Tag: Kirsten Dunst

ROOFMAN – Review

Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in Paramount Pictures’ “ROOFMAN.”

This weekend sees the release of a most unusual true-crime story. Yes, it’s got the standard details of a lawbreaker’s plans and motives (yup, filthy loot), but it’s more than that ole DRAGNET cliché of “Just the facts”. No, it takes lots of twists and turns, even making a detour into comedy (often slapstick) and romance (thanks to the sprightly pairing of the two leads). But don’t let its title mislead you, because the fella’ here known as the ROOFMAN is certainly not a spandex-clad “superguy”, though he’s not a super villain either. Mostly…

The film opens with the title guy doing his “thing”. Former US Army Reservist Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum) scopes out a busy suburban McDonald’s as it closes for the night. After the workers depart, he heads to the roof and bashes a big hole so that he can drop in. From there, it’s a waiting game until the morning crew arrives. Jeff springs out wearing all black (including a ski mask) and brandishes his rifle. After the manager gives him the cash from the safe, Jeff instructs them to grab their coats and head to the walk-in cooler. But the manager doesn’t have one, so Jeff gives him his black jacket (he’s also dubbed the “gentleman robber”), then dashes away (and calls 911 to get his victims rescued from the cold). From there, the story backtracks to Jeff struggling to make ends meet for his wife, pre-teen daughter, and twin toddler sons. Taking inspiration from his Army pal Steve’s (LaKeith Stanfield) illicit schemes (phony IDs and passports), Jeff begins his retail and restaurant robbery spree. But the law catches up to him. Due to the whole “locking folks in freezers” MO, Jeff is convicted of armed kidnapping and given a hefty sentence. He quickly learns that his spouse has cut out contact with him (Jeff is quite a “girl daddy”). Using his observation skills from the service, he slips out of prison, and contacts his pal Steve, who tells him that he’s too “hot” and to contact him in a month about setting Jeff up with a new identity. What to do over those thirty days? A nearby Toys ‘R’ Us shop may be the answer. Near closing time, Jeff hides via the bathroom ceiling tile. He emerges after the store is closed, disables the security video system, and uses the space behind the bicycle display as his daytime hideaway. He also sets up video baby monitors throughout the store. One day, Jeff is aware of a sweet single mother on the staff. He sees Leigh (Kirsten Dunst) plead with her prickly boss Mitch (Peter Dinkledge) to let her take some discarded, unsellable items for her church’s toy drive. Mitch refuses, so Jeff figures out a way to exit and re-enter the store during the day. He shows up at the church to drop off his bag of goodies, but a member insists that he join the service. He spots Leigh in the choir, and at the post-service spaghetti lunch, Jeff (calling himself John) strikes up a conversation. A romance quickly ensues. But can he dodge her questions and the police? And what will happen when Steve returns? Will Jeff flee or pursue a new life with Leigh?

Once again, Tatum proves that he’s much more than his superb dancing skills as he ramps up the charm (and “rizz”) as the “man on the lam”. Actually, his Jeff/John just entrances almost everyone he meets, and even some of those crime victims, as he deftly sidesteps inquiries and contemplates his next move. But Tatum also shows us this man’s inner conflict and heartbreak over losing contact with his kids. Fortunately, he enjoys a surrogate fam via his relationship with Leigh, given a bouncy sweetness by the still endearing Ms. Dunst. It’s nice to see her step away from her recent somber, dramatic roles, although Dunst can certainly bring the tears in the emotional third act. A big entertaining asset is the great Dinkledge, who makes Mitch a very funny “retail dictator” as he glowers at his “slacking underlings”. Stanfield brings a dangerous, tough energy to the no-nonsense Steve. It’s a shame that the bubble Juno Temple (so great in “Ted Lasso”) doesn’t have more to do as his ditzy beautician GF. On the other side of the law is the inspired pairing of Ben Mendelsohn and Uzo Aduba as the affable Pastor John (at Leigh’s church) and his nurturing wife Eileen (going against the notion of Hollywood deriding the ministry). And stand-up comic Jimmy O. Yang delivers some laughs as a frazzled used car salesman.

