For costume designer J.R. Hawbaker, season four of “Fargo” “was a very detailed process starting with [showrunner Noah Hawley], and then every single item of clothing that went on these actors we discussed in the fitting room together: why they were wearing it, maybe what the colors were making them feel, all the little details.” With a cast this big, “the inspiration just came with who was coming to us.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Hawbaker above.
This season of “Fargo” explored a war between rival gangs in 1950 Kansas City with a large ensemble of characters played by Chris Rock, Jason Schwartzman, Jessie Buckley, Glynn Turman, Ben Whishaw, and many more. To distinguish them from one another, Hawley hoped to avoid a homogeneous, “sepia-toned sea of fedoras in a 1950s film … They’re definitely in two warring gangs, but they should all have very individualized looks.”
SEE15 best Frances McDormand movies ranked,...
This season of “Fargo” explored a war between rival gangs in 1950 Kansas City with a large ensemble of characters played by Chris Rock, Jason Schwartzman, Jessie Buckley, Glynn Turman, Ben Whishaw, and many more. To distinguish them from one another, Hawley hoped to avoid a homogeneous, “sepia-toned sea of fedoras in a 1950s film … They’re definitely in two warring gangs, but they should all have very individualized looks.”
SEE15 best Frances McDormand movies ranked,...
- 5/6/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Four top TV production designers will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Btl Experts” Q&a event with key 2021 guild and Emmy contenders this month. Each person will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Thursday, May 13, at 5:00 p.m. Pt; 8:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Rob Licuria and a group chat with Rob and all of the group together.
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2021 guild and Emmy contenders:
“The Challenge” and “The Real World”: James McGowan
McGowan’s career has included “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “Ex on the Beach,...
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2021 guild and Emmy contenders:
“The Challenge” and “The Real World”: James McGowan
McGowan’s career has included “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “Ex on the Beach,...
- 5/5/2021
- by Chris Beachum and Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
The 25th Annual Art Director’s Guild Awards took place tonight as a reimagined virtual show, with Mank,, Tenet and Da 5 Bloods taking home top film honors.
Hosted by Curb Your Enthusiasm’s J.B. Smoove, the event celebrates outstanding production design in theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials, animated features and music videos. For all the winners and nominees, see the list at the bottom of this post.
Ryan Murphy received Cinematic Imagery Award honoring his work reflecting the highest quality of production design. The award was presented by Matt Bomer, star of many of Murphy’s shows including Boys in the Band.
Other presenters included Jordi Molla (Jack Ryan); Nicco Annan (P-Valley); Tyra Banks; Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), Aasif Mandvi (Evil); Jenna Elfman (Fear the Walking Dead) and Brian Tee (Chicago Med).
Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Emmy-winning production designer Stuart Wurtzel (Ad), set designer Martha Johnston (Sdmm...
Hosted by Curb Your Enthusiasm’s J.B. Smoove, the event celebrates outstanding production design in theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials, animated features and music videos. For all the winners and nominees, see the list at the bottom of this post.
Ryan Murphy received Cinematic Imagery Award honoring his work reflecting the highest quality of production design. The award was presented by Matt Bomer, star of many of Murphy’s shows including Boys in the Band.
Other presenters included Jordi Molla (Jack Ryan); Nicco Annan (P-Valley); Tyra Banks; Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), Aasif Mandvi (Evil); Jenna Elfman (Fear the Walking Dead) and Brian Tee (Chicago Med).
Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Emmy-winning production designer Stuart Wurtzel (Ad), set designer Martha Johnston (Sdmm...
- 4/10/2021
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
The Art Directors Guild announced the nominations for the 25th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards on Thursday, honoring the finest production design in theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials, music videos, and animation features.
Among the nominees for film are Oscar hopefuls “Mank,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” with TV accolades including “The Mandalorian,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” and “What We Do in the Shadows.”
Netflix was the big winner grabbing seven Adg nominations, including three period dramas; one fantasy film (George Clooney’s “The Midnight Sky”); and three contemporary films.
Also making the cut were Christopher Nolan’s time-inversion spy thriller, “Tenet” (production designed by five-time Oscar nominee Nathan Crowley), and two surprises: Emerald Fennell’s Oscar buzzy revenge black comedy, “Promising Young Woman,” which scored a contemporary Adg nomination, and Matteo Garron’s period “Pinocchio” Gothic re-imagining, which scored for period.
Also being honored is Ryan Murphy,...
Among the nominees for film are Oscar hopefuls “Mank,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” with TV accolades including “The Mandalorian,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” and “What We Do in the Shadows.”
Netflix was the big winner grabbing seven Adg nominations, including three period dramas; one fantasy film (George Clooney’s “The Midnight Sky”); and three contemporary films.
Also making the cut were Christopher Nolan’s time-inversion spy thriller, “Tenet” (production designed by five-time Oscar nominee Nathan Crowley), and two surprises: Emerald Fennell’s Oscar buzzy revenge black comedy, “Promising Young Woman,” which scored a contemporary Adg nomination, and Matteo Garron’s period “Pinocchio” Gothic re-imagining, which scored for period.
Also being honored is Ryan Murphy,...
- 2/25/2021
- by Libby Hill and Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The Art Directors Guild has unveiled nominations for its 25th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards, which celebrate the year’s best achievements in theatrical motion pictures, TV, commercials, music videos and animated features. Winners will be announced April 10 during a virtual ceremony.
Last year, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Avengers: Endgame and Parasite were the big film winners in the Period, Fantasy and Contemporary categories, respectively, with Hollywood going on to take the Production Design Oscar. TV winners included The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Cherrnobyl, The Big Bang Theory, Russian Doll, The Umbrella Academy and Drunk History.
As previously announced, Ryan Murphy will receive the group’s Cinematic Imagery Award. The Adg Lifetime Achievement Awards, annually presented to outstanding individuals in each of the guild’s four crafts, and will be announced shortly.
With today’s nominations out, online balloting will now be held March 11-April 7.
Here’ the list...
Last year, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Avengers: Endgame and Parasite were the big film winners in the Period, Fantasy and Contemporary categories, respectively, with Hollywood going on to take the Production Design Oscar. TV winners included The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Cherrnobyl, The Big Bang Theory, Russian Doll, The Umbrella Academy and Drunk History.
