#MatthewShear

[film-book]

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Film Review: BETWEEN THE TEMPLES (2024): Nathan Silver's Sweet and Occasionally Frustrating Comedy Features a Fine Turn by Carol Kane https://film-book.com/film-review-between-the-temples-2024-nathan-silvers-sweet-and-occasionally-frustrating-comedy-features-a-fine-turn-by-carol-kane/?feed_id=146471&_unique_id=66d4efd583116

[doomonfilm]

Thoughts : Old (2021)

One of my DOOMonFILM blog projects for 2021 was to pick a director a month, watch all of their films and rank them according to my own personal set of criteria and opinions.  Most of the directors chosen were either old schoolers or directors who focused on independent ventures mostly, but out of the few high profile directors chosen, one of my favorites was M. Night Shyamalan.  Ironically, like one or two of the other directors I covered, once I made a catalog hierarchy, Shyamalan decided to drop a new film.  The premise of Old was certainly intriguing, but I seemed to not have a sense of urgency in regard to seeing it.  All of this changed within the last few weeks, however, as a friend at work started speaking extremely high of the film after his recent viewing.

Old does a great job of managing and fulfilling expectations while still clearly holding the ace in the hole of the famous M. Night Shyamalan twist in the back pocket, making it the most sound offering since The Visit.  Much like The Visit, this film is strongly bolstered by themes of family and time breeding estrangement (though Old takes the second theme from a number of completely opposite perspectives), and it is also a showcase for some strong child acting.  Viewers will be very frontloaded going into the film by the title alone, and while age is an obvious factor in the film, we are more so forced to look at life and time in a sort of microwave fashion, meaning that the fear of lost times, lost special moments and lost loved ones are stacked on top of one another at a horrifying rate, removing any room for rationalization and acceptance.  While all of these factors are horrifying enough in terms of the way that they wreak havoc on the adults, it becomes horrifying on an existential level as well when the children not only age physically, but emotionally as well, meaning the weight of awareness is forced onto them at light speed.

Old shares a space with Midsommar in the sense that it occupies a space in the realms of what I like to think of as “uncanny valley daylight horror”.  It also falls a bit under the ironically-titled category I like to think of as “bottle movies”, where the events take place chiefly in one location, which means that the true horror has to come from the premise of the film, and the tension from our expectations of events versus the way we take in what actually happens.  Much like us, the characters in the film attempt to rationalize the horror they are facing by imprinting their personal and professional skill sets onto the events that take place, which leads to further tension as each characters approach must be accepted or discredited with minimal time to process due to the way that things rapidly fall apart.  The entire time, we are essentially shown the magic trick that M. Night Shyamalan is trying to pull on us, with him bringing things home via the right amount of additional detail and context during the resolution (as previously mentioned).

The cinematography during the resort moments sticks to your standard Hollywood big budget approach of long lenses and slow pushes, but once the main cast arrives at the preserve, there is a wonderfully radical shift in the cinematography full of odes to horror movie styles from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, not to mention plenty of kinetic handheld work.  The preserve is a fantastic location, with its golden sands, arresting cliff walls and caverns, deceptively beautiful waters and the always visually stunning coral.  The special effects and makeup work is surprisingly powerful and expressive due to the fact that it is extremely subtle, seemingly opting to work in conjunction with the old school horror visual tricks and unsettling score rather than trying to take center stage.  The moments of violence and body horror are riveting and leave an impression without having to stray too far into the realms of excessive gore.

Gael García Bernal has the monumental task of serving as the most sound presence in a large group of people suffering from a litany of different psychoses and accelerated medical problems, making him a strong baseline to measure the many shades of frantic natures we face as viewers.  In comparison, Vicky Krieps carries in literal worlds of pain, both emotional and physical, and essentially allows herself to be broken down and built up again through the course of events.  Rufus Sewell is one of the most terrifying presences in the film as he manages to play his character’s schizophrenia right up to the point of trope territory, settling nicely within the realms of a threat that could go off at any time.  Abbey Lee plays vain and personally damaged in a very withdrawn manner, making her connection to Sewell’s character a dangerously tenuous one where she is too self-involved to care for the welfare of others who suffer at her husband’s hands.  Ken Leung and Nikki Amuka-Bird attempt to bring different levels of rationale and logical thinking to the table, making them an interesting volatile element in the camp.  Aaron Pierre takes his mysterious and dominating presence and uses it as a sort of distraction to the fact that he is one of the most calming presences within the film, with his pained look being the only thing that doesn’t fit into his mostly pained persona.  Appearances by Kathleen Chalfant, Gustaf Hammarstein, Francesca Eastwood, Matthew Shear and director M. Night Shyamalan round out the main adult cast.

