House of Cards - season 3 (2015, VoD) - Marital crisis in so-far best season of Presidential drama

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The Underwoods are leaving Air Force One on a red carpet against an ominous grey sky on this poster for the third season of Beau Willimon's House of Cards

House of Cards - season 3 is created by Beau Willimon (The Ides of March (2011)), based on the BBC miniseries of the same name from 1990, which in turn was based on the same-titled 1989 novel by Michael Dobbs (Winston's War (2002)).

The following season summary contains SPOILERS:

 

Frank has become US President, and his wife, First Lady Claire Underwood also seeks active service as American UN ambassador. Frank's approval ratings are low, and he wants to improve them by stimulating job growth. His former Chief of Staff Doug Stamper meanwhile is trying to overcome a personal downfall.

Stamper, desperate to get back in the game, accepts helping Claire out with her candidacy. Frank faces opposition from within his own party in his road towards securing their nomination as presidential candidate 1½ years hence.

While the Underwoods' favorite personal NSA bodyguard Meechum has gone missing, the Russian President Petrov visits the White House, and Frank boldly decides against appeasing him, when he appears not to be willing to give them any concessions.

Frank's bluff of outwardly saying that he is not interested in running for president gets called by a promising opposing candidate. Claire has become UN ambassador and faces problems dealing with the Russians in the Middle East. Another shocking page is written on Frank's monstrous hidden side, when he spits at a Jesus statue and breaks it on the floor during a church visit. 

Frank spends a large sum from an emergency fund to make jobs (and regain popularity), and he helps Claire with a troop deployment in Jordan. Doug courts opposing Democratic presidential candidate Dunbar.

Frank and Claire head to Russia on a visit that does not go smoothly. The release of an American gay rights activist is botched, and the man commits suicide, while they are in the country, leading to scandal and marital strife.

Realizing that the rift is unbearable for both, Frank and Claire renew their wedding vows.

The ghost writer Tom, who is working on Frank's autobiography with him, and a keen political journalist Kate, who is describing Frank as a tyrant in an opinion piece, start a relationship. A hurricane ends Frank's AmWorks cashflow, and he decides it is time to announce his candidacy for President.

Trouble brews in the Jordan valley, and Doug finally finds proof that the potentially dangerous ex-prostitute that he followed in previous seasons, has died a violent death. He gets hammered and then presents Frank with the evidence, which he instructs Meechum, back on the force, to burn.

Petrov demands withdrawal from the Jordan valley, and Frank travels there and instead secures Russian withdrawal - against a promise that Claire will give up her UN job.

Chief of Staff Remy Danton leaves the office in regret, as the Democratic Presidential race begins with an Iowa debate, in which Frank alienates opposing candidate Jackie Sharp (Danton's ex-lover) the the point where she soon after the debate bows out and offers her support for Dunbar. Doug's 60 days of sobriety are over.

Claire is a good trooper for Frank's candidacy, as Dunbar threatens to release damaging details from her old diary, which Doug attains and destroys, securing himself back the position as Chief-of-Staff. Tom loses his girlfriend over his dedication to the job of writing the autobiography.

The mysterious prostitute who was thought dead turns up alive again in rural Des Moines, where Doug murders and buries her in the wilderness. Claire's anger over their marital problems and her professional breakdown comes to a head, when she notifies Frank that she wants to leave him, and that she implicitly has presidential dreams of her own.

 

Likely the best season up to this point, season 3 sees House of Cards climb to the highest level of quality TV drama, as the show now more or less halfway is really about a marriage under extraordinary pressure, - a stress that Kevin Spacey (Rebel in the Rye (2017)) and Robin Wright (Wonder Woman (2017)) portray with intense vigor. His final inability to tame her anger and ambitions in their negotiation-based sham of a marriage develops to a turbulent climax. The other half of the show is a wicked good political thriller of men (and women) who either stab each other's backs or help wash each other's hands clean.