As previously announced, Ryan Murphy will receive the group’s Cinematic Imagery Award. The Adg Lifetime Achievement Awards, annually presented to outstanding individuals in each of the guild’s four crafts, and will be announced shortly.
With today’s nominations out, online balloting will now be held March 11-April 7.
Here’ the list...
- 2/25/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
“Mank,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Mulan,” “News of the World” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” have been nominated in the Art Directors Guild Awards’ period-film category, the Adg category that most closely corresponds to the Academy Award for Best Production Design.
In the Adg’s fantasy-film category, which often supplies one or two Oscar nominees, the guild singled out “Birds of Prey,” “Pinocchio,” “Tenet,” “The Midnight Sky” and “Wonder Woman 1984.”
Nominees in the contemporary category, which last year included Oscar nominee “Parasite,” were “Da 5 Bloods,” “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” “Palm Springs,” “Promising Young Woman” and “The Prom.”
In the television categories, nominees included episodes of “Lovecraft Country,” “The Crown,” “The Mandalorian,” “The Flight Attendant” and “Utopia” in the one-hour categories; “Emily in Paris,” “Space Force,” “What We Do in the Shadows,” “The Neighborhood” and “Will & Grace” in the half-hour categories; and “Fargo,” “Hollywood...
In the Adg’s fantasy-film category, which often supplies one or two Oscar nominees, the guild singled out “Birds of Prey,” “Pinocchio,” “Tenet,” “The Midnight Sky” and “Wonder Woman 1984.”
Nominees in the contemporary category, which last year included Oscar nominee “Parasite,” were “Da 5 Bloods,” “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” “Palm Springs,” “Promising Young Woman” and “The Prom.”
In the television categories, nominees included episodes of “Lovecraft Country,” “The Crown,” “The Mandalorian,” “The Flight Attendant” and “Utopia” in the one-hour categories; “Emily in Paris,” “Space Force,” “What We Do in the Shadows,” “The Neighborhood” and “Will & Grace” in the half-hour categories; and “Fargo,” “Hollywood...
- 2/25/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
“Mank, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Tenet” are among the top films recognized for excellence in production design in the 25th annual Art Directors Guild nominations.
On Thursday, the Adg announced nominations for this year’s awards show, which will be held April 10 in a virtual ceremony, breaking with tradition in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Mank,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Mulan” landed nominations in the Period Feature Film category, and “Birds of Prey,” “Pinocchio” and “Wonder Woman 1984” earned recognition in Fantasy Feature Film.
Missing out were Oscar contenders “Emma,” “The Personal History of David Copperfield” and “One Night in Miami.”
As previously announced, multiple award-winning writer-director-producer Ryan Murphy, whose film and television shows have consistently reflected the highest quality of production design, will receive the esteemed Cinematic Imagery Award.
See the full list of nominations for film and TV below.
Period Feature Film
“Mank” ( Donald Graham Burt...
On Thursday, the Adg announced nominations for this year’s awards show, which will be held April 10 in a virtual ceremony, breaking with tradition in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Mank,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Mulan” landed nominations in the Period Feature Film category, and “Birds of Prey,” “Pinocchio” and “Wonder Woman 1984” earned recognition in Fantasy Feature Film.
Missing out were Oscar contenders “Emma,” “The Personal History of David Copperfield” and “One Night in Miami.”
As previously announced, multiple award-winning writer-director-producer Ryan Murphy, whose film and television shows have consistently reflected the highest quality of production design, will receive the esteemed Cinematic Imagery Award.
See the full list of nominations for film and TV below.
Period Feature Film
“Mank” ( Donald Graham Burt...
- 2/25/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
As Cynthia Erivo becomes a formidable Oscar contender for best actress and original song for her performance in the title role in “Harriet,” one thing remains clear: Diversity is good business.
In recent years, Hollywood has seen “Wonder Woman,” “Black Panther,” “Us” and “Crazy Rich Asians” all become box office successes. Focus Features’ “Harriet” — the story of Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery to become a leader of the Underground Railroad and help others gain their freedom — may not be a blockbuster on the level of those other films, but it’s approaching $50 million at the domestic box office, not bad for a movie budgeted
at $17 million.
Directed and co-written by Kasi Lemmons, Tubman’s story isn’t just about the fight for equality in front of the camera; it’s about championing diversity behind it too. As shown by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which has examined the extent of underrepresentation of gender,...
In recent years, Hollywood has seen “Wonder Woman,” “Black Panther,” “Us” and “Crazy Rich Asians” all become box office successes. Focus Features’ “Harriet” — the story of Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery to become a leader of the Underground Railroad and help others gain their freedom — may not be a blockbuster on the level of those other films, but it’s approaching $50 million at the domestic box office, not bad for a movie budgeted
at $17 million.
Directed and co-written by Kasi Lemmons, Tubman’s story isn’t just about the fight for equality in front of the camera; it’s about championing diversity behind it too. As shown by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which has examined the extent of underrepresentation of gender,...
- 1/3/2020
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
The Art Directors Guild has unveiled the nominees of its 20th anual Excellence in Production Design Awards and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is one of the contenders in the Contemporary Feature Film category. But it may be hard for the force to beat the magical "Cinderella!"
And as a big Madonna fan, yup I'm a Rebel Heart, it's heartwarming to see the icon as one of the nominees in the Short Format category for her "Ghosttown" music video! The only music video nominated!
Winners will be announced on January 31. Here's the full list of nominees of the Art Directors Guild Awards:
Excellence In Production Design For A Feature Film In 2015
Period Film
Bridge Of Spies
Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen
Crimson Peak
Production Designer: Thomas E. Sanders
The Danish Girl
Production Designer: Eve Stewart
The Revenant
Production Designer: Jack Fisk
Trumbo
Production Designer: Mark Ricker
Fantasy Film
Cinderella
Production Designer:...
And as a big Madonna fan, yup I'm a Rebel Heart, it's heartwarming to see the icon as one of the nominees in the Short Format category for her "Ghosttown" music video! The only music video nominated!
Winners will be announced on January 31. Here's the full list of nominees of the Art Directors Guild Awards:
Excellence In Production Design For A Feature Film In 2015
Period Film
Bridge Of Spies
Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen
Crimson Peak
Production Designer: Thomas E. Sanders
The Danish Girl
Production Designer: Eve Stewart
The Revenant
Production Designer: Jack Fisk
Trumbo
Production Designer: Mark Ricker
Fantasy Film
Cinderella
Production Designer:...
