ON THE ROAD

ON THE ROAD

The seminal 1950’s beat classic ‘ON THE ROAD’ has been adapted for the screen by Jose Rivera and directed by Brazilian Walter Salles (motorcycle diaries), executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola. Starring British born Sam Riley (Control), Kristen Stewart (Twilight saga, The Runaways), Garrett Hedlund (Tron) and Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia) Tom Sturridge (The Boat That Rocked).

In the first completed adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s ‘On the road’. It has long been said the book was inspired by a rambling thousand-word letter from close friend Neal Cassady (author of The first third). Based on a sort of truth turned examination into the creative process, Kerouac made notes as he went on his expansive road trip, turning his notes into spontaneous prose and unconscious streams of thought which played out like a John Coltrane jazz improvisation. He wrote the novel in three weeks (almost as long as one Coltranes' tracks) typing continuously onto a 120ft sheet of paper it was this process of working that became synonymous with Kerouac’s work. And a blue print for a generation of artists from poets to filmmakers the work of John Cassavetes being a prime example of beat movie making.

Carlo Marx was based on Allen Ginsberg.

Old Bull Lee was based on William S.Burroughs.

Sal Paradise was based on Jack Kerouac.

Dean Moriarty was based on Neal Cassady.

Sam Riley - Sal Paradise

Garrett Hedlund - Dean Moriarty

Kristen Stewart - Marylou

Tom Sturridge - Carlo Marx

Viggo Mortensen - Old Bull Lee

Kirsten Dunst - Camille


Due for release in the autumn. 

BERLIN

URBAN EXING IN BERLIN

The seeking out and filming of derelict buildings has been an interest of mine for some time, some are of historical relevance and some are just of visual interest. The building I filmed in Frankfurter Berlin was a derelict institution  from the 1930's.
The sound design was created to give the viewer a sense of isolation.

 

ONLY GOD FORGIVES

ONLY GOD FORGIVES

The Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn bromance continues unabated by the DRIVE Oscar snubs, they crack on with their next ultra dark thriller ONLY GOD FORGIVES.

Here’s a quick breakdown to wet your appetite Julian (Ryan Gosling) runs a Thai boxing club in Bangkok, where he escaped to ten years earlier after killing a cop. The club is a front a very organised drug operation, even though he has the respect of the underworld he feels empty a shell of the man he once was.

So when his brother murders a prostitute and a retired cop Chang (also known as the Angel of Vengeance) exacts his own kind of vengeance by allowing the father of the dead prostitute to kill her killer after which he then restores order by chopping off the fathers’ hand. So when Julian’s mother Jenna (Kristin Scott Thomas) the matriarchal figure of the criminal dynasty orders him to find his brothers killer his obsessions turn into soul searching and the search for spiritual release so Julian challenges Chang to a boxing match which Chang goes onto win. And there sets the stage for a brutal trail of vengeance by a furious mother. Will Julian find redemption or will mummy get revenge? Remember there are no happy endings in a neo-noir thriller just closure some times.

Anticipation rating:  off the scale.

  

RAMPART

RAMPART

Director:  Oren Moverman

Writers: James Ellroy and Oren Moverman

Starring: woody Harrelson, Sigourney Weaver, Ned Beatty, Ice Cube, Robin Wright, Cynthia Nixon, Anne Heche.

Set in 1999 in the Rampart division of the Los Angeles police department, Rampart centres around veteran police officer David Brown who is caught on camera brutally beating a suspect. This act of brutality sets in motion the professional and emotional downward spiral of David Brown and in light of the current department corruption scandals combined with his past sins, his struggle to pull himself from swamp of his own creation seems immense even his nickname has the stench of corruption DATE RAPE DAVE.

Brown attempts to conceal his work life from his family life soon start to unravel. Which in its self is a usual living arrangement between himself and his two ex-wife’s’ who happen to be sisters (Ann Hech and Cynthia Nixon) and his two daughters. Internalizing his growing paranoia, anguish and fear of the on coming tidal wave of excrement about hit the fan he turns to aging mentor Hartshorne (Ned Beatty) who regularly dispensing him bad advice while relieving him of his cash which he is hemorrhaging at rapid rate, in his search for escapism he turns to drugs, alcohol and random sexual encounters, and its on one of his many cruising expedition he meets Linda Fentress (Robin Wright) the lawyer sent to entrap him, Joan Confrey (Sigourney Weaver) sits and waits holding the rope as his life starts to spin out of control and the rope starts to tightens Browns grip starts to loosen. Woody Harrelson portal of David Brown an aggressive chauvinist misanthrope exhibiting sexist, homophobic and racist tendencies somewhat clashes with his attraction to black women and his sometime hedonistic outings’ and the emotional support he gains from his gay daughter. Brown is an un-sympathetic and brutal character on the surface but thanks to Ellroy’s writing he leaves an open window into the complexity of Browns so even though you hate what he represents you may find yourself sympathising with his predicament.

I can’t leave this review without mentioning the cinematography of Bobby Bukoski the tight claustrophobic camera angles the intense use of colour. A prime example was his drug fuelled bender the vivid colour saturation the intoxicating lighting and ripping sound design layered with the visual intensity of the club scene managed to translate his emotional state of mind to the audience and that is what any great cinematographer should be able to do, not forgetting the amazing editing skills Jay Rabinowitz.

RATE: TWO THUMBS AND A FINGER

 

                                

SCREENINGS AT CORNERHOUSE AND AMC




WOODY'S TOP FIVE


1. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN - CARSON WELLS 
       (DIRECTED BY THE COEN BROTHERS)


2. NATURAL BORN KILLERS - MICKEY KNOX
       (DIRECTED BY OLIVER STONE)


3. WELCOME TO SARAJEVO - FLYNN
        (DIRECTED BY MICHAEL WINTERBOTTOM)


4. THIN REDLINE - SGT KECK
       (DIRECTED BY TERRENCE MALICK)


5. THE PEOPLE VS LARRY FLINT - LARRY FLINT
       (DIRECTED BY MILOS FORMAN)