his life. I love how she has this sense of positivity and how she’s basically attempting to have Jojo look at the world in a different light. 

        Since I brought up imaginary Hitler, I should at least elaborate on that. It’s a thing I’ve noticed with watching a select Waititi films where he does the double duty of acting and directing. His role as Hitler is just hilarious with how he has that childlike attitude as Jojo. Although, I like how he’s not just friendly but also becomes devious with how he wants Jojo to continue being hateful. To continue with that duality thread I talked about, both Jojo’s mom and imaginary friend helps him get an understanding of what’s going on with his world. And it all comes to head when he meets with a girl that his mother hides. 

        Elsa is probably my second favorite character in the movie that puts up with Jojo’s jingoistic tomfoolery. I love how when she’s first revealed, it’s like a horror film where Jojo is scared and when she exits the secret room, her hand grips the wall like a monster. The chemistry between the two young leads is great since Jojo is disgusted by her but is curious about her since he starts to develop feelings for her. Inevitably, it gets to a point where she is interrogated by the gestapo and it gets really tense when Jojo’s camp counselor interrogates her. 

2. Growing Up

        With everything that I’ve discussed, you would think that the whole movie is a hard sell due to what it’s about and the subject matter as far as it’s setting. To me, at the core of it is about a boy realizing what he believes and growing up in a place that is oppressive. It’s a unique spin on the coming-of-age story. One of those stories where we follow someone who is young and then gain or see things that change them into a mature person. Something like this is interesting since it’s revolutionary to have someone be jingoistic and grow out of it. 

        More so that, since the film is a comedy, it had to show the idiocy of Nazi Germany. We see just how idiotic and stupid the whole methodology of the “Heil Hitler” was with a sense of irony. All of it played for laughs which at hindsight is practically funny seeing how they conducted themselves. One thing that I will commend is that since we did see what happened to the dissidents. The moment when Jojo sees what happened to his mother is just shocking, seeing how he was at peace and having it just destroyed him.

        Lastly, I never would’ve imagined that this film would be a beloved film in 2019. More so that I’d couldn’t even think that it would win an Academy Award and be nominated for Best Picture.  I feel that it’s more relevant with what’s going on but uses the past to make a point about growing up. This is probably Waititi’s best film that I’ve seen so far and I’ll give credit to Disney for ultimately green lighting the film to be made. Had anyone else made it, I don’t think it would be talked about as a classic, but an oddity.

3. Overall

        Jojo Rabbit is one of the best films of the late 2010s and I think one of Fox Searchlight’s finest. 

Whip It Review

        My look into select Searchlight Pictures films continues. This one is interesting in that it’s a sports movie but has that indie feel to it. What I mean by that is that it doesn’t focus on a team per say, but one of those films that is about getting independence. Little did I know that actress Drew Barrymore directed it and I only ever heard about it when she hosted Steven Spielberg in her Netflix talk show. And for a debut, it isn’t bad at all. More so that I’m surprised that she hasn’t picked up the camera more often. 

1. Bliss from Bodeen 

        So yeah, this is the first time that I watched it after hearing about it in Drew Barrymore’s show. I think it’s one of those things where at the time it didn’t interest me unless I was curious enough to watch it. This is one of those instances where if there’s something playing on HBO or something different, I’ll tune in or go straight to on demand. I guess it’s human nature, but it comes as a bonus to finally be exposed to something and to appreciate it later. 

        Surprisingly, there’s a lot of background to this movie. I think this is the first time where the manuscript to the book was being optioned to different studios and the book itself was finding a publisher. Shauna Cross wrote the source titled Derby Girl and I’ll credit her with being ambitious enough to go the extra mile of getting her book and movie adaptation in some fashion. I think that maneuver is basically what the whole film represents. 

        We follow Elliot Page as Bliss Cavender, she’s a rebellious teenager who participates in beauty pageants due to her mother pressuring her. During a visit in Austin, she sees an ad about the local roller derby team. Inevitably, she sneaks in and watches the roller derby in action. Soon she joins the team dubbed the Hurl Scouts as she juggles her personal life and the team. 

        There’s a lot to like about this movie, especially with Bliss as she’s the black sheep in the beauty pageant community. It’s very clear in the beginning that she’s not like the other girls that she’s competing against. Right down to her blue hair that she wants to be more than what she’s told and to make her way. These kinds of stories get me interested in seeing he main character since we empathize with her and see how she can handle being in a new environment. Especially since she has a friend that is her connective tissue to her small town. 

        Elliot Page does a good job portraying Bliss as she’s a vastly different rebel than what we saw in Juno. In this film, Bliss is way more sympathetic since she gets herself involved with something that is completely beyond her since she’s willing to try out roller derby.  I was surprised that since a sport is involved, it had those moments where Bliss sees a boy named Oliver who is obviously the prize that Bliss thinks she wants. And what I mean by that is since Bliss is in a team, she’s on a quest to be independent and Oliver is her prize for going through the ringer. 

        While I’ll talk about the team that she’s in, I will say that Barrymore didn’t make the film with gloss at all. Meaning that, there’s a certain grit that comes to it when we see the roller derby. Most of the camera shots have it where the action is like being on the track and cutting to the shots where it’s from the audience perspective. It’s all great since we have those moments where the actresses fall, stumble and even get body checked and it’s just brutal seeing Bliss get put through the ringer. 

2. Hurl Scouts

        The main highlight of the film is seeing the Hurl Scouts perform the sport of Roller Derby and seeing the motley crew of women who make up the team. One thing that makes them endearing is that they’re the perpetual losers. Losing consecutive matches and all the while having a rallying cry of shouting “We’re Number Two!” Seeing Kirsten Wiig as the mentor to Bliss is one of those moments where it’s like another motherly figure to the young kid. 