A special note must be made about the casting and collective performance for each of the child characters.  The character of Trent is largely carried by the quirky and inquisitive nature of Nolan River and the emotionally unstable fear portrayed by Alex Wolff, with Luca Faustino Rodriguez bridging that gap during the moments that the terror on the beach unfolds and Emun Elliott bringing everything home via the wisdom of adulthood.  When it comes to Maddox, Alexa Swinton sets the table with pre-teen angst before handing things off to Thomasin McKenzie, who does most of the heavy lifting for Maddox in terms of emotional rationalization and coping with fear before Embeth Davidtz brings things home in one of the final fear-based story beats.  Finally, the chilling character arc of Kara is portrayed via the combined innocence of Kylie Begley and Mikaya Fisher before Eliza Scanlen steps to the plate to bring Kara through two of the most jarring moments in a film full of them.

Old is definitely a huge win for M. Night Shyamalan, and a proper return to form that proves The Visit wasn’t just a fluke during a 15 year run of ridings the ups and downs of mediocrity.  Films like this are always the hardest to place in year end lists, as there is just as much technical prowess and strong writing to be found in this film clearly meant to reach the largest common denominator as there is in your Oscar-bait films, if not more (in some cases).  I do know this... if you’re looking for a popcorn flick, pick this one and prepare yourself to be pleasantly surprised that you’re getting more than you bargained for.

[bbottone]

#Tribeca2017: Zosia Mamet, Matthew Shear, Sarah Ramos, Diana Irvine, Deirdre O'Connell, Sophie Brooks, Shear, and Mamet attend 'The Boy Downstairs' Premiere during the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival at SVA Theatre on April 23, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival) #HollywoodCiak #Tribeca #TribecaFilmFestival #SaturdayChurch #ZosiaMamet #MatthewShear #SarahRamos #DianaIrvine #DeirdreOConnell #SophieBrooks #festival #redcarpet #photocall #premiere #fashion #NYC #NewYork #followme @tribeca

[daniel-bruhl-news]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxenzL6FKm8/?igshid=4pvv4gp2wg6b #DanielBrühl #LukeEvans #DakotaFanning #DouglasSmith #MatthewShear #TheAngelOfDarkness #TheAlienist #myedit #myfanart

[luuuuuke-evans]

@TheRealLukevans: The usual suspects. #BTS #TheAlienist @douglasthesmith #DakotaFanning #DanielBruhl #MatthewShear #BrianGeraghty

[alienistnet]

thereallukeevans The usual suspects. #BTS#TheAlienist @briangeraghty13@dakotafanning #MatthewShear#DanielBruhl #DouglasSmith {x}

[lukeevanss]

@TheRealLukevans The usual suspects. #BTS #TheAlienist @douglasthesmith #DakotaFanning #DanielBruhl #MatthewShear #BrianGeraghty

[the-edge-of-tonite]

thereallukeevans: The usual suspects. #BTS #TheAlienist @briangeraghty13 @dakotafanning #MatthewShear #DanielBruhl #DouglasSmith

[film-book]

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Film Review: WHITE NOISE (2022): Noah Baumbach's Offbeat Film Has Solid Performances but is Overlong and Too Strange for its Own Good https://film-book.com/film-review-white-noise-2022-noah-baumbachs-offbeat-film-has-solid-performances-but-is-overlong-and-too-strange-for-its-own-good/?feed_id=116686&_unique_id=6386d0bd5c451

[film-book]

Contest: THE ALIENIST: Season 2 Blu-ray: TNT's Psychological Thriller TV series starring Dakota Fanning, Luke Evans, & Daniel Bruhl https://tinyurl.com/yh44b7r6

[doomonfilm]

Review : Marriage Story (2019)

Netflix comes rushing in at the end of 2019, just in time for the holiday season, with a movie that looks like it’s taking direct aim at the hearts of the masses.  The ultra-talented Noah Baumbach is in the director’s chair, and he’s roped in Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver from their romps in the land of blockbusters to dive into a modern day version of a story used since some of the early days of cinema.  Marriage, from what I understand, is an unpredictable series of ups and downs, and Baumbach and company are taking a hard look at the institution with Marriage Story. 

Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole Barber (Scarlett Johansson) are New York-based creatives attempting to raise their son Henry (Azhy Robertson) in the midst of a failing marriage.  Nicole is the star of Charlie’s play, but on the verge of moving the play to Broadway, Nicole takes an opportunity to star in a Los Angeles-based pilot.  Nicole moves Henry to Los Angeles with her mother Sandra (Julie Haggerty), and during a visit from Charlie, he is blindsided when he is served divorce papers by Sandra’s sister Cassie (Merritt Wever).  As the split moves from being handled within the family to being handled by attorneys Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern) and Bert Spitz (Alan Alda), Charlie and Nicole are forced to face the reality of their family, their marriage, their professional opportunities, and most importantly, themselves.

Noah Baumbach takes an honest look at how the intimacy of marriage allows people to be truthful with one another to the point of damage, especially when they work together.  The audience is given a good display of how parents who don’t get along can still be supportive of their children, even when they are going through personal moments that due major damage.  Making an attempt to be clear on what the individual wants takes front and center stage, even (and especially) in the construct of a marriage.  The delicate balance of two creative people using one another in a romantic and a creative capacity, and what happens when the public reception power dynamic shifts, is given close examination, especially when it is shown how these dynamics set up grand battles that end in petty bickering and character shaming. 

Paralleling the differences between a man and a woman with the differences of Los Angeles-based film and television versus New York theater is a stroke of creative genius... though most likely not original, the context it is used in for Marriage Story provides a sound foundation for compelling storytelling and strong acting.  With such raw tension and emotion connected to the relationship, most of the humor is found in the reflections on theater, TV and film, and many of these jokes land.  Turning the differences between the coasts into a familial tug of war for balance and respect also works, with the tension amplified by distance and responsibility, as well as two vastly different lifestyles.  The hopes of an amicable split propped up against the involvement of lawyers and due process is also grounds for tension, with the scenes in Marriage Story standing up to what would be the obvious comparison, Kramer vs. Kramer.  

The way that the camera either observes the proceedings like a stranger that has stumbled onto a moment they should not have seen, or from the perspective of Henry, puts us in an objective viewpoint where we feel the most pain, rather than choose sides.  The tone, tempo and pacing of the film are all high level, which is to be expected with a director that has the pedigree of Noah Baumbach in charge.  The attention to detail found in the cinematography and editing make the little moments, memories and reflections truly stand out.  The score is sparse, but it perfectly punctuates the few moments that it is present.  Above all, the way that this film feels like being a member of a struggling family really hits... this is easily the most tender of Noah Baumbach’s incredible journeys into family and relationships.

Scarlett Johansson gets a chance to rove around in a more grounded performance, rooting herself in true emotion and connection rather than mysterious lore and fan service.  Adam Driver gets a similar opportunity, and seeing him portray a struggling man holding on desperately to the final threads of a former lover pulling away is powerful.  Azhy Robertson gives an extremely dynamic performance for such a young man, managing to swing between moments of insight and moments where children cause infinite frustration at the least opportune times.  Alan Alda gives equal doses of dry with and deep humanity in the form of compassion, while Laura Dern manages to be extremely centered while keeping an extremely sharp edge... both portrayals of lawyers are some of the best I’ve seen recently in film.  Julie Haggerty is a light in what quickly becomes a dark situation, providing consistent examples of unconditional love and non-judgement in an extremely uncomfortable family debate.  Ray Liota brings the fierce focus to the table that has become his bread and butter, which in turn creates an implied increase in tension merely based off of his presence alone.  Appearances by Wallace Shawn, Merritt Wever, Mark O’Brien, Matthew Shear, Brooke Bloom, Kyle Bornheimer, Mickey Sumner, Martha Kelly and many more, plus a cameo by Robert Smigel round out the proceedings.

