Not many films hit an emotional crescendo around the publication of a Pitchfork review, but Bill Pohlad’s “Dreamin’ Wild” is sufficiently sincere and embedded in musical nerdery to make it work. As onetime brother act Donnie and Joe Emerson huddle with their family around a 30-years-late evaluation of the album they recorded as teenagers, one particular critical reference sends them giddily reeling: “To twist a Brian Wilson phrase,” it reads, “[the album] is a godlike symphony to teenhood.” For fortysomething Donnie, who has spent his whole adult life scrambling for anyone to listen to his music — let alone love it — the mere mention of his musical hero in relation to his work is a crowning triumph: Donnie, as played by a typically disheveled, downcast Casey Affleck, looks briefly, guardedly happy for a moment, and this often melancholic film is suddenly suffused with well-being.
For those who remember Pohlad’s last film,...
For those who remember Pohlad’s last film,...
- 9/9/2022
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
New seasons of TikTok series The Formal and YouTube’s Australia’s Best Street Racer are among the six projects to share in more than $920,000 from Screen Australia’s Online Fund.
There is also Facebook/YouTube comedy Counter Girls, which is a spin-off of hit series Rostered On, TikTok vertical series Krystal Klairvoyant, as well as satire Clockwork and therapy exploration It’s Fine I’m Fine, both of which are for Facebook.
Screen Australia’s senior online investment manager Lee Naimo said it was pleasing to see online creators working hard to identify and then hook in their audiences with great characters and storylines.
“We can see great examples of this with new seasons of 2 Street 2 Racer and The Formal which both connected with viewers on YouTube and TikTok respectively,” he said.
‘The Formal’
The funded projects are:
2 Street 2 Racer: A second series of Australia’s Best Street Racer...
There is also Facebook/YouTube comedy Counter Girls, which is a spin-off of hit series Rostered On, TikTok vertical series Krystal Klairvoyant, as well as satire Clockwork and therapy exploration It’s Fine I’m Fine, both of which are for Facebook.
Screen Australia’s senior online investment manager Lee Naimo said it was pleasing to see online creators working hard to identify and then hook in their audiences with great characters and storylines.
“We can see great examples of this with new seasons of 2 Street 2 Racer and The Formal which both connected with viewers on YouTube and TikTok respectively,” he said.
‘The Formal’
The funded projects are:
2 Street 2 Racer: A second series of Australia’s Best Street Racer...
- 8/31/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
‘Together Together’ Film Review: Patti Harrison Delivers Star-Making Performance in Surrogacy Comedy
If you’re a fan of Patti Harrison’s scene-stealing work on “Shrill” — or a devotee of the brilliant shock-humor of her Twitter feed — you’ll be delighted but not entirely surprised by her stellar work in “Together Together,” a movie that gives her the space to be hilarious, yes, but also heartbreaking and human.
The comedy from writer-director Nikole Beckwith, making its debut at the Sundance Film Festival, leaps into the world with all the attributes audiences expect from a character-based comedy: It’s bright and witty and packed with laughs, but those laughs stem from real empathy and understanding of its characters.
Harrison stars as Anna, who’s serving as surrogate for Silicon Valley bachelor Matt (Ed Helms); he’s ready for fatherhood even if he doesn’t currently have a partner. Harrison’s deadpan and Helms’ dorky enthusiasm clash early and often, as Matt’s perpetual efforts...
The comedy from writer-director Nikole Beckwith, making its debut at the Sundance Film Festival, leaps into the world with all the attributes audiences expect from a character-based comedy: It’s bright and witty and packed with laughs, but those laughs stem from real empathy and understanding of its characters.
Harrison stars as Anna, who’s serving as surrogate for Silicon Valley bachelor Matt (Ed Helms); he’s ready for fatherhood even if he doesn’t currently have a partner. Harrison’s deadpan and Helms’ dorky enthusiasm clash early and often, as Matt’s perpetual efforts...