The political maneuvers, if heightened, are narratively valid, relatively realistic and insightful in their devious machinations. Lars Mikkelsen (Headhunter (2009)) is outstanding as Petrov, a character loaded with Putin connotations. The development of the Underwood partnership also mirrors recent real-world politics, the Clintons, namely. Kim Dickens (Gone Girl (2014)) is another strong new cast addition as journalist Kate; and Paul Sparks (Waco (2018, miniseries)) is excellent as ghost writer Tom, whose polemic writings on the Underwoods cause him to be cast out of their home in episode 12. Although Michael Kelly (Chronicle (2012)) is fascinating as the eerie, plagued Doug Stamper character, the storyline involving Stamper, a hacker and the potentially damaging prostitute is continually mysterious and not the show's strongest in season 3, though over-all it is a very strong season.

 

Best episodes:

 

Episode 3: Chapter 29 - Written by Frank Pugliese (Shot in the Heart (2001, TV movie)), Laura Eason (Here and Now (2018)), Willimon; directed by Tucker Gates (Ray Donovan (2013-19))

Doug is working to secure a return to Frank's inner circle. Russian president Petrov visits the Underwoods at the White House for the first time.

 

Episode 5: Chapter 31 - Written by Kenneth Lin (My America (2012, TV-series)), Eason, Willimon; directed by James Foley (The Corruptor (1999))

Frank regains popularity around the 4th of July with his AmericaWorks initiative. Claire as new UN ambassador faces Russian intimidation.

 

Episode 6: Chapter 32 - Written by Melissa James Gibson (The Americans (2013-14)), Eason, Willimon; directed by Foley

The Underwoods travel to Russia, but the visit goes anything but smoothly.

Related posts:

 

Beau Willimon: House of Cards - season 2 (2014, VoD) - More ruthless power plays from Willimon and Co.

House of Cards - season 1 (2013, VoD) - Mean streaks at the sausage factory

The Ides of March (2011) - Clooney's political thriller looks at the cynical downside of modern politics (screenwriter; based on his play)

 

Watch a short teaser for the season here

 

Cost: Uncertain but reportedly around 55 mil. $

Box office: None - TV-series

= Uncertain, but considered a hit

[House of Cards - season 3 was released in full on 27 February on Netflix and runs approximately 663 minutes (13 episodes of around 51 minutes each). Shooting took place in from June - December 2014 in Maryland, including in Baltimore, New Mexico and in Washington DC. The third season reportedly cost 55 mil. $ to produce. Netflix regrettably do not report viewership numbers. The season was won 1/7 Emmy nominations and was nominated for a Golden Globe. IMDb's users have rated the TV-series in at #108 on the site's TV Top 250, sitting between Friday Night Lights (2006) and Berserk (1997). House of Cards returned with season 4 in 2016, also Willimon's return as writer/producer. In 2014 Kevin Spacey did not appear elsewhere prior to season 4; Wright in 2015 also starred in Everest. House of Cards - season 3 is certified fresh at 73 % with a 7.00/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of House of Cards - season 3?

House of Sand and Fog (2003) or, The Erroneous Eviction Blues

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Two great dramatic star actors look stern on this foreboding and mysterious poster for Vadim Perelman's House of Sand and Fog

A divorced woman mistakenly has her home auctioned off to an Iranian refugee family, who hope to sell it on with a profit.

 

House of Sand and Fog is written by Shawn Lawrence Otto and co-writer/co-producer/director, debuting Vadim Perelman (The Missing (2021, miniseries)), adapting the same-titled 1999 novel by Andre Dubus III (Bluesman (1993)).

The unfortunate affair becomes complicated - and tragic. House of Sand and Fog is like a Greek tragedy, wherein the involved fates become unhappier scene by scene. It is a commendably assembled, respectable drama, although what it finally is supposed to tell us I am not sure. In this respect the characters', - and to some degree the audiences', - sufferings may feel somewhat pointless.

Jennifer Connelly (Mulholland Falls (1996)) is frightening as a woman in free fall (again), and Ben Kingsley (Sexy Beast (2000)) gives a bravado performance, which makes the Iranian ex-colonel that he portrays both human and sympathetic, SPOILER as well as, in the film's climax, devastating. Shohreh Aghdashloo (Silk (2013, short)) as his wife and Jonathan Ahdout (American Gun (2005)) as his son are also outstanding.

