Identity (2003) - Mangold succeeds with crafty thriller

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Mortal danger, mystery and scares are teased on this deft poster for James Mangold's Identity

Ten strangers meet at a small hotel on a very rainy night, soon facing someone unknown that starts eliminating them one by one.

 

Identity is written by Michael Cooney (Murder in Mind (1997)) and co-produced and directed by New-Yorker master filmmaker James Mangold (Heavy (1995)), whose 5th feature it is.

The semi-psychological, somewhat baloney-ish plot is a bit hole-ridden but fair, with some  Se7en (1995) inspiration dripping off it. But the pay-off is considerable, and Identity is staged highly professionally. 

Amanda Peet (Gulliver's Travels (2010)) is lovely here, and the editing is tight. And God, how it rains in this modern high-concept thriller.

 

Related posts:

James Mangold:  The day after the day after ... the 2018 Oscars

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2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]

The Wolverine (2013) - Many good elements in Mangold's Japan-set superhero adventure actioner 
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1999 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Girl, Interrupted (1999) - Girls with mental problems explored in compassionate, strong film 

Top 10: Best cop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
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Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 28 mil. $

Box office: 90.2 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 3.22 times its cost)

[Identity premiere 23 April (Los Angeles) and runs 90 minutes. Shooting took place in California, including in Los Angeles. Angelo Badalamenti made a score for the film, but it was replaced with one by Alan Silvestri. The film opened #1 to a 16.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent 2 more weekends in the top 5 (#3-#4), grossing 52.1 mil. $ (57.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 5.2 mil. $ (5.8 %) and Germany with 4.7 mil. $ (5.2 %). Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Mangold returned with Walk the Line (2005). John Cusack (Reclaim (2014)) returned in Runaway Jury (2003); Peet in Something's Gotta Give (2003). Identity is fresh at 63 % with a 6.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Identity?

Grand Hotel (1932) - Loose star vehicle with some charm and two magnificent dames

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The stars align in this splashy poster for Edmund Goulding's Grand Hotel

At Berlin's Grand Hotel several exciting people reside; the presumptuous diva dancer, the free stenographer, the baron, who has lost everything and steals from everybody; the stupid factory owner, and the dying worker, Kringelein.

Grand Hotel is written by William Absalom Drake (Strange Justice (1932)), adapting his own same-titled 1930 play, which in turn was based on Vicki Baum's (Die Welt ohne Sünde (1923)) novel Menschen im Hotel (1929). It is directed by Edmund Goulding (Sun-Up (1925)).

Written as an ensemble star vehicle, and a spearhead for this particular discipline in films, Grand Hotel is without a larger, unifying plot. It can seem to be splashing a bit in different directions. There is for instance rather a lot of talk about a merger, which seems highly unimportant for the stories. There is a good amount of drama tied to death, but the perishing accountant character Kringelein is somehow too thinly sketched as a character; has the man no family, friends, and no apparent history?

Grand Hotel still retains a good deal of irrefutable charm as the major production it was. It especially lives on due to the fascinating, vivid portraits drawn by its two big female stars as two very opposite-directed characters: Greta Garbo (Eros (1926)) as the tempestuous diva, and Joan Crawford (Today We Live (1933)) as the romantic 'dove' stenographer.

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 750k $

Box office: 2.5 mil. $ 

= Box office success (returned 3.33 times its cost)

[Grand Hotel premiered 12 April (New York) and runs 112 minutes. Producer Irving Thalberg had bought the rights to the novel for 13k $, and contracted Drake again after success on the stage for a film version. Shooting took place in MGM's Culver City studio in California. The film won the Best Picture Oscar, the first and only film to date to win the award without getting nominated in any of the other categories. The ledger of producer and 'fixer' Eddie Mannix details that the film made 1.2 mil. $ domestically and 1.3 mil. $ elsewhere for a 2.5 mil. $ gross. It was remade as the successful Week-End at the Waldorf (1945). Goulding returned with Blondie of the Follies (1932). Garbo returned in As You Desire Me (1932); Crawford in Letty Lynton (1932); and John Barrymore (Counsellor at Law (1933)) in State's Attorney (1932). Grand Hotel is certified fresh at 86 % with a 7.58/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Grand Hotel?

The Lobster (2015) - Lantimos' absurd, hilarious, out of this world relationship fantasy

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+ 2nd Best Movie of the Year
+ Best Animal Movie of the Year

Colin Farrell looks not exactly hopeful embracing someone who has been erased on this mysterious poster for Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster

A single man checks into a hotel for singles. Here he is to find a partner within 45 days, - or suffer transformation into an animal.