- 1/31/2021
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
“It’s Kind of a Love Story but Not a Romantic Love Story”: Editor Annette Davey on Together Together
Nikole Beckwith’s surprising romantic comedy Together Together lacks an actual romance. Matt (Ed Helms) decides to have a child despite being single, so he seeks the help of gestational surrogate Anna (Patti Harrison). The two strike up an unlikely friendship, a purely platonic relationship between two self-described loners who gradually learn a thing or two about love. Editor Annette Davey tells us about crafting a unique story using tried and true genre conventions and how to stay authentic amid the editing process. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and […]
The post "It's Kind of a Love Story but Not a Romantic Love Story": Editor Annette Davey on Together Together first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post "It's Kind of a Love Story but Not a Romantic Love Story": Editor Annette Davey on Together Together first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/31/2021
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
“It’s Kind of a Love Story but Not a Romantic Love Story”: Editor Annette Davey on Together Together
Nikole Beckwith’s surprising romantic comedy Together Together lacks an actual romance. Matt (Ed Helms) decides to have a child despite being single, so he seeks the help of gestational surrogate Anna (Patti Harrison). The two strike up an unlikely friendship, a purely platonic relationship between two self-described loners who gradually learn a thing or two about love. Editor Annette Davey tells us about crafting a unique story using tried and true genre conventions and how to stay authentic amid the editing process. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and […]
The post "It's Kind of a Love Story but Not a Romantic Love Story": Editor Annette Davey on Together Together first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post "It's Kind of a Love Story but Not a Romantic Love Story": Editor Annette Davey on Together Together first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/31/2021
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The 2019-2020 movie awards season got underway on Monday night, December 2, with the presentation of the Gotham Awards for independent film. Presented by the Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp), these prizes are decided by juries of industry peers and have honored Oscar winners like “Sideways” (2004), “Capote” (2005), “The Hurt Locker” (2009), “Spotlight” (2015) and “Moonlight” (2016). So who took top honors this year? Scroll down for the complete list in all 10 categories, updated live as they were announced.
“Marriage Story,” “The Farewell” and “Uncut Gems” led the nominations with three apiece. Those three films were up for Best Feature along with “Hustlers” and “Waves.”
Sign UPfor Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
“Marriage Story” was the highest-profile Oscar contender among those nominees, but did that mean it was a surefire winner? The jury voting process opens the door for underdogs and left-field choices like last year’s champ “The Rider,” which beat Oscar...
“Marriage Story,” “The Farewell” and “Uncut Gems” led the nominations with three apiece. Those three films were up for Best Feature along with “Hustlers” and “Waves.”
Sign UPfor Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
“Marriage Story” was the highest-profile Oscar contender among those nominees, but did that mean it was a surefire winner? The jury voting process opens the door for underdogs and left-field choices like last year’s champ “The Rider,” which beat Oscar...
- 12/3/2019
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Pamela Adlon spent months planning the perfect surprise for the Season 2 finale of “Better Things” — and not just in the series, but in real life, too. Pages from the script were hidden, cover stories were established, and secret weekend rehearsals were held, all to capture an authentic reaction from actress Mikey Madison when her character got a very special graduation gift from her onscreen mother and off-screen showrunner, Adlon.
Then her back went out.
“I didn’t know it at the time, but I’d never had a feeling like that,” Adlon said in an interview with IndieWire. “I slipped my disc! And I actually shot another 12 hours that day.”
Why? In part, because Adlon didn’t realize the extent of her injury at the time, but it’s also because she wasn’t just acting in the scene. She also directed the episode, as well as every other entry...
Then her back went out.
“I didn’t know it at the time, but I’d never had a feeling like that,” Adlon said in an interview with IndieWire. “I slipped my disc! And I actually shot another 12 hours that day.”
Why? In part, because Adlon didn’t realize the extent of her injury at the time, but it’s also because she wasn’t just acting in the scene. She also directed the episode, as well as every other entry...
- 5/9/2018
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
This weekend's Sundance ShortsLab La panels offered a wealth of useful gleanings. Held at Google's Venice offices, panels included Story Development (director Spike Jonze and longtime editor Eric Zumbrunnen), Collaboration (director Azazel Jacobs, cinematographer Pj Raval, editor Annette Davey, production designer Kk Barrett, and moderator Matthew Harrison) and Working with Actors (Joshua Leonard, Nick Offerman, Gina Rodriguez, and moderator Matt Ross). Sundance director of programming Trevor Groth and programmers Landon Zakheim and Mike Plante also shared info and advice about submitting to the festival, presenting a case study on filmmaker Nicholas McCarthy's short film "The Pact" and its journey into becoming a feature within a year of playing at Sundance. Below are 12 key lessions for filmmakers--and anyone planning to collaborate in the medium. Story Development 1. Make it for yourself, make it your own. If you don't...