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 16.5 mil. $

Box office: 16.7 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 1.01 times its cost)

[House of Sand and Fog was released 19 December (USA) and runs 124 minutes. Shooting took place around October 2002 in California, including in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The film opened #43 to a 45k $ first weekend in 2 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #13 and in 598 theaters (different weeks), grossing 13 mil. $ (77.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Italy with 753k $ (4.5 %) and Australia with 721k $ (4.3 %). The film was nominated for 3 Oscars, winning none. It lost Best Actor (Kingsley) to Sean Penn in Mystic River, Supporting Actress (Aghdashloo) to Renée Zellweger in Cold Mountain, and Score (James Horner (Iris (2001))) to Howard Shore for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. It also won 1/3 Independent Spirit awards, was nominated for a Golden Globe and won 2 National Board of Review awards, among many other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 4/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Perelman returned with Kelly Clarkson: Because of You (2005, music video) and theatrically with The Life Before Her Eyes (2007). Connelly returned in Dark Water (2005); Kingsley in Thunderbirds (2004). House of Sand and Fog is certified fresh at 74 % with a 7.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of House of Sand and Fog?

Gone Girl (2014) - Fincher's acerbic, capable murder of marriage

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+ Best Thriller of the Year

 

An unusual poster for David Fincher's Gone Girl, which induces anxiety - and piques interest - while leaving out the title of the movie

 

The day that Nick returns to his affluent home to ask his wife for a divorce, she has disappeared, ostensibly kidnapped, and a high-profile search commences. 

 

Gone Girl is written by Gillian Flynn (Widows (2018)), based on her own same-titled 2012 novel, and directed by great Coloradoan filmmaker David Fincher (Alien 3 (1992)).

The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Waves (2019), both) is a standout; rumbling, trembling and vivid throughout, while Jeff Cronenweth's (Hitchcock (2012)) photography is expectedly slick and competent as well. The acting is good: Rosamund Pike (A Long Way Down (2014)) is frightening, SPOILER but also not a character one can sympathize with because she is successful with her ultra-manipulative psychopathy. Kim Dickens (Big Apple (2001, TV-series)) is excellent as a smart detective.

Gone Girl is a finely cut, smartly written thriller, which runs like a horror movie on marriage, portrayed deeply cynically and with a nihilist flavor; it is long and thereby also a bit depressing. It is chilling and hard to embrace, - especially for newlyweds, - and certainly not a film that inspires faith or confidence in your fellow human being.

 

Related posts:

 

David Fincher: 2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V] 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - Fincher's Nordic noir is technically astute but overlong and redundant

The Social Network (2010) - Fincher's a-hole biopic leaves me cold (and more anti-Facebook than ever) 

The Game (1997) - Douglas shines in Fincher's cool mystery-thriller ride 

Alien 3 (1992) or, The Monsters Go to Jail!

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 61 mil. $

Box office: 369.3 mil. $

= Huge hit (returned 6.05 times its cost)

[Gone Girl premiered 26 September (New York Film Festival) and runs 149 minutes. Shooting took place in Missouri, Illinois, New York and California, including Los Angeles from September 2013 - ?. It opened #1 to a 37.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it retained the position for another 2 weekends and then spent another 6 weeks in the top 5 (#2-#4-#4-#3-#5-#5), grossing 167.7 mil. $ (45.4 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 34.6 mil. $ (9.4 %) and Australia with 21.7 mil. $ (5.9 %). The film was nominated for 1 Oscar: Best Actress, lost to Julianne Moore in Still Alice. It was also nominated for 4 Golden Globes, 2 BAFTAs, a Grammy, won a National Board of Review award, and several other honors. IMDb users have rated the film in at #188 on the site's user-generated Top 250, sitting between Before Sunrise (1995) and Catch Me If You Can (2002). Fincher returned with Mindhunter (2017-19) and theatrically with Mank (2020, VOD). Affleck returned in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016); Pike in Return to Sender (2015). Gone Girl is certified fresh at 87 % with an 8.00/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Gone Girl?