Like Dunst, this is much lighter fare for director Derek Cianfrance, perhaps best known for THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES and BLUE VALENTINE. He displays a real flair for breezy comic set pieces, especially when Jeff becomes the nighttime ruler of “toyland” as he wastes the pre-dawn hours tossing teddy bears and scarfing peanut M&Ms (better than all the jars of baby food). Ditto for the initial dating of him and Leigh. But it eases into a few clichés, especially with her two daughters. The pre-teen is sweet and adorable, while the sixteen-year-old is the usual surly, snarky “demon spawn” overused in so many shows. I suppose this is there for conflict so that Jeff has to “work” to win them all over. This precludes a lull in the pacing, as the movie “spins its wheels” as Jeff gets a new set of wheels. Really, the film could have used a good fifteen or twenty-minute trim on the ole’ editing bay (well, probably all computers now). This leads up to the very sobering and sad finale, in which Jeff reverts to his criminal ways. The film doesn’t give him a “pass” since he’s really a good guy with Leigh and her kids. He “fesses up” that he’s a bad guy even after the filmmakers work diligently to make him the hangdog hero that we “root for”. No, he’s a criminal who takes the hard-earned money of others while waving a weapon. And if not for the high-caliber cast, this might have been another made-for-cable-TV bit of fluff. However, fans of Mr. Tatum and Ms. Dunst may enjoy and be moved by the true-life modern fable of the ROOFMAN. Oh, and be sure and stay for the end credits, which include lots of footage of the real folks.

2.5 Out of 4

ROOFMAN is now playing in theaters everywhere

Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, LaKeith Stanfield And Peter Dinklage Star In First Trailer For ROOFMAN

Channing Tatum stars in Paramount Pictures’ “ROOFMAN.”

Watch the first trailer for director Derek Cianfrance’s ROOFMAN.

Based on an unbelievable true story, Roofman follows Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum), a former Army Ranger and struggling father who turns to robbing McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, earning him the nickname: Roofman.

After escaping prison, he secretly lives inside a Toys “R” Us for six months, surviving undetected while planning his next move. But when he falls for Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), a divorced mom drawn to his undeniable charm, his double life begins to unravel, setting off a compelling and suspenseful game of cat and mouse as his past closes in.

One of this geek’s favorite filmmakers, Cianfrance’s other superb films include BLUE VALENTINE, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS and he was also the co-story writer for SOUND OF METAL, which received a best original screenplay nod at the 93rd Oscars.

ROOFMAN’s cast includes Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, Jimmy O. Yang and Peter Dinklage.

ROOFMAN opens in theaters on October 10.

https://www.roofmanmovie.com

Channing Tatum stars in Paramount Pictures’ “ROOFMAN.”

CIVIL WAR – Review

Writer/director Alex Garland explored the near future in two of his previous three features. In EX MACHINA he pondered the possibilities of emerging technology and the rise of sentient artificial beings. Then in ANNIHILATION, he tackled the results of alien contact and the impact on the ecology and the military response to it. With this new film, Garland goes “back to the future”, though it’s not centuries ahead, but rather a time that could be “just around the corner”, spawned from events happening right now. And it’s not gizmos or ETs that propel the cautionary fable. No, it’s the dangers of hatred and intolerance that divide the country and lead to a CIVIL WAR. It’s not the first time, but it could be the last…

We’re not shown the causes or origin (no “first shot heard ’round the world” flashback). Instead, we’re “backstage’ as the “third-term” President (Nick Offerman) readies himself before a televised address to the fractured United States. War is already raging between the federal military and the Western Forces (WF) of California and Texas, and some other states may be joining them (Florida is mentioned in the speech). And where there’s war, there are journalists (writers and photogs) on the ground. In NYC, celebrated “shutterbug” Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst) is at the front lines with scribe pal Joel (Wagner Moura) during a violent clash between citizens and soldiers. During the mayhem, Lee assists a battered young woman named Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), who has a dream of following in Lee’s footsteps. However, Lee strongly discourages her and insists that she return home. Later, at a local hotel filled with press from around the globe, Lee and Joel meet up with an old pal, veteran New York Times reporter Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), who gets the duo to share their big plans, They’ll go the “long route” to get into the now fortress-like D.C. and somehow get an interview with the President (who has been “unavailable”). They give into Sammy’s pleading and decide to take him along. Early the next morning Lee is shocked to discover that Joel has taken on another travel partner, Jessie. After some bickering they hit the trail, making a “big circle” to enter the “back door” of the Capital. But can they survive the horrors and threats that await them down every highway and side road?