- 8/13/2012
- by Sophia Savage
- Thompson on Hollywood
"The Sleepy Time Gal" is one weary tale. The tapestry of one overbearing woman's lifetime of regrets, this Sundance Dramatic Competition entrant is graced with top performances from Jacqueline Bisset as the titular character as well as Martha Plimpton and Seymour Cassel. Based on the well-assembled cast, it could win some initial art house notice, but it is likely to go to sleep fast at the boxoffice based on unenthusiastic word-of-mouth. With its midlife subject matter, "Gal" might win the womenfolk who turn on to the Lifetime network.
Written and directed by Christopher Munch, whose edgy portrait of the relationship between John Lennon and Brian Epstein was a pleasant surprise here 10 years ago, "Sleepy Time Gal" also charts relationships that are fraught with pain and misunderstanding but are joys that are also braced with genuine love and need for the other.
In this sleepy/weepy, the title character has learned she has cancer. Age 52 when diagnosed, Frances (Bisset) methodically begins to take stock of her life. Given her rather dour midlife outlook and an obsessive disposition, Frances focuses on areas that are in need of mending. She leaves her beloved San Francisco and treks out to visit a former lover in Pennsylvania (Cassel), rekindling their affection for each other while, somewhat amazingly, befriending his long-term wife as well. While back East, Frances barges in on her son, a struggling and talented photographer. With the best of intentions, she tries to share her wisdom and artistic experiences with him. Characteristically, she spends much of their time together lecturing him: On and on, she bombards him with her opinions on photography, social issues and historical minutiae. Frances is a walking crash course on everything, with strong reliance on the crashing-bore syllabus.
While filmmaker Munch probes and intersects these lives with a clinical dexterity, he loses all balance on the film's most important connection: Frances and the daughter she gave up for adoption. Cross-cutting to the corporate-lawyer, fast-track world of Frances' discarded daughter, Rebecca (Plimpton), Munch hurtles "Sleepy Time Gal" into a more complicated -- and far less credible -- personal story orbit. In this out-there trajectory, he completely glosses over Frances' reasons for giving up the girl in the first place.
Almost out of the blue, we are thrust into Rebecca's yuppie world, following her on a case with one of her odious, media-giant clients to Florida, where the game plan is to swallow up a local radio station. Not as icy as her litigious peers, Rebecca quickly becomes enamored of the little airwave, especially its charismatic general manager (Frankie R. Faison). Alas, we figure out what Rebecca is actually doing in this story: She's the daughter of a onetime station personality, "The Sleepy Time Gal", who used to titillate and regale late-night listeners. Not surprisingly, the nocturnal star also did other things well in the dark: She had an affair with the station's cuddly-bear manager. Ipso-presto, our young lawyer hops in the sack also with the veteran manager. Like mother, like daughter -- "of all the radio joints in the world" -- you get the idea. This mother/daughter connection through a common lover is so forced, far-fetched and preposterous that this billowy subplot tends to diminish every other personal connection in the film.
Despite the forced narrative and a general loss of interest in Frances once we get to know her better, "Sleepy Time Gal" plumbs some solid midlife probl ems and addresses them in a generally entertaining fashion. It's a credit to Bisset's winsome appeal that we even come to care much for the stricken Frances, even aided and abetted by Munch's overtly melodramatic helpings. Still, Munch's filmmaking talent is evident in "Sleepy Time Gal"'s meticulous, credible look. The film's perceptive personal shadings are well-realized technically, particularly by the work of a trio of art directors (Melissa Frankei, Jody Asnes, Bryan Hodge) who smartly convey the inner thoughts and fear of the characters through their possessions and personal artwork.
THE SLEEPY TIME GAL
A film by Christopher Munch
Producers: Christopher Munch, Ruth Charay
Screenwriter-director: Christopher Munch
Co-producers: Jim McKay, Michael Stipe
Director of photography: Rob Sweeney
Art directors: Melissa Frankei, Jody Asnes, Bryan Hodge
Editors: : Annette Davey, Christopher Munch
Color/stereo
Cast:
Frances: Jacqueline Bisset
Morgan: Nick Stahl
Maggie: Amy Madigan
Rebecca: Martha Plimpton
Jimmy Dupree: Frankie R. Faison
Bob: Seymour Cassel
Betty: Peggy Gormley
Running time -- 107 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Written and directed by Christopher Munch, whose edgy portrait of the relationship between John Lennon and Brian Epstein was a pleasant surprise here 10 years ago, "Sleepy Time Gal" also charts relationships that are fraught with pain and misunderstanding but are joys that are also braced with genuine love and need for the other.