- 1/5/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Today's action movies rely on explosiveness to blow you into the back of your seat. Jarring camera movements and quick-cut editing combine with whatever danger is happening in the thick of the plot to rattle our brains and create a cinematic whiplash.
But "Gravity," which hits theaters this weekend, takes a welcome and awe-inspiring alternative tactic. Director Alfonso Cuarón, no stranger to lengthy, methodical takes in movies like "Children of Men" and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," strives once again to let his scenes breathe -- even when all hell is breaking loose.
In one sequence, a routine mission to tinker with the Hubble Telescope spirals out of control when a cloud of satellite shards swoops through the work scene. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney fight to stay alive as the debris rips their shuttle to shreds, and suddenly "Gravity" becomes a Point A to Point B thriller.
But "Gravity," which hits theaters this weekend, takes a welcome and awe-inspiring alternative tactic. Director Alfonso Cuarón, no stranger to lengthy, methodical takes in movies like "Children of Men" and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," strives once again to let his scenes breathe -- even when all hell is breaking loose.
In one sequence, a routine mission to tinker with the Hubble Telescope spirals out of control when a cloud of satellite shards swoops through the work scene. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney fight to stay alive as the debris rips their shuttle to shreds, and suddenly "Gravity" becomes a Point A to Point B thriller.
- 10/2/2013
- by Matt Patches
- Moviefone
Leading educational sociologist and academic who became the principal of Newnham College, Cambridge
Jean Floud, who has died aged 97, was one of Britain's leading educational sociologists. Her career was a triumph of brains, charm and presence over class and gender prejudice.
She was born Jean McDonald in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. Her father was a shoemender and salesman; her mother suffered from frequent ill-health. Jean went to local primary and secondary schools. When the family moved to Stoke Newington, north London, in 1927, she attended North Hackney Central school for girls.
At the London School of Economics, she studied sociology under David Glass, Th Marshall, Morris Ginsberg and Karl Mannheim, graduating in 1936. Two years later she married an upper-class communist, Peter Floud, then starting a curatorship at the Victoria and Albert Museum, with whom she had three children, Andrew, Frances and Esther. It was in his leftwing upper-class milieu that she shed the traces of her working-class origins.
Jean Floud, who has died aged 97, was one of Britain's leading educational sociologists. Her career was a triumph of brains, charm and presence over class and gender prejudice.
She was born Jean McDonald in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. Her father was a shoemender and salesman; her mother suffered from frequent ill-health. Jean went to local primary and secondary schools. When the family moved to Stoke Newington, north London, in 1927, she attended North Hackney Central school for girls.
At the London School of Economics, she studied sociology under David Glass, Th Marshall, Morris Ginsberg and Karl Mannheim, graduating in 1936. Two years later she married an upper-class communist, Peter Floud, then starting a curatorship at the Victoria and Albert Museum, with whom she had three children, Andrew, Frances and Esther. It was in his leftwing upper-class milieu that she shed the traces of her working-class origins.
- 4/4/2013
- by Robert Skidelsky, Michael Coveney
- The Guardian - Film News
This review was written for the festival screening of "Talk to Me". Again demonstrating why he's one of the most versatile actors around, Don Cheadle gives another prize-worthy performance as Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr., the irrepressible radio DJ whose keepin'-it-real style made him a trusted voice on the airwaves during the turbulent late '60s and early '70s.
While his fearlessly robust performance absolutely galvanizes "Talk to Me", it's not the only thing that makes Kasi Lemmons' third feature such a pleasure to take in. Similarly commanding performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and "Hustle & Flow's" Taraji P. Henson, plus an energetic script by Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa, vividly bring this biopic to life.
Following its Los Angeles Film Festival kick-off, the Focus Features film will be opening in limited release July 13, but enthusiastic word-of-mouth could ensure that audiences will tune in right up to the start of awards season.
We first see Petey Greene spinning the Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke platters within the confines of Virginia's Lorton Prison, where he puts his "Ph.D. in poverty" to use telling it like it is to his fellow inmates.
It's there he meets the decidedly buttoned-down Dewey Hughes (the always intriguing Ejiofor), the program director for Washington, D.C.'s R&B station, WOL-AM, who's visiting his estranged, incarcerated brother (Mike Epps).
Pestering Hughes for an on-air job when he gets out of the can, Petey and his bubbly, take-no-prisoners girlfriend (a terrific Henson) make good on their threat to show up at his decidedly corporate station one day, refusing to take no for an answer.
Eventually wearing Hughes down enough to give him a shot behind the mike, Petey and his plain-speaking style instantly light up the phone lines at the station, where WOL owner E.G. Sonderling (Martin Sheen), knowing a ratings-booster when he sees one, hands Greene the coveted morning shift.
But Petey proves to be more than just a colorful radio personality. In the aftermath of the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination he was the calming voice of reason for legions of listeners seeking immediate justice.
Looking to tap into his potential, Hughes becomes his manager, landing Petey his own TV show as well as stand-up gigs leading to an ill-fated appearance on "The Tonight Show".
Petey's subsequent downward spiral is a trajectory well-traveled by the biopic, and although it robs the film of that spirited comic zip found in the picture's first half, director Lemmons orchestrates the tonal shift with a refreshingly minimal amount of purposefulness, working from an effervescent script by Genet (whose father was Dewey Hughes) and Famuyiwa ("The Wood").
In addition to mining exceptional performances from Cheadle, Ejiofor and Henson, who creates another indelible performance here, Lemmons does well by bright turns from Sheen, Cedric the Entertainer and real-life husband Vondie Curtis Hall, the latter two planning a pair of WOR on-air personalities.
Also keeping it real are those rich period touches contributed by production designer Warren Alan Young and costume designer Gersha Phillips, whose fabulous creations for Henson appear to have come directly from the blaxploitation attic.
Completing the desired effect is Terence Blanchard's mood-altering, jazzy score and a Top 40s worth of golden soul oldies, highlighted by Cooke's ever-poignant "A Change Is Gonna Come".