The Lobster is the 5th film from Greek master filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos (My Best Friend/O kalyteros mou filos (2001)), co-written with Efthymis Filippou (Alps/Alpeis (2011)). The grotesque premise above delivers material for a divine absurd-comedy, making The Lobster likely the year's funniest film.
But behind the original and eccentric universe also clearly lie many dark and rather cynical observations about humans, our behavior, marriage, single life, monogamy and death. This altogether makes The Lobster a thoroughly unique and fantastic experience, which bears the distinct Lanthimos stamp of poignant, alienated absurdity.
The film has less sex and violence than his biggest success preceding it, the provocative Dogtooth/Kynodontas (2009), which broadens its appeal. So do the cast of international stars, obviously:
Colin Farrell (Daredevil (2003)) is great in arguably the best role of his career yet; Rachel Weisz (The Brothers Bloom (2008)) is also outstanding, and there are several other very good performances; among them are Ben Whishaw (A Hologram for the King (2016)), John C. Reilly (Carnage (2011)) and Olivia Colman (Peep Show (2003-15)).
SPOILER The ending could be described as a bow out, but in this story and Lanthimos' case, I find it appropriate. - It is a sure conversation starter in a film that should be enjoyed in the company of others. The Lobster is a splendid film and a brilliant director's work.

Related posts:

Yorgos Lanthimos: The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) - Lanthimos' psycho-thriller turns out a twisted Greek tragedy

Top 10: Best fantasy movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]

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Dogtooth/Κυνόδοντας (Kynodontas) (2009) - Lanthimos establishes himself internationally with an unsettling family portrait

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 4 mil. €, approximately 4.5 mil. $
Box office: 18 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 4 times the cost)
[The Lobster premiered 15 May (Cannes Film Festival, France, in competition) and runs 118 minutes. Financing came together from 21 companies and governmental support bodies. Shooting took place in Ireland, including Dublin, from March - May 2014. The film opened #23 to a 190k $ first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #11 and in 560 theaters (different weeks) and grossed 9.1 mil. $ (50.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 2.3 mil. $ (12.8 %) and France with 0.9 mil. $ (5 %). The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, lost to Kenneth Lonergan for Manchester by the Sea. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, won 3 prizes in Cannes, including the jury prize, 2/6 European Film award nominations and many other honors. Lanthimos returned with The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), again starring Farrell. Farrell returned first in True Detective (2015, TV-series) and theatrically in Solace (2015); Weisz in Youth (2015). The Lobster is certified fresh at 87 % with a 7.6/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Lobster?

Four Rooms (1995) - Rodriguez, Tarantino & Co. fail with LA hotel anthology comedy

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Tim Roth appears as the strained bellhop at the center of it all on this poster for Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's Four Rooms

At the Hotel Mon Signor in Los Angeles, Ted is the newly installed bellhop, who is quickly briefed about his job and begins on New Year's Eve for a night in which four rooms cause different kinds of problems for him.

Four Rooms is an anthology comedy from writer-directors Allison Anders (Strutter (2012)), Alexandre Rockwell (In the Soup (1992), Robert Rodriquez (El Mariachi (1992) and Quentin Tarantino (My Best Friend's Birthday (1987)), inspired by the adult short fiction of Roald Dahl (Beware of the Dog (1944)), especially his Man from the South (1948).
Most prominent of the 4 filmmakers at the time was, and still is, Tarantino, who may have indulged an overly developed self-confidence (after the huge success of Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994)) here, as he writes himself into his segment, the film's last, playing a famous director no-less. He becomes an obstacle in himself, between audiences and the story. But the concept of one troublesome hotel room for each filmmaker becomes too divided and dubious, - mostly because none of the segments are very good.
An added grievance in Four Rooms is Tim Roth's (United Passions (2014)) performance as Ted the bellhop, which is so exaggerated, caricatured and unfunny that it inevitably mars the entire picture.
What redeems parts of Four Rooms anyway, is some of its supporting actors: David Proval (Newsbreak (2000)) as a mean bastard with an inferiority complex, Antonio Banderas (Black Butterfly (2017)) as a tough father and Bruce Willis (Rugrats Go Wild (2003)) (before another character's pinky finger is cut off).