In this sleepy/weepy, the title character has learned she has cancer. Age 52 when diagnosed, Frances (Bisset) methodically begins to take stock of her life. Given her rather dour midlife outlook and an obsessive disposition, Frances focuses on areas that are in need of mending. She leaves her beloved San Francisco and treks out to visit a former lover in Pennsylvania (Cassel), rekindling their affection for each other while, somewhat amazingly, befriending his long-term wife as well. While back East, Frances barges in on her son, a struggling and talented photographer. With the best of intentions, she tries to share her wisdom and artistic experiences with him. Characteristically, she spends much of their time together lecturing him: On and on, she bombards him with her opinions on photography, social issues and historical minutiae. Frances is a walking crash course on everything, with strong reliance on the crashing-bore syllabus.
While filmmaker Munch probes and intersects these lives with a clinical dexterity, he loses all balance on the film's most important connection: Frances and the daughter she gave up for adoption. Cross-cutting to the corporate-lawyer, fast-track world of Frances' discarded daughter, Rebecca (Plimpton), Munch hurtles "Sleepy Time Gal" into a more complicated -- and far less credible -- personal story orbit. In this out-there trajectory, he completely glosses over Frances' reasons for giving up the girl in the first place.
Almost out of the blue, we are thrust into Rebecca's yuppie world, following her on a case with one of her odious, media-giant clients to Florida, where the game plan is to swallow up a local radio station. Not as icy as her litigious peers, Rebecca quickly becomes enamored of the little airwave, especially its charismatic general manager (Frankie R. Faison). Alas, we figure out what Rebecca is actually doing in this story: She's the daughter of a onetime station personality, "The Sleepy Time Gal", who used to titillate and regale late-night listeners. Not surprisingly, the nocturnal star also did other things well in the dark: She had an affair with the station's cuddly-bear manager. Ipso-presto, our young lawyer hops in the sack also with the veteran manager. Like mother, like daughter -- "of all the radio joints in the world" -- you get the idea. This mother/daughter connection through a common lover is so forced, far-fetched and preposterous that this billowy subplot tends to diminish every other personal connection in the film.
Despite the forced narrative and a general loss of interest in Frances once we get to know her better, "Sleepy Time Gal" plumbs some solid midlife probl ems and addresses them in a generally entertaining fashion. It's a credit to Bisset's winsome appeal that we even come to care much for the stricken Frances, even aided and abetted by Munch's overtly melodramatic helpings. Still, Munch's filmmaking talent is evident in "Sleepy Time Gal"'s meticulous, credible look. The film's perceptive personal shadings are well-realized technically, particularly by the work of a trio of art directors (Melissa Frankei, Jody Asnes, Bryan Hodge) who smartly convey the inner thoughts and fear of the characters through their possessions and personal artwork.
THE SLEEPY TIME GAL
A film by Christopher Munch
Producers: Christopher Munch, Ruth Charay
Screenwriter-director: Christopher Munch
Co-producers: Jim McKay, Michael Stipe
Director of photography: Rob Sweeney
Art directors: Melissa Frankei, Jody Asnes, Bryan Hodge
Editors: : Annette Davey, Christopher Munch
Color/stereo
Cast:
Frances: Jacqueline Bisset
Morgan: Nick Stahl
Maggie: Amy Madigan
Rebecca: Martha Plimpton
Jimmy Dupree: Frankie R. Faison
Bob: Seymour Cassel
Betty: Peggy Gormley
Running time -- 107 minutes
No MPAA rating...
"The Sleepy Time Gal" is one weary tale. The tapestry of one overbearing woman's lifetime of regrets, this Sundance Dramatic Competition entrant is graced with top performances from Jacqueline Bisset as the titular character as well as Martha Plimpton and Seymour Cassel. Based on the well-assembled cast, it could win some initial art house notice, but it is likely to go to sleep fast at the boxoffice based on unenthusiastic word-of-mouth. With its midlife subject matter, "Gal" might win the womenfolk who turn on to the Lifetime network.
Written and directed by Christopher Munch, whose edgy portrait of the relationship between John Lennon and Brian Epstein was a pleasant surprise here 10 years ago, "Sleepy Time Gal" also charts relationships that are fraught with pain and misunderstanding but are joys that are also braced with genuine love and need for the other.