Her role as the veteran photojournalist proves to be a “high-water mark’ in the now 35-year feature film career of Ms. Dunst. The early street riot sequence gives us an insight into Lee’s character with merely Dunst’s “coiled” body language and her “taking in everything” glare under heavy “seen it all” eyelids. it appears she’s trying to file this with the far-flung conflicts she’s covered until the realization that this is happening in her “old backyard” truly hits home (it nearly paralyzes her in the big finale). A “fun” visit to a dress shop reminds her of a life she could have lived. The same is true in her relationship with Jessie as Lee tries to push her aside, then experiences a maternal joy (or perhaps as a “big sister”) in protecting and mentoring her. This film, coming off her splendid work in THE POWER OF THE DOG, really showcases Dunst’s mature acting skills. Interestingly, Ms. Spaevy’s career trajectory is so similar to the first decade of Dunst on screen. So terrific in last year’s PRISCILLA, Spaevy captures the dichotomy of Jessie, bouncing from young wide-eyed innocent to devious “climber” to headstrong post-teen making very dangerous choices to get her “props” from the seniors. We want to shield her while she still annoys us. And we finally see her ‘take the reins” as Spaevy shows us that Jessie is now a true battlefield daredevil. Much like Moura’s aspiring “swashbuckler for truth” Joel who plunges into the thick of “it”, then must try and bluff his way out of the consequences. On the opposite end is Henderson, who has also seen too much but can’t shake the “rush” even as he becomes more frustrated by his failing physicality. He knows he has his cohorts’ respect, but he fears becoming a burden and slowing them down. Offerman uses his stern gravitas to give a sinister spin on the typical blustery lying politico. But the film’s big scene stealer may be Jesse Plemons as a taunting militia bully who becomes the biggest “poster boy” for the erosion of humanity via callous banal acts of evil.

As mentioned earlier, Garland dives confidently from the worlds of science fiction, with the detour into horror with MEN, into speculative fiction with a slight hint of satire as he distorts the already twisted political atmosphere of these times. Once we get past some of the wilder concepts (“blue” Callie and “roarin’ red” Texas teaming is a big stretch), he drops us into this nightmarish “what if” fable. The villains are not easily labeled as each side commits truly barbaric acts. In one scene we side with WF who seem hopelessly “pinned down” until the battle takes a turn, ending when we find the “underdogs” take no prisoners. Yes, it is a cautionary tale, but also a tribute to the recently maligned press (we’re told that they kill members of the press on-site in DC). Lee and her team could turn back, but it’s just not in their DNA, even as they use any “downtime” to numb themselves with booze and weed. Perhaps that’s to chronicle the carnage and snap pics of a steaming pile of entrails that was a person mere seconds before. Garland also has elements of a road trip/odyssey as the crew encounters a stadium-turned-tent shelter city and a serene main street that seems removed from it all, until a big reveal. Surprisingly the film is beautifully rendered, whether driving on a highway as bodies dangle from rope tied to the overpass, to that excruciatingly tense encounter with Plemons and his murderous cohorts. Kudos to the sound techs who have crafted an immersive mix of arsenal fire, screams, and nature still being heard. The audio may be at its best, along with the rest of the film, in the dizzying final act assault on democracy’s home which gives us a sense of the chaos and desperation of those “boots on the ground”. Maybe it took a filmmaker from the “mother country” to craft the compelling, haunting, and very sobering “wake-up call” that is CIVIL WAR.

3.5 Out of 4

CIVIL WAR is now playing in theatres everywhere.

Kirsten Dunst Stars In First Trailer For Alex Garland’s CIVIL WAR

In 2017, the film BUSHWICK was released starring Dave Bautista and Brittany Snow. (Trailer)

BUSHWICK tells the story of twenty-year- old Lucy (Snow) and war veteran Stupe (Bautista). Texas, and other states (mostly Southern) are trying to secede from the U.S., and NYC is being used as a negotiation tool. Lucy meets Stupe after coming up from the subway into the military invasion of Brooklyn. Together they decide to cross the treacherous five blocks of Bushwick – littered with looters, local militias and the invading forces, in order to get home and be reunited with Lucy’s grandmother.

In December 2023, Netflix released a similar, dystopian movie, LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND. (Trailer) After a series of coordinated attacks on the United States from within, a series of bizarre events leaves most of the population isolated from their phones, internet and communications, and leads to a state of confusion. The film stars Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Kevin Bacon and Mahershala Ali. It’s Ali’s character, G. H. Scott, who breaks the bad news that this entire thing could be part of a three-stage process meant to destabilize the United States and start a Civil War. https://www.netflix.com/title/81314956

Hitting theaters this spring is writer and director Alex Garland’s CIVIL WAR and, you guessed it, another foreboding film of what could be coming down the pike next year after the presidential election.

Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Cailee Spaeny, check out the trailer below.