        They all have that spunk to them where they are hesitant on Bliss but inevitably stick with her as she helps the team win. I think in more way, having Cavender be in the team helps her with her sense of independence. Having her be in the exact opposite situation of what she’s been exposed to gives her the confidence to be who she wants to be. They all have that punk edge to them since they don’t have matching uniforms but have their own style of representing the team. 

        It’s a very unorthodox sports movie when you get down to it, since this focuses on an obscure sport such as Roller Derby. And I’m glad that the film literally goes out of its way to explain the simple rules to it since I doubt anyone thinks that the sport is real and the exact rules to the vexing sport. The action as I said is like you’re in the team, and I like that there’s the moments where Bliss must try harder to have her team finally accept her. 

        One would think that since Bliss is on the team that they manage to win the obligatory championship in the end. With a lot of great sports films, this should easily belong on the list of films that the team doesn’t win a championship. And I like that it’s not really the whole point in the greater context. It’s about the main character finally paving her own road and having her family finally accept who she is. Just overall endearing and probably one of my favorite Searchlight films as of now. 

 

3. Overall

        Whip It is severely underrated and should get a greater appreciation among the best sports films and best overall films of the 2000s.

The Full Monty Review

        I’m back and I’ve decided to spice it up a bit in the incoming months. Typically, I talk about a genre or a type of film in March. So I’ve chosen to move that up to April and you can imagine that my director spotlight has been bumped to this summer. I’ll leave it at that since I’m planning to review one director’s entire filmography. With that update established, this will be the first time that I’ve done a overview of a movie studio. I think this is everyone’s first studio where they were exposed to films that aren’t mainstream but are endearing in some way. To kick off this venture, this is what I think about their first hit The Full Monty. 

1. The Super Indie

        As far as back as I can remember. I’ve been exposed to Fox Searchlight Pictures way back when I was younger. The first movie that I saw from the studio is Napoleon Dynamite. I talked about that movie awhile ago but something about it clicked with me where it wasn’t like any other film that I’ve watched. Mind you, it was just cartoons and action that filled up my mind but not so much of a slice of life film. And the next one I watched was Juno which coincidentally I talked about last year. 

        Knowing me, I wanted to look up how this studio came about and of course has the competition that it invited. Well, it all started back in the 90s when the new directors were coming out. The movement is referred to as the American Indie movement when new directors like Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez where coming out of the woodwork making movies that didn’t cost around 100 million dollars. Miramax spearheaded the whole endeavor and it’s shocking to know that Disney made a partnership with them as far as distribution is concerned. 

        With the success of what the directors were doing, it only made sense where the other studios obliged with making their own studios with the same MO. You had Warner Bros. establishing Warner Independent and Paramount’s Paramount Vintage. While both of them are no longer around, it can’t be stated that Fox Searchlight is still going strong even after the recent acquisition from Disney. 

2. Gaz’s Dance 

        The reason I picked this one is this is the first movie where it solidified Fox Searchlight as an Oscar contender and one where if it wasn’t for the success of this movie. The studio may not have survived. Prior to the release of The Full Monty, it had released films that earned a good reception but didn’t make enough money to be considered a hit. With this one, it made box office bank surprisingly with its commentary and what the whole thing is all about. I’ll stop with the stalling and let’s get down to it. 

        We follow Gary, or as his friends refer to him as Gaz. We track him as he’s currently unemployed from the steel mill and can’t provide child support to his ex. Him and his friends are in the same boat as they are unemployed and are just slackers in general. Gaz decides to start a Chippendales-esque dance troupe in order to raise money to spend time with his son. 

        So that’s a lot for a movie about the underclass attempting to better themselves. I’ll say that the film is a blue-collar movie. An underdog story as you will since we’re following these guys who of course don’t exactly have the peak male form. They’re out of shape and the moment involving them fielding a tryout is hilarious when all who enter are nowhere near young or fit to meet what Gaz is attempting to create. What I like about the film is that it’s a personal film where Gaz is trying to better himself but go about a different way. 

        With how the film starts, we see a promotional video of the neighborhood and the narrator saying that it’s a beacon for employment. Adding stock footage of people smiling and a soccer team playing, then smash cut to the factory being in ruin and the whole neighborhood having a drab look to it with a muggy cloudy sky. I don’t know if it’s a geographical reason but it complements the whole feel for the movie where our characters are in a sense stuck with their predicament. 

        Character-wise, everyone does a good job especially our main lead. I love how he’s a slacker and he doesn’t want to get a regular job. He’s not a bad guy but is given an ultimatum to find something or risk having his custody of his son taken. Thus making the movie a lot more than just male stripping. With a movie that has male stripping, it has a lot of depth and themes on how challenging it can be for a schlubby person to just make a name for himself. 

        As far as all the characters that we see, the heart of the film is Gaz’s friend Dave. He’s a heavyset guy that mostly goes along with what Gaz is attempting to do. When they’re already practicing for their routine, we feel bad for Dave because he has a lot of self-hate as far as not being happy with how he looks. It even affects him at his house when his wife confronts him with about his venture and he tells her about his problem. It’s sad and it finally gives him enough self-confidence and to perform for his wife among everyone in attendance. 

        Might as well talk about the whole dance, since that’s what the whole film is leading up to when you watch it until the end. Before that, I want to say that a film has that type of action or showcasing, it shouldn’t be met with no consternation. Any criticism taking aim at it, I feel is lacking a lot of context of why it’s included. With how the dance is used, it’s like a sports movie where there’s a lot of practice and tiny peak into their whole dance. At first they’re embarrassed but I like how they overcome it when they finally do their whole bit.

3. Overall

        The Full Monty is one of the best British films that I’ve seen and one where it cemented Fox Searchlight as the premier Big Indie studio.