I’m excited to see what Netflix has in store for us in 2020.  The certainly have their headline news bases covered in their efforts to legitimize themselves, but having people like Noah Baumbach connected to your company really drive home the fact that they are serious about film.  Hopefully the bar that he sets for quality will resonate throughout all those connected to Netflix in a creative capacity.

[doomonfilm]

Thoughts : The Boy Downstairs (2017)

The only thing tougher than getting into a relationship can be letting go of one.  People tend to go to drastic measures to provide the outward appearance of having moved on, but in the end, the real work is done internally.  You can put a thousand miles between yourself and an ex, but until you come to grips with your feelings, a hint of the past will always remain.  All of this and more is examined in the Sophie Brooks picture The Boy Downstairs.  

Diana (Zosia Mamet) returns from a three year vacation spurned by a breakup with her ex-boyfriend Ben (Matthew Shear).  She touches base with her friend Gabby (Diana Irvine), who hooks her up with realtor Meg (Sarah Ramos) in order to help her lock in an apartment.  Meg shows Diana a beautiful apartment and introduces her to owner Amy (Deirdre O’Connell), with whom she immediately connects, thus securing the apartment.  Much to the behest of Diana, however, it turns out that her downstairs neighbor is Ben, who also happens to be dating Meg.  With hopes of moving on from her bridal job and succeeding as a writer, Diana realizes that her proximity to her ex is forcing old habits and thought patterns to re-emerge, which makes moving on that much more difficult.

The way that love is portrayed in this film is refreshing.  Rather than being filled with over the top, rambunctious moments, the film is very grounded.  The conversations are handled without shouting and crocodile tears, the major gestures are at best off the cuff plans made in moments of desperation, and the idea of pressure is the major issue on both sides of the relationship.  The people involved are more down to earth than glamorous or model-like, and their concerns are ones that the average viewer can relate to.  If you’ve ever been in modern love, it’s hard not to see pieces of yourself somewhere in the film. 

An inability for or protagonist to move on is the true driving force of the film.  Be it a conscious decision to try to force a friendship on your ex for the sake of your own feelings, or be it the universe placing you directly above your ex in a city as expansive as New York, the narrative through line is all about echoes in the mind, and regrets about how things were handled the first time around.  Small moments trigger flashback memories to sentimental ones, and new moments are often put to rest as feelings from older moments emerge, keeping everyone trapped in a loop that keeps them connected without growth.

Ultimately, resolution is achieved through brutal honesty.  Diana is forced to accept the fact that all of her actions from the past few years have been distracting her from the things she really wants.  Ben is forced to be honest with himself (and Diana) in regards to the fact that he cannot be friends with an ex who pushed him away during his most vulnerable period.  Even supporting characters like Gabby and Amy end up coming to grips with truths that determine their life paths, respectively.

Zosia Mamet presents a charm that is sandwiched between deep feelings and an outward stoic nature, occasionally letting her guard down to be incredibly vulnerable.  Matthew Shear brings that quality that many young men have of making grand gestures without having the ability to address relevant issues directly, in hopes that the grand gestures will hold things together.  Diana Irvine kills in the best friend role, providing enough support to keep Mamet coming back, but enough truth to keep Mamet honest, all the while dropping in very natural bits of humor.  Deirdre O’Connell brings the wisdom of having loved and lost to the proceedings, having a perspective that none of the other characters are able to relate to directly due to a lack of experience.  Sarah Ramos plays an appropriate thorn in the side to Mamet, letting her perceptions of Mamet as a threat inform her actions.  Smaller appearances by David Wohl, Deborah Offner and Jeff Ward bring more life to the world of the film.  

I can’t lie, the only reason I jumped on this film was seeing Zosia Mamet on several pieces of promo.  Something about her demeanor spoke to me without saying a word, and it left me intrigued much more than the premise should have sparked.  This one was definitely a pleasant, under the radar discovery.