Garland is the director of EX MACHINA and ANNIHILATION, and the writer of NEVER LET ME GO, 28 DAYS LATER and SUNSHINE, so it should be no surprise as to what kind of film is coming from the Oscar-nominated filmmaker.

“19 states have seceded.” “The three-term president assures the uprising will be dealt with swiftly,” and the most chilling, “We’re American, okay? Okay, what kind of American are you? You don’t know?”

Definitely a film not to be missed, CIVIL WAR opens in theaters April 26, 2024.

THE POWER OF THE DOG – Review

THE POWER OF THE DOG BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH as PHIL BURBANK in THE POWER OF THE DOG. Cr. KIRSTY GRIFFIN/NETFLIX © 2021

Just a few weeks after THE HARDER THEY FALL, Netflix gives us another sprawling Western. Ah, but there are a few big differences. The West is still pretty wild, though the entry is a tad “milder’. The former was filled with desperate shoot-out and showdowns, I don’t believe anyone in this story “throws down” on anybody, other than some “target practice. Yes, there’s lots of violence but it’s more of the verbal and psychological nature. Oh, and the new one is set nearly fifty years after FALL, so them “new-fangled” cars are spookin’ the horses. Its gorgeous cinematography highlights the “wide-open spaces” which helps to amplify the big distance between the two brothers, with one of them channeling THE POWER OF THE DOG.

In 1925 Montana we meet the Burbank brothers, who have taken over the sprawling cattle ranch from their parents. Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) prefers to get down and dirty with the hired cowhands. His brother George (Jesse Plemons), who Phil dismissively calls “Fatso”, quietly does the books and tends to the big house that they share. He does join Phil for the big cattle drive to the market, perhaps because of a stop on the trek. In the tiny town of Beech, young widow Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst) runs the inn and restaurant, with help from her lanky intellectual son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Settling in there for Dinner, Phil is miffed that George is late for his toast to the memory of their mentor, the late ranch foreman “Bronco” Henry.. George is back in the kitchen conversing with Rose. Phil takes out his anger on Peter, their server, and amuses his men by taunting the lad for being “soft’ and “dandified”. Weeks later, George stuns Phil with the news that he has married Rose and he’ll be bringing her there to live with them in the estate. After sending Peter off to medical school, Rose arrives and is given an icy “welcome” by Phil. Thus begins their war over the stoic George. When Peter arrives during his Summer break, it seems that Phil has another target for his cruelty. But when Peter accidentally stumbles upon Phil’s secret “retreat’, the tables are turned. A friendship slowly begins to build. Does Phil really like the lad, or could he have an ulterior motive?

Anchoring this near-century old saga is the masterful performance of Cumberbatch, playing the type of role we’ve never seen from him. Truly going “against type”, Phil gives us a hint of the actor’s versatility. We’re told that Phil dropped out of Yale, which gives us a hint of his inner conflict. He rejects the “book-learnin'” to become one with the dirt, grime, and sweat. Cumberbatch conveys that self-loathing which strikes out at others, instead of internalizing. He wants to be one with “the help”, but can’t indulge in their basest pleasures. Perhaps Cumberbatch’s most telling moment happens when George tells him of his secret nuptials. In those few seconds, Phil’s face is a mix of anger, resentment, and sadness. His Phil should repel us but instead draws us in. Nearly as compelling is Dunst as the “wedge” between the Burbanks. Rose is worn down, not only from kitchen drudgery but from the source of her widowhood (Mr. Gordon hung himself). Her need to survive, to fend for her and her son, has superseded her psyche’s need to heal. The attention from George is a lifeline, letting her feel desired once more. Dunst shows us the inner light shining through those dark, tired eyes. And with meeting Phil, we see those eyes dimming, as she plunges back into despair. Plemons gives George quiet dignity, much like his recent role in ANTLERS. He’s eager to start his own life, away from his suffocating brother (his taunts of “Fatso” seem to pierce him like tiny poisoned darts). George’s quiet demeanor masks an inner strength, as Plemons shows us in his body language, lifting his posture and quickening his lumbering step. The other part of this quartet is Smit-McPhee who imbues Peter with an aloof unfazed bravado, not wishing to hide his “smarts’ in order to blend in. The same can be said of his sensitivity, though his later actions show that his pursuit of knowledge truly guides him. But there’s more to him than his thirst for a doctor’s degree, though Smit-McPhee plays him often as a “blank slate’. In smaller roles, we’re treated to work from one of our busiest young actresses and an Oscar-winner who’s part of an acting dynasty.