TALK TO ME
Focus Features
A Focus Features and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment presentation of a Mark Gordon Co./Pelagius Films production
Credits:
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Screenwriters: Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa
Producers: Mark Gordon, Sidney Kimmel, Joe Fries, Josh McLaughlin
Executive producers: William Horberg, J. Miles Dale, Joey Rappa, Bruce Toll, Don Cheadle
Director of photography: Stephane Fontaine
Production designer: Warren Alan Young
Music: Terence Blanchard
Costume designer: Gersha Phillips
Editor: Terilyn A. Shropshire
Cast:
Petey Greene: Don Cheadle
Dewey Hughes: Chiwetel Ejiofor
"Nighthawk" Bob Terry: Cedric the Entertainer
Vernell Watson: Taraji P. Henson
Milo Hughes: Mike Epps
Sunny Jim Kelsey: Vondie Curtis Hall
E. G. Sonderling: Martin Sheen
Running time -- 118 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
While his fearlessly robust performance absolutely galvanizes "Talk to Me", it's not the only thing that makes Kasi Lemmons' third feature such a pleasure to take in. Similarly commanding performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and "Hustle & Flow's" Taraji P. Henson, plus an energetic script by Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa, vividly bring this biopic to life.
Following its Los Angeles Film Festival kick-off, the Focus Features film will be opening in limited release July 13, but enthusiastic word-of-mouth could ensure that audiences will tune in right up to the start of awards season.
We first see Petey Greene spinning the Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke platters within the confines of Virginia's Lorton Prison, where he puts his "Ph.D. in poverty" to use telling it like it is to his fellow inmates.
It's there he meets the decidedly buttoned-down Dewey Hughes (the always intriguing Ejiofor), the program director for Washington, D.C.'s R&B station, WOL-AM, who's visiting his estranged, incarcerated brother (Mike Epps).
Pestering Hughes for an on-air job when he gets out of the can, Petey and his bubbly, take-no-prisoners girlfriend (a terrific Henson) make good on their threat to show up at his decidedly corporate station one day, refusing to take no for an answer.
Eventually wearing Hughes down enough to give him a shot behind the mike, Petey and his plain-speaking style instantly light up the phone lines at the station, where WOL owner E.G. Sonderling (Martin Sheen), knowing a ratings-booster when he sees one, hands Greene the coveted morning shift.
But Petey proves to be more than just a colorful radio personality. In the aftermath of the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination he was the calming voice of reason for legions of listeners seeking immediate justice.
Looking to tap into his potential, Hughes becomes his manager, landing Petey his own TV show as well as stand-up gigs leading to an ill-fated appearance on "The Tonight Show".
Petey's subsequent downward spiral is a trajectory well-traveled by the biopic, and although it robs the film of that spirited comic zip found in the picture's first half, director Lemmons orchestrates the tonal shift with a refreshingly minimal amount of purposefulness, working from an effervescent script by Genet (whose father was Dewey Hughes) and Famuyiwa ("The Wood").
In addition to mining exceptional performances from Cheadle, Ejiofor and Henson, who creates another indelible performance here, Lemmons does well by bright turns from Sheen, Cedric the Entertainer and real-life husband Vondie Curtis Hall, the latter two planning a pair of WOR on-air personalities.
Also keeping it real are those rich period touches contributed by production designer Warren Alan Young and costume designer Gersha Phillips, whose fabulous creations for Henson appear to have come directly from the blaxploitation attic.
Completing the desired effect is Terence Blanchard's mood-altering, jazzy score and a Top 40s worth of golden soul oldies, highlighted by Cooke's ever-poignant "A Change Is Gonna Come".
TALK TO ME
Focus Features
A Focus Features and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment presentation of a Mark Gordon Co./Pelagius Films production
Credits:
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Screenwriters: Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa
Producers: Mark Gordon, Sidney Kimmel, Joe Fries, Josh McLaughlin
Executive producers: William Horberg, J. Miles Dale, Joey Rappa, Bruce Toll, Don Cheadle
Director of photography: Stephane Fontaine
Production designer: Warren Alan Young
Music: Terence Blanchard
Costume designer: Gersha Phillips
Editor: Terilyn A. Shropshire
Cast:
Petey Greene: Don Cheadle
Dewey Hughes: Chiwetel Ejiofor
"Nighthawk" Bob Terry: Cedric the Entertainer
Vernell Watson: Taraji P. Henson
Milo Hughes: Mike Epps
Sunny Jim Kelsey: Vondie Curtis Hall
E. G. Sonderling: Martin Sheen
Running time -- 118 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 6/22/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This review was written for the festival screening of "Talk to Me". Again demonstrating why he's one of the most versatile actors around, Don Cheadle gives another prize-worthy performance as Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr., the irrepressible radio DJ whose keepin'-it-real style made him a trusted voice on the airwaves during the turbulent late '60s and early '70s.
While his fearlessly robust performance absolutely galvanizes "Talk to Me", it's not the only thing that makes Kasi Lemmons' third feature such a pleasure to take in. Similarly commanding performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and "Hustle & Flow's" Taraji P. Henson, plus an energetic script by Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa, vividly bring this biopic to life.
Following its Los Angeles Film Festival kick-off, the Focus Features film will be opening in limited release July 13, but enthusiastic word-of-mouth could ensure that audiences will tune in right up to the start of awards season.
We first see Petey Greene spinning the Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke platters within the confines of Virginia's Lorton Prison, where he puts his "Ph.D. in poverty" to use telling it like it is to his fellow inmates.
It's there he meets the decidedly buttoned-down Dewey Hughes (the always intriguing Ejiofor), the program director for Washington, D.C.'s R&B station, WOL-AM, who's visiting his estranged, incarcerated brother (Mike Epps).
Pestering Hughes for an on-air job when he gets out of the can, Petey and his bubbly, take-no-prisoners girlfriend (a terrific Henson) make good on their threat to show up at his decidedly corporate station one day, refusing to take no for an answer.
Eventually wearing Hughes down enough to give him a shot behind the mike, Petey and his plain-speaking style instantly light up the phone lines at the station, where WOL owner E.G. Sonderling (Martin Sheen), knowing a ratings-booster when he sees one, hands Greene the coveted morning shift.
But Petey proves to be more than just a colorful radio personality. In the aftermath of the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination he was the calming voice of reason for legions of listeners seeking immediate justice.
Looking to tap into his potential, Hughes becomes his manager, landing Petey his own TV show as well as stand-up gigs leading to an ill-fated appearance on "The Tonight Show".
Petey's subsequent downward spiral is a trajectory well-traveled by the biopic, and although it robs the film of that spirited comic zip found in the picture's first half, director Lemmons orchestrates the tonal shift with a refreshingly minimal amount of purposefulness, working from an effervescent script by Genet (whose father was Dewey Hughes) and Famuyiwa ("The Wood").