In this sleepy/weepy, the title character has learned she has cancer. Age 52 when diagnosed, Frances (Bisset) methodically begins to take stock of her life. Given her rather dour midlife outlook and an obsessive disposition, Frances focuses on areas that are in need of mending. She leaves her beloved San Francisco and treks out to visit a former lover in Pennsylvania (Cassel), rekindling their affection for each other while, somewhat amazingly, befriending his long-term wife as well. While back East, Frances barges in on her son, a struggling and talented photographer. With the best of intentions, she tries to share her wisdom and artistic experiences with him. Characteristically, she spends much of their time together lecturing him: On and on, she bombards him with her opinions on photography, social issues and historical minutiae. Frances is a walking crash course on everything, with strong reliance on the crashing-bore syllabus.
While filmmaker Munch probes and intersects these lives with a clinical dexterity, he loses all balance on the film's most important connection: Frances and the daughter she gave up for adoption. Cross-cutting to the corporate-lawyer, fast-track world of Frances' discarded daughter, Rebecca (Plimpton), Munch hurtles "Sleepy Time Gal" into a more complicated -- and far less credible -- personal story orbit. In this out-there trajectory, he completely glosses over Frances' reasons for giving up the girl in the first place.
Almost out of the blue, we are thrust into Rebecca's yuppie world, following her on a case with one of her odious, media-giant clients to Florida, where the game plan is to swallow up a local radio station. Not as icy as her litigious peers, Rebecca quickly becomes enamored of the little airwave, especially its charismatic general manager (Frankie R. Faison). Alas, we figure out what Rebecca is actually doing in this story: She's the daughter of a onetime station personality, "The Sleepy Time Gal", who used to titillate and regale late-night listeners. Not surprisingly, the nocturnal star also did other things well in the dark: She had an affair with the station's cuddly-bear manager. Ipso-presto, our young lawyer hops in the sack also with the veteran manager. Like mother, like daughter -- "of all the radio joints in the world" -- you get the idea. This mother/daughter connection through a common lover is so forced, far-fetched and preposterous that this billowy subplot tends to diminish every other personal connection in the film.
Despite the forced narrative and a general loss of interest in Frances once we get to know her better, "Sleepy Time Gal" plumbs some solid midlife probl ems and addresses them in a generally entertaining fashion. It's a credit to Bisset's winsome appeal that we even come to care much for the stricken Frances, even aided and abetted by Munch's overtly melodramatic helpings. Still, Munch's filmmaking talent is evident in "Sleepy Time Gal"'s meticulous, credible look. The film's perceptive personal shadings are well-realized technically, particularly by the work of a trio of art directors (Melissa Frankei, Jody Asnes, Bryan Hodge) who smartly convey the inner thoughts and fear of the characters through their possessions and personal artwork.
THE SLEEPY TIME GAL
A film by Christopher Munch
Producers: Christopher Munch, Ruth Charay
Screenwriter-director: Christopher Munch
Co-producers: Jim McKay, Michael Stipe
Director of photography: Rob Sweeney
Art directors: Melissa Frankei, Jody Asnes, Bryan Hodge
Editors: : Annette Davey, Christopher Munch
Color/stereo
Cast:
Frances: Jacqueline Bisset
Morgan: Nick Stahl
Maggie: Amy Madigan
Rebecca: Martha Plimpton
Jimmy Dupree: Frankie R. Faison
Bob: Seymour Cassel
Betty: Peggy Gormley
Running time -- 107 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Written and directed by Christopher Munch, whose edgy portrait of the relationship between John Lennon and Brian Epstein was a pleasant surprise here 10 years ago, "Sleepy Time Gal" also charts relationships that are fraught with pain and misunderstanding but are joys that are also braced with genuine love and need for the other.
In this sleepy/weepy, the title character has learned she has cancer. Age 52 when diagnosed, Frances (Bisset) methodically begins to take stock of her life. Given her rather dour midlife outlook and an obsessive disposition, Frances focuses on areas that are in need of mending. She leaves her beloved San Francisco and treks out to visit a former lover in Pennsylvania (Cassel), rekindling their affection for each other while, somewhat amazingly, befriending his long-term wife as well. While back East, Frances barges in on her son, a struggling and talented photographer. With the best of intentions, she tries to share her wisdom and artistic experiences with him. Characteristically, she spends much of their time together lecturing him: On and on, she bombards him with her opinions on photography, social issues and historical minutiae. Frances is a walking crash course on everything, with strong reliance on the crashing-bore syllabus.