Related posts:

Robert Rodriguez:  The Faculty (1998) or, Teacher Encounters of the Third Kind
From Dusk till Dawn (1996) - Tarantino, Rodriguez and chums' enjoyable Mexico vampire extravaganza
Desperado (1995) - Rodriguez' second Mexico actioner is a sexy, latino fireball
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Django Unchained (2012) - Tarantino's gutsy, colorful 'Southern' 
Inglourious Basterds (2009) - The Movies take revenge on Nazi scum
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Death Proof (2007) - Tarantino's awesome, rubber-burning Grindhouse homage 
From Dusk till Dawn (1996) - Tarantino, Rodriguez and chums' enjoyable Mexico vampire extravaganza (writer-star)
Desperado (1995) - Rodriguez' second Mexico actioner is a sexy, latino fireball (actor) 

Watch a clip from the film here - this one is from Rodriguez'a segment

Cost: 4 mil. $
Box office: 4.2 mil. $ (North America only)
= Uncertain
[Four Rooms premiered 16 September (Toronto International Film Festival, Canada). Shooting took place in Los Angeles, California, including at Hollywood's Chateau Marmont hotel from November - December 1994. The film peaked at #18 in 319 theaters in North America. Its international grosses are not reported, but it was released in more than 20 foreign markets. Its theatrical status cannot be made up without these numbers. Madonna won a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actress for her performance in the film. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Anders returned with Grace of My Heart (1996), Rockwell with Louis & Frank (1998), Rodriguez with From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and Tarantino with masterpiece Jackie Brown (1997). Four Rooms is rotten at 14 % with a 3.5/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Four Rooms?

Barton Fink (1991) or, The Writer's Hell

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A mosquito is magnified against co-star John Turturro's forehead on this sepia-toned poster for Ethan and Joel Coen's Barton Fink

An impassioned New York playwright travels to the very commercially minded Hollywood in 1941, where he is employed to write a film that he can't seem to crack open. While things around him grow gradually worse, so does his writer's block.

 
Barton Fink is written by Minnesotan master filmmakers, co-writer/producer/co-editor Ethan Coen and his brother, co-writer/director/co-editor Joel Coen (Blood Simple (1984), both). It is the brothers' 4th feature.

I have warmed to Barton Fink, since first seeing it, and find that it grows on me. While first finding it a bit too smart for its own good, and disliking the ending for some reason, I have since found that I like it very much. It is unconventional and ambiguous and makes you think about stuff, - and that's a good thing.
The title character is played by the great John Turturro (The Big Lebowski (1998)) in perhaps his career's best part. He plays the moody intellectual with great resourcefulness, and particularly his dance scenes are memorable and fun. The film also has a wealth of great supporting performances: John Goodman (Storytelling (2001)) as Fink's likeable but insane murderer neighbor in the hellish Hotel Earle. Their scenes together are some of the best in the film. Tony Shalhoub (Monk (2002-2009)) is larger-than-life as a Hollywood producer, and Michael Lerner (Amos & Andrew (1993)) is even more hysterical as the slave-owner-like studio boss.

The photography (by Roger Deakins (Revolutionary Road (2008))) is entirely lovely, and  the film is also heightened by atmospheric, great sets by Dennis Gassner and Nancy Haigh (Road to Perdition (2002)). Barton Fink is filled with meanings, some symbolism and many great scenes. A very entertaining film.

Related posts:

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2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
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Burn After Reading (2008) or, Idiocy 2008

No Country for Old Men (2007) - Undigestible McCarthy adaptation lets you hang in midair 

Paris, Je t'Aime (2006) - Short film anthology playground set in Paris (segment)

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) - Much to love in fabulous Coen music yarn 
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Fargo (1996) - The Coen brothers make movie magic with dark-humored crime thriller 

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The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) - The Coen's satirical firecracker mega-flop 

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Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 9 mil. $
Box office: In excess of 11.64 mil. $
= Uncertain but likely a big flop (projected return of 1.66 times its cost)

[Barton Fink premiered 18 May (Cannes Film Festival, main competition) and runs 116 minutes. It was written during a 3-week hiatus from the difficult work of writing the script for the Coens' preceding film Miller's Crossing (1990). Shooting took place from June 1990 - ? in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #18 to a 268k $ first weekend in North America, where it peaked at #13 and grossed 6.1 mil. $. The international gross numbers have regrettably not been released. However, online sources list that the film made 821k £ in the UK (approximately 1.4 mil. $), and that it sold 720k tickets in France and Germany (double as many in the former), coming to approximately 3 mil. $. It sold 210k tickets in Spain, approximately 863k $. It sold 34k tickets in Denmark, coming to approximately 287k $. With the remaining markets added, the total gross should be at least 15 mil. $, which would nevertheless still result in a big flop categorization. The film was nominated for 3 Oscars: It lost Best Supporting Actor (Lerner) to Jack Palance for City Slickers, Art Direction/Set Decoration to Bugsy and Costume Design to Bugsy as well. It won the Palme d'Or, Best Director and Actor prizes at Cannes in a rare feat, a David di Donatello award and was nominated for a Golden Globe, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. The Coens returned with The Hudsucker Proxy (1994). Turturro returned in Brain Donors (1992); Goodman in Little Richard: Good Golly Miss Molly (1991, music video) and theatrically in Babe (1992). Barton Fink is certified fresh at 89 % with a 7.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Barton Fink?