In addition to mining exceptional performances from Cheadle, Ejiofor and Henson, who creates another indelible performance here, Lemmons does well by bright turns from Sheen, Cedric the Entertainer and real-life husband Vondie Curtis Hall, the latter two planning a pair of WOR on-air personalities.
Also keeping it real are those rich period touches contributed by production designer Warren Alan Young and costume designer Gersha Phillips, whose fabulous creations for Henson appear to have come directly from the blaxploitation attic.
Completing the desired effect is Terence Blanchard's mood-altering, jazzy score and a Top 40s worth of golden soul oldies, highlighted by Cooke's ever-poignant "A Change Is Gonna Come".
TALK TO ME
Focus Features
A Focus Features and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment presentation of a Mark Gordon Co./Pelagius Films production
Credits:
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Screenwriters: Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa
Producers: Mark Gordon, Sidney Kimmel, Joe Fries, Josh McLaughlin
Executive producers: William Horberg, J. Miles Dale, Joey Rappa, Bruce Toll, Don Cheadle
Director of photography: Stephane Fontaine
Production designer: Warren Alan Young
Music: Terence Blanchard
Costume designer: Gersha Phillips
Editor: Terilyn A. Shropshire
Cast:
Petey Greene: Don Cheadle
Dewey Hughes: Chiwetel Ejiofor
"Nighthawk" Bob Terry: Cedric the Entertainer
Vernell Watson: Taraji P. Henson
Milo Hughes: Mike Epps
Sunny Jim Kelsey: Vondie Curtis Hall
E. G. Sonderling: Martin Sheen
Running time -- 118 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
While his fearlessly robust performance absolutely galvanizes "Talk to Me", it's not the only thing that makes Kasi Lemmons' third feature such a pleasure to take in. Similarly commanding performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and "Hustle & Flow's" Taraji P. Henson, plus an energetic script by Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa, vividly bring this biopic to life.
Following its Los Angeles Film Festival kick-off, the Focus Features film will be opening in limited release July 13, but enthusiastic word-of-mouth could ensure that audiences will tune in right up to the start of awards season.
We first see Petey Greene spinning the Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke platters within the confines of Virginia's Lorton Prison, where he puts his "Ph.D. in poverty" to use telling it like it is to his fellow inmates.
It's there he meets the decidedly buttoned-down Dewey Hughes (the always intriguing Ejiofor), the program director for Washington, D.C.'s R&B station, WOL-AM, who's visiting his estranged, incarcerated brother (Mike Epps).
Pestering Hughes for an on-air job when he gets out of the can, Petey and his bubbly, take-no-prisoners girlfriend (a terrific Henson) make good on their threat to show up at his decidedly corporate station one day, refusing to take no for an answer.
Eventually wearing Hughes down enough to give him a shot behind the mike, Petey and his plain-speaking style instantly light up the phone lines at the station, where WOL owner E.G. Sonderling (Martin Sheen), knowing a ratings-booster when he sees one, hands Greene the coveted morning shift.
But Petey proves to be more than just a colorful radio personality. In the aftermath of the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination he was the calming voice of reason for legions of listeners seeking immediate justice.
Looking to tap into his potential, Hughes becomes his manager, landing Petey his own TV show as well as stand-up gigs leading to an ill-fated appearance on "The Tonight Show".
Petey's subsequent downward spiral is a trajectory well-traveled by the biopic, and although it robs the film of that spirited comic zip found in the picture's first half, director Lemmons orchestrates the tonal shift with a refreshingly minimal amount of purposefulness, working from an effervescent script by Genet (whose father was Dewey Hughes) and Famuyiwa ("The Wood").
In addition to mining exceptional performances from Cheadle, Ejiofor and Henson, who creates another indelible performance here, Lemmons does well by bright turns from Sheen, Cedric the Entertainer and real-life husband Vondie Curtis Hall, the latter two planning a pair of WOR on-air personalities.
Also keeping it real are those rich period touches contributed by production designer Warren Alan Young and costume designer Gersha Phillips, whose fabulous creations for Henson appear to have come directly from the blaxploitation attic.
Completing the desired effect is Terence Blanchard's mood-altering, jazzy score and a Top 40s worth of golden soul oldies, highlighted by Cooke's ever-poignant "A Change Is Gonna Come".
TALK TO ME
Focus Features
A Focus Features and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment presentation of a Mark Gordon Co./Pelagius Films production
Credits:
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Screenwriters: Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa
Producers: Mark Gordon, Sidney Kimmel, Joe Fries, Josh McLaughlin
Executive producers: William Horberg, J. Miles Dale, Joey Rappa, Bruce Toll, Don Cheadle
Director of photography: Stephane Fontaine
Production designer: Warren Alan Young
Music: Terence Blanchard
Costume designer: Gersha Phillips
Editor: Terilyn A. Shropshire
Cast:
Petey Greene: Don Cheadle
Dewey Hughes: Chiwetel Ejiofor
"Nighthawk" Bob Terry: Cedric the Entertainer
Vernell Watson: Taraji P. Henson
Milo Hughes: Mike Epps
Sunny Jim Kelsey: Vondie Curtis Hall
E. G. Sonderling: Martin Sheen
Running time -- 118 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 6/22/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Again demonstrating why he's one of the most versatile actors around, Don Cheadle gives another prize-worthy performance as Ralph Waldo Petey Greene Jr., the irrepressible radio DJ whose keepin'-it-real style made him a trusted voice on the airwaves during the turbulent late '60s and early '70s.
While his fearlessly robust performance absolutely galvanizes Talk to Me, it's not the only thing that makes Kasi Lemmons' third feature such a pleasure to take in. Similarly commanding performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and "Hustle & Flow's" Taraji P. Henson, plus an energetic script by Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa, vividly bring this biopic to life.
Following its Los Angeles Film Festival kick-off, the Focus Features film will be opening in limited release July 13, but enthusiastic word-of-mouth could ensure that audiences will tune in right up to the start of awards season.
We first see Petey Greene spinning the Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke platters within the confines of Virginia's Lorton Prison, where he puts his Ph.D. in poverty to use telling it like it is to his fellow inmates.