While filmmaker Munch probes and intersects these lives with a clinical dexterity, he loses all balance on the film's most important connection: Frances and the daughter she gave up for adoption. Cross-cutting to the corporate-lawyer, fast-track world of Frances' discarded daughter, Rebecca (Plimpton), Munch hurtles "Sleepy Time Gal" into a more complicated -- and far less credible -- personal story orbit. In this out-there trajectory, he completely glosses over Frances' reasons for giving up the girl in the first place.
Almost out of the blue, we are thrust into Rebecca's yuppie world, following her on a case with one of her odious, media-giant clients to Florida, where the game plan is to swallow up a local radio station. Not as icy as her litigious peers, Rebecca quickly becomes enamored of the little airwave, especially its charismatic general manager (Frankie R. Faison). Alas, we figure out what Rebecca is actually doing in this story: She's the daughter of a onetime station personality, "The Sleepy Time Gal", who used to titillate and regale late-night listeners. Not surprisingly, the nocturnal star also did other things well in the dark: She had an affair with the station's cuddly-bear manager. Ipso-presto, our young lawyer hops in the sack also with the veteran manager. Like mother, like daughter -- "of all the radio joints in the world" -- you get the idea. This mother/daughter connection through a common lover is so forced, far-fetched and preposterous that this billowy subplot tends to diminish every other personal connection in the film.
Despite the forced narrative and a general loss of interest in Frances once we get to know her better, "Sleepy Time Gal" plumbs some solid midlife probl ems and addresses them in a generally entertaining fashion. It's a credit to Bisset's winsome appeal that we even come to care much for the stricken Frances, even aided and abetted by Munch's overtly melodramatic helpings. Still, Munch's filmmaking talent is evident in "Sleepy Time Gal"'s meticulous, credible look. The film's perceptive personal shadings are well-realized technically, particularly by the work of a trio of art directors (Melissa Frankei, Jody Asnes, Bryan Hodge) who smartly convey the inner thoughts and fear of the characters through their possessions and personal artwork.
THE SLEEPY TIME GAL
A film by Christopher Munch
Producers: Christopher Munch, Ruth Charay
Screenwriter-director: Christopher Munch
Co-producers: Jim McKay, Michael Stipe
Director of photography: Rob Sweeney
Art directors: Melissa Frankei, Jody Asnes, Bryan Hodge
Editors: : Annette Davey, Christopher Munch
Color/stereo
Cast:
Frances: Jacqueline Bisset
Morgan: Nick Stahl
Maggie: Amy Madigan
Rebecca: Martha Plimpton
Jimmy Dupree: Frankie R. Faison
Bob: Seymour Cassel
Betty: Peggy Gormley
Running time -- 107 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 2/15/2001
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The scotch calms the nerves while the milk soothes the stomach -- that's the odd balance in this scruffy, atmospheric film that should win admirers on the art house circuit. Equal parts "Barfly" and "Swingers", the mix doesn't always completely jell, but "Scotch and Milk" is a well-made story of lovelorn angst and fast-footed carousing that should appeal to noir fans and connoisseurs of off-center storytelling.
First-time filmmaker Adam Goldberg, already an accomplished story mixologist, has fashioned what one might blithely peg as a booze noir. In this offbeat refreshment, Goldberg also stars as Jim, a disconsolate fringer whose girlfriend Ilsa (Clea Lewis) has given him the heave-ho. Jim is a sensitive guy and, quite understandably, shell-shocked by his loss. But he is also a bit of an old-time romantic, and Jim manages to sublimate his depression into, well, self-destructive wallowing -- he takes to boozing, chasing inappropriate women and hanging out at grungy jazz joints. Blue turns to gray as the alcohol, women and sounds soothe Jim's love wounds.
Narratively, screenwriter-director Goldberg's swizzle stick sometimes lets the story line drift and coagulate into stagnant stretches, but overall the tonalities and asides are so amusing and atmospheric that we're always engaged and intrigued. Visually, "Scotch and Milk" is first-rate noir, drenched with gritty looks and emotionally charged compositions. Highest praise to Goldberg as director and cinematographer Mark Putnam for the accomplished chiaroscuro lighting that imbues the film with an aptly fractured tone, perfect for the main character's state of mind. Jeffrey Texas Schell's production design is also perfect, a blend of romantic artifacts washed over with a grimy texture.