It's there he meets the decidedly buttoned-down Dewey Hughes (the always intriguing Ejiofor), the program director for Washington, D.C.'s R&B station, WOL-AM, who's visiting his estranged, incarcerated brother (Mike Epps).
Pestering Hughes for an on-air job when he gets out of the can, Petey and his bubbly, take-no-prisoners girlfriend (a terrific Henson) make good on their threat to show up at his decidedly corporate station one day, refusing to take no for an answer.
Eventually wearing Hughes down enough to give him a shot behind the mike, Petey and his plain-speaking style instantly light up the phone lines at the station, where WOL owner E.G. Sonderling (Martin Sheen), knowing a ratings-booster when he sees one, hands Greene the coveted morning shift.
But Petey proves to be more than just a colorful radio personality. In the aftermath of the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination he was the calming voice of reason for legions of listeners seeking immediate justice.
Looking to tap into his potential, Hughes becomes his manager, landing Petey his own TV show as well as stand-up gigs leading to an ill-fated appearance on The Tonight Show.
Petey's subsequent downward spiral is a trajectory well-traveled by the biopic, and although it robs the film of that spirited comic zip found in the picture's first half, director Lemmons orchestrates the tonal shift with a refreshingly minimal amount of purposefulness, working from an effervescent script by Genet (whose father was Dewey Hughes) and Famuyiwa (The Wood).
In addition to mining exceptional performances from Cheadle, Ejiofor and Henson, who creates another indelible performance here, Lemmons does well by bright turns from Sheen, Cedric the Entertainer and real-life husband Vondie Curtis Hall, the latter two planning a pair of WOR on-air personalities.
Also keeping it real are those rich period touches contributed by production designer Warren Alan Young and costume designer Gersha Phillips, whose fabulous creations for Henson appear to have come directly from the blaxploitation attic.
Completing the desired effect is Terence Blanchard's mood-altering, jazzy score and a Top 40s worth of golden soul oldies, highlighted by Cooke's ever-poignant A Change Is Gonna Come.
TALK TO ME
Focus Features
A Focus Features and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment presentation of a Mark Gordon Co./Pelagius Films production
Credits:
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Screenwriters: Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa
Producers: Mark Gordon, Sidney Kimmel, Joe Fries, Josh McLaughlin
Executive producers: William Horberg, J. Miles Dale, Joey Rappa, Bruce Toll, Don Cheadle
Director of photography: Stephane Fontaine
Production designer: Warren Alan Young
Music: Terence Blanchard
Costume designer: Gersha Phillips
Editor: Terilyn A. Shropshire
Cast:
Petey Greene: Don Cheadle
Dewey Hughes: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Nighthawk Bob Terry: Cedric the Entertainer
Vernell Watson: Taraji P. Henson
Milo Hughes: Mike Epps
Sunny Jim Kelsey: Vondie Curtis Hall
E. G. Sonderling: Martin Sheen
Running time -- 118 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
While his fearlessly robust performance absolutely galvanizes Talk to Me, it's not the only thing that makes Kasi Lemmons' third feature such a pleasure to take in. Similarly commanding performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and "Hustle & Flow's" Taraji P. Henson, plus an energetic script by Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa, vividly bring this biopic to life.
Following its Los Angeles Film Festival kick-off, the Focus Features film will be opening in limited release July 13, but enthusiastic word-of-mouth could ensure that audiences will tune in right up to the start of awards season.
We first see Petey Greene spinning the Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke platters within the confines of Virginia's Lorton Prison, where he puts his Ph.D. in poverty to use telling it like it is to his fellow inmates.
It's there he meets the decidedly buttoned-down Dewey Hughes (the always intriguing Ejiofor), the program director for Washington, D.C.'s R&B station, WOL-AM, who's visiting his estranged, incarcerated brother (Mike Epps).
Pestering Hughes for an on-air job when he gets out of the can, Petey and his bubbly, take-no-prisoners girlfriend (a terrific Henson) make good on their threat to show up at his decidedly corporate station one day, refusing to take no for an answer.
Eventually wearing Hughes down enough to give him a shot behind the mike, Petey and his plain-speaking style instantly light up the phone lines at the station, where WOL owner E.G. Sonderling (Martin Sheen), knowing a ratings-booster when he sees one, hands Greene the coveted morning shift.
But Petey proves to be more than just a colorful radio personality. In the aftermath of the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination he was the calming voice of reason for legions of listeners seeking immediate justice.
Looking to tap into his potential, Hughes becomes his manager, landing Petey his own TV show as well as stand-up gigs leading to an ill-fated appearance on The Tonight Show.
Petey's subsequent downward spiral is a trajectory well-traveled by the biopic, and although it robs the film of that spirited comic zip found in the picture's first half, director Lemmons orchestrates the tonal shift with a refreshingly minimal amount of purposefulness, working from an effervescent script by Genet (whose father was Dewey Hughes) and Famuyiwa (The Wood).
In addition to mining exceptional performances from Cheadle, Ejiofor and Henson, who creates another indelible performance here, Lemmons does well by bright turns from Sheen, Cedric the Entertainer and real-life husband Vondie Curtis Hall, the latter two planning a pair of WOR on-air personalities.
Also keeping it real are those rich period touches contributed by production designer Warren Alan Young and costume designer Gersha Phillips, whose fabulous creations for Henson appear to have come directly from the blaxploitation attic.
Completing the desired effect is Terence Blanchard's mood-altering, jazzy score and a Top 40s worth of golden soul oldies, highlighted by Cooke's ever-poignant A Change Is Gonna Come.
TALK TO ME
Focus Features
A Focus Features and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment presentation of a Mark Gordon Co./Pelagius Films production
Credits:
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Screenwriters: Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa
Producers: Mark Gordon, Sidney Kimmel, Joe Fries, Josh McLaughlin
Executive producers: William Horberg, J. Miles Dale, Joey Rappa, Bruce Toll, Don Cheadle
Director of photography: Stephane Fontaine
Production designer: Warren Alan Young
Music: Terence Blanchard
Costume designer: Gersha Phillips
Editor: Terilyn A. Shropshire
Cast:
Petey Greene: Don Cheadle
Dewey Hughes: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Nighthawk Bob Terry: Cedric the Entertainer
Vernell Watson: Taraji P. Henson
Milo Hughes: Mike Epps
Sunny Jim Kelsey: Vondie Curtis Hall
E. G. Sonderling: Martin Sheen
Running time -- 118 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 6/22/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Opened Friday, April 7
In "Phat Girlz", a comedy about plus-size women, the first word of the movie's title stands for Pretty Hot and Thick. The second word is never spelled out, but it could mean Good Intentions Ruined by Lousy Zingers. Because it's not a bad idea to look for comic opportunities on the subject of women's self-image in this age of anorexic supermodels and worship of weight loss.