As the despondent lover, Goldberg is credible in his wallowing and regenerative energies. His drifter, aimless friends are well-played: A round at the bar for Nicky Katt, Giovanni Ribisi, Cole Hauser, Rio Hackford and Phil Maturano. As a nice garnish, Jimmy Scott lends cheeky jazz sounds to the story, adding just the right buzz to this downbeat ditty.
SCOTCH AND MILK
Credits: Producers: Robert Bauer, Francesca Silvestri; Screenwriter-director: Adam Goldberg; Co-producer: Adrienne Gruben; Executive producers: Adam Goldberg, Nicky Katt, Earl Goldberg; Director of photography: Mark Putnam; Production designer: Jeffrey Texas Schell; Editors: Annette Davey, Adam Goldberg, Max Heller; Costume designer: Carol Katt; Casting: Mary Vernieu, Anne McCarthy; Co-executive producer: Thomas Haden Church; Associate producers: Mary Vernieu, Marty Cohen; Sound mixers: B.J. Lehn, Erik Magnus, Rich Wilkinson. Cast: Jim: Adam Goldberg; Ray: Nicky Katt. Ilsa: Clea Lewis; Marty: Giovanni Ribisi; Johnny: Cole Hauser; Stanley: Rio Hackford; Otto: Phil Maturano; Armand: Ajay Naidu; Val: Ricardo Richards; Jimmy Scott: Himself. Black & white/stereo. Running time --117 minutes.
First-time filmmaker Adam Goldberg, already an accomplished story mixologist, has fashioned what one might blithely peg as a booze noir. In this offbeat refreshment, Goldberg also stars as Jim, a disconsolate fringer whose girlfriend Ilsa (Clea Lewis) has given him the heave-ho. Jim is a sensitive guy and, quite understandably, shell-shocked by his loss. But he is also a bit of an old-time romantic, and Jim manages to sublimate his depression into, well, self-destructive wallowing -- he takes to boozing, chasing inappropriate women and hanging out at grungy jazz joints. Blue turns to gray as the alcohol, women and sounds soothe Jim's love wounds.
Narratively, screenwriter-director Goldberg's swizzle stick sometimes lets the story line drift and coagulate into stagnant stretches, but overall the tonalities and asides are so amusing and atmospheric that we're always engaged and intrigued. Visually, "Scotch and Milk" is first-rate noir, drenched with gritty looks and emotionally charged compositions. Highest praise to Goldberg as director and cinematographer Mark Putnam for the accomplished chiaroscuro lighting that imbues the film with an aptly fractured tone, perfect for the main character's state of mind. Jeffrey Texas Schell's production design is also perfect, a blend of romantic artifacts washed over with a grimy texture.
As the despondent lover, Goldberg is credible in his wallowing and regenerative energies. His drifter, aimless friends are well-played: A round at the bar for Nicky Katt, Giovanni Ribisi, Cole Hauser, Rio Hackford and Phil Maturano. As a nice garnish, Jimmy Scott lends cheeky jazz sounds to the story, adding just the right buzz to this downbeat ditty.
SCOTCH AND MILK
Credits: Producers: Robert Bauer, Francesca Silvestri; Screenwriter-director: Adam Goldberg; Co-producer: Adrienne Gruben; Executive producers: Adam Goldberg, Nicky Katt, Earl Goldberg; Director of photography: Mark Putnam; Production designer: Jeffrey Texas Schell; Editors: Annette Davey, Adam Goldberg, Max Heller; Costume designer: Carol Katt; Casting: Mary Vernieu, Anne McCarthy; Co-executive producer: Thomas Haden Church; Associate producers: Mary Vernieu, Marty Cohen; Sound mixers: B.J. Lehn, Erik Magnus, Rich Wilkinson. Cast: Jim: Adam Goldberg; Ray: Nicky Katt. Ilsa: Clea Lewis; Marty: Giovanni Ribisi; Johnny: Cole Hauser; Stanley: Rio Hackford; Otto: Phil Maturano; Armand: Ajay Naidu; Val: Ricardo Richards; Jimmy Scott: Himself. Black & white/stereo. Running time --117 minutes.
- 8/11/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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