Indeed, Patricia Cardoso's endearing HBO film "Real Women Have Curves" already has shown the way. Regrettably, the approach taken here by debuting writer-director Nnegest Likke is to hurl every imaginable fat joke on the screen in hopes that some will stick. Few do.
After a short run in urban areas, this Fox Searchlight release could perform better on home video.
Mo'Nique, the comic who starred on UPN's "The Parkers" for five years, not only stars in the film but embodies the underlying problem: Mo'Nique's in-your-face, combative approach runs roughshod over any attempt to examine the cultural, generational or social attitudes that lead to America's fixation on thinness.
The writing is rudimentary and the direction often awkward, but Mo'Nique would confound a veteran director. Because she is not really an actress, essentially she can convey two emotions -- bubbly excess or petulant pout, with the threat of violence hanging over each. Which turns any character into a manic depressive.
Mo'Nique plays Jazmin Biltmore -- yes, Biltmore, you wanna make something of it? Body size has destroyed her social life and self-esteem. She works in a department store's women's department and does have good ideas about a clothing line for plus-size women, but her boss, Dick (Jack Noseworthy) -- oh, does Mo'Nique have fun with that name -- won't let her show her sketches to the head buyer (Eric Roberts).
When Jazmin wins a week at a Palm Springs spa, she takes along her companion in corpulence Stacey (Kendra C. Johnson) and her cousin Mia (Joyful Drake) who, working from a different family Gene Pool, is a knockout.
At the spa, they run into a group of Nigerian doctors. Wouldn't you know it, in their culture, fat is where it's at. So muscular Tunde (Jimmy Jean-Louis) puts the moves on Jazmin, and Akibo (Godfrey) whisks Stacey off to bed, while Godwin (Dayo Ade) gets stuck with "matchstick" Mia.
Although the course of true love proves bumpy, the experience transforms Jazmin's self-esteem. She eventually launches her clothing line, then flies off to Africa to claim her stud doctor without a thought of how she might run an American business while acting as a Nigerian housewife.
Production values are substandard for a studio release.
PHAT GIRLZ
Fox Searchlight
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Outlaw Prods. present an Outlaw/Sneak Preview Entertainment production in association with 10 Times Greater Prods.
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Nnegest Likke
Producers: Bobby Newmyer, Steven J. Wolfe
Executive producers: Mo'Nique, Steven Imes III
Directors of photography: John Njaga Demps, Dean Lent
Production designers: Warren Alan Young, Natasha Baumgardner
Music: Stephen Endelman
Costumes: Ronda Bell, Susan Chan, Marvlyn Harrison
Editor: Zack Arnold. Cast: Jazmin: Mo'Nique
Tunde: Jimmy Jean-Louis
Akido: Godfrey
Stacey: Kendra C. Johnson
Mia: Joyful Drake
Dick Eckhard: Jack Noseworthy
Robert Myer: Eric Roberts
Running time -- 109 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
In "Phat Girlz", a comedy about plus-size women, the first word of the movie's title stands for Pretty Hot and Thick. The second word is never spelled out, but it could mean Good Intentions Ruined by Lousy Zingers. Because it's not a bad idea to look for comic opportunities on the subject of women's self-image in this age of anorexic supermodels and worship of weight loss.
Indeed, Patricia Cardoso's endearing HBO film "Real Women Have Curves" already has shown the way. Regrettably, the approach taken here by debuting writer-director Nnegest Likke is to hurl every imaginable fat joke on the screen in hopes that some will stick. Few do.
After a short run in urban areas, this Fox Searchlight release could perform better on home video.
Mo'Nique, the comic who starred on UPN's "The Parkers" for five years, not only stars in the film but embodies the underlying problem: Mo'Nique's in-your-face, combative approach runs roughshod over any attempt to examine the cultural, generational or social attitudes that lead to America's fixation on thinness.
The writing is rudimentary and the direction often awkward, but Mo'Nique would confound a veteran director. Because she is not really an actress, essentially she can convey two emotions -- bubbly excess or petulant pout, with the threat of violence hanging over each. Which turns any character into a manic depressive.
Mo'Nique plays Jazmin Biltmore -- yes, Biltmore, you wanna make something of it? Body size has destroyed her social life and self-esteem. She works in a department store's women's department and does have good ideas about a clothing line for plus-size women, but her boss, Dick (Jack Noseworthy) -- oh, does Mo'Nique have fun with that name -- won't let her show her sketches to the head buyer (Eric Roberts).
When Jazmin wins a week at a Palm Springs spa, she takes along her companion in corpulence Stacey (Kendra C. Johnson) and her cousin Mia (Joyful Drake) who, working from a different family Gene Pool, is a knockout.
At the spa, they run into a group of Nigerian doctors. Wouldn't you know it, in their culture, fat is where it's at. So muscular Tunde (Jimmy Jean-Louis) puts the moves on Jazmin, and Akibo (Godfrey) whisks Stacey off to bed, while Godwin (Dayo Ade) gets stuck with "matchstick" Mia.
Although the course of true love proves bumpy, the experience transforms Jazmin's self-esteem. She eventually launches her clothing line, then flies off to Africa to claim her stud doctor without a thought of how she might run an American business while acting as a Nigerian housewife.
Production values are substandard for a studio release.
PHAT GIRLZ
Fox Searchlight
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Outlaw Prods. present an Outlaw/Sneak Preview Entertainment production in association with 10 Times Greater Prods.
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Nnegest Likke
Producers: Bobby Newmyer, Steven J. Wolfe
Executive producers: Mo'Nique, Steven Imes III
Directors of photography: John Njaga Demps, Dean Lent
Production designers: Warren Alan Young, Natasha Baumgardner
Music: Stephen Endelman
Costumes: Ronda Bell, Susan Chan, Marvlyn Harrison
Editor: Zack Arnold. Cast: Jazmin: Mo'Nique
Tunde: Jimmy Jean-Louis
Akido: Godfrey
Stacey: Kendra C. Johnson
Mia: Joyful Drake
Dick Eckhard: Jack Noseworthy
Robert Myer: Eric Roberts
Running time -- 109 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 4/10/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Twin Falls Idaho" is that rara avis in the world of film, a remarkably original work that offers a unique vision of humanity. The feature debut by the highly talented Polish brothers is artistically exciting and meticulously crafted, and one feels the filmmakers' intelligence behind every frame. The film, acquired at this year's Sundance Festival by Sony Pictures Classics, should do well in specialty markets, provided audiences don't recoil from the unusual subject matter.
The story tells of conjoined twins Blake and Francis Falls, played by filmmakers Mark and Michael Polish (who are twins but not conjoined). However, the film is anything but a freak show: "Twin Falls" is first and foremost a love story and then something of a romantic triangle.
The Polish brothers -- Michael directed the screenplay they wrote together -- have been fascinated by conjoined twins since at an early age they stumbled onto the story of original "Siamese twins" Chang and Eng Bunker, who were 19th century circus attractions. In "Twin Falls", they explore not only how such brothers bond and communicate but the themes of human identity and completeness.
What is it like to never be alone? How do you define who you are when you are two? Does one fantasize about being "single"?
Blake and Francis, 25, come to the city to search for the mother Lesley Ann Warren) who abandoned them early in life. Taking up residence in an incredibly seedy hotel, the two celebrate their birthday by ordering a prostitute. Penny -- played by wonderful newcomer Michele Hicks -- is, naturally, floored by their appearance.
Horrified, she flees but returns to retrieve her purse. She then yields to her curiosity and stays. She asks questions, runs errands and finds herself falling in love with Blake. She realizes that Francis is ill and being kept alive by his brother, whose strong heart does the pumping for both bodies.
Through Penny, the movie enters the twins' mysterious, private world. Her presence also acts as a catalyst in the brothers' relationship because, for once, someone has come between them. With her blossoming affection for Blake, Penny -- who has allowed her life to take a downward spiral since giving up her handicapped son -- feels a sense of worth re-enter her life.
The film contains several brilliant sequences, especially a Halloween party at which the twins discover that for this one night they can be seen as normal. An absolutely haunting ending brings home the universal need for love.
Although the film was shot in color, cinematographer M. David Mullen's lighting, Bic Owen's costumes and Warren Alan Young's decors strongly emphasize blacks and whites. This, along with a Depression-era flop house where Barton Fink would feel right at home, evokes a timeless world in which the story unfolds.
Despite an obviously limited budget, "Twin Falls" is a first-class production, right down to the incredible prosthetic attachment.
TWIN FALLS IDAHO
Sony Pictures Classics
Seattle Pacific Investments and Fresh Produce Co.
in association with Steven J. Wolfe and Sneak Preview Entertainment present a Rena Ronson production
Producers:Marshall Persinger, Rena Ronson, Steven J. Wolfe
Director:Michael Polish
Writers:Michael Polish, Mark Polish
Executive producer:Joyce Schweickert
Director of photography:M. David Mullen
Production designer:Warren Alan Young
Music:Stuart Matthewman
Costume designer:Bic Owen
Editor:Leo Trombetta
Color/stereo
Cast:
Blake Falls:Mark Polish
Francis Falls:Michael Polish
Penny:Michele Hicks
Francine:Lesley Ann Warren
Miles:Patrick Bauchau
Jay:Jon Gries
Jesus:Garrett Morris
Surgeon:William Katt
Running time -- 105 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
The story tells of conjoined twins Blake and Francis Falls, played by filmmakers Mark and Michael Polish (who are twins but not conjoined). However, the film is anything but a freak show: "Twin Falls" is first and foremost a love story and then something of a romantic triangle.
The Polish brothers -- Michael directed the screenplay they wrote together -- have been fascinated by conjoined twins since at an early age they stumbled onto the story of original "Siamese twins" Chang and Eng Bunker, who were 19th century circus attractions. In "Twin Falls", they explore not only how such brothers bond and communicate but the themes of human identity and completeness.
What is it like to never be alone? How do you define who you are when you are two? Does one fantasize about being "single"?
Blake and Francis, 25, come to the city to search for the mother Lesley Ann Warren) who abandoned them early in life. Taking up residence in an incredibly seedy hotel, the two celebrate their birthday by ordering a prostitute. Penny -- played by wonderful newcomer Michele Hicks -- is, naturally, floored by their appearance.
Horrified, she flees but returns to retrieve her purse. She then yields to her curiosity and stays. She asks questions, runs errands and finds herself falling in love with Blake. She realizes that Francis is ill and being kept alive by his brother, whose strong heart does the pumping for both bodies.
Through Penny, the movie enters the twins' mysterious, private world. Her presence also acts as a catalyst in the brothers' relationship because, for once, someone has come between them. With her blossoming affection for Blake, Penny -- who has allowed her life to take a downward spiral since giving up her handicapped son -- feels a sense of worth re-enter her life.
The film contains several brilliant sequences, especially a Halloween party at which the twins discover that for this one night they can be seen as normal. An absolutely haunting ending brings home the universal need for love.
Although the film was shot in color, cinematographer M. David Mullen's lighting, Bic Owen's costumes and Warren Alan Young's decors strongly emphasize blacks and whites. This, along with a Depression-era flop house where Barton Fink would feel right at home, evokes a timeless world in which the story unfolds.
Despite an obviously limited budget, "Twin Falls" is a first-class production, right down to the incredible prosthetic attachment.
TWIN FALLS IDAHO
Sony Pictures Classics
Seattle Pacific Investments and Fresh Produce Co.
in association with Steven J. Wolfe and Sneak Preview Entertainment present a Rena Ronson production
Producers:Marshall Persinger, Rena Ronson, Steven J. Wolfe
Director:Michael Polish
Writers:Michael Polish, Mark Polish
Executive producer:Joyce Schweickert
Director of photography:M. David Mullen
Production designer:Warren Alan Young
Music:Stuart Matthewman
Costume designer:Bic Owen
Editor:Leo Trombetta
Color/stereo
Cast:
Blake Falls:Mark Polish
Francis Falls:Michael Polish
Penny:Michele Hicks
Francine:Lesley Ann Warren
Miles:Patrick Bauchau
Jay:Jon Gries
Jesus:Garrett Morris
Surgeon:William Katt
Running time -- 105 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 7/29/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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