The scope of the breathtaking scenery never overwhelms the intimacy of this family dynamic thanks to the skillful, subtle direction by Jane Campion, who also wrote the screenplay adaptation of the novel by Thomas Savage. She perfectly captures the eerie quiet of the old West, almost making the rolling hills and flat plains another character in the story. The mundane everyday tasks are captured which gives extra power to the unexpected confrontations (piano vs, banjo). In some sequences, it appears that Phil is almost an avenging ghost, banished from his home by the “schemer” Rose. We’re almost lulled into a languid pace until the third act throws us a “curve”. Being unfamiliar with the source material, I can honestly and enthusiastically say that I did not know where the plot was going. How refreshing. And what a rarity, indeed. Coupled with the superb performances by the gifted cast, THE POWER OF THE DOG holds us in its own powerful grip.

3.5 Out of 4

THE POWER OF THE DOG opens in select theatres on Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Jane Campion’s THE POWER OF THE DOG, Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Announced As Centerpiece Selection For 59th New York Film Festival

THE POWER OF THE DOG: BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH as PHIL BURBANK in THE POWER OF THE DOG. Cr. KIRSTY GRIFFIN/NETFLIX © 2021

Film at Lincoln Center announces Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog as the Centerpiece selection for the 59th New York Film Festival, making its New York premiere at Alice Tully Hall on October 1.

Campion reaffirms her status as one of the world’s greatest—and most gratifyingly eccentric—filmmakers with this mesmerizing, psychologically rich variation on the American western. Adapted from a 1967 cult novel by Thomas Savage that was notoriously ahead of its time in depicting repressed sexuality, The Power of the Dog excavates the emotional torment experienced at a Montana cattle ranch in the 1920s. Here, melancholy young widow Rose (Kirsten Dunst) has come to live with her sensitive new husband, George (Jesse Plemons), though their lives are increasingly complicated by the erratic, potentially violent behavior of his sullen and bullying brother, Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch), whose mistrust of both Rose and her misfit son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) leads to tragic consequences. Mirroring the unpredictable story turns, Campion crafts a film of unexpected cadences and rhythms, and her daring is matched every step of the way by her extraordinary, fully immersed cast and a mercurial, destabilizing score by Jonny Greenwood. A Netflix release.

“I am very honored that The Power of the Dog has been selected as the Centerpiece Gala at this year’s New York Film Festival,” said director Jane Campion. “Public screenings we long took for granted feel exceptional now, so it is going to be a very emotional and joyous experience for me and my team to be there and present the film to such a film-celebrating audience.”

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome Jane Campion back to the festival with one of her very best films,” said Dennis Lim, NYFF Director of Programming. “Everything about The Power of the Dog is alive with surprise: its narrative turns, its rich characterizations, its complex ideas about masculinity and repression. It will introduce many to the work of the underappreciated novelist Thomas Savage, but it also reminds us of what cinema can do as a medium for accessing and expressing inner life.”

Four of Campion’s previous films—Sweetie (1989), An Angel at My Table (1990), The Piano (1993), and Holy Smoke (1999)—have been official selections of NYFF, and in 2017, Film at Lincoln Center presented Jane Campion’s Own Stories, a retrospective of her film and television work.

The NYFF Main Slate selection committee, chaired by Dennis Lim, also includes Eugene Hernandez, Florence Almozini, K. Austin Collins, and Rachel Rosen.

Presented by Film at Lincoln Center, the New York Film Festival highlights the best in world cinema and takes place September 24 – October 10, 2021. An annual bellwether of the state of cinema that has shaped film culture since 1963, the festival continues an enduring tradition of introducing audiences to bold and remarkable works from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent.

WAMG Giveaway – Win the WOODSHOCK Blu-ray – Stars Kirsten Dunst


The hypnotic and daring thriller starring Golden Globe nominee Kirsten Dunst (Best Actress – Limited Series, ”Fargo,” 2016; Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, 1995), Woodshock, arrives on and Blu-ray™ (plus Digital HD), DVD, and On DemandNovember 28 from Lionsgate. Written and directed by Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the world-renowned fashion designer duo behind American luxury label Rodarte, the dark and twisted drama follows a woman who falls deeper into paranoia after an experiment gone wrong. Executive produced by Dunst and theatrically released by A24, the Woodshock Blu-ray and DVD includes a making-of featurette and will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.

Now you can own WOODSHOCK on Blu-ray. We Are Movie Geeks has 4 copies to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question: What is your favorite movie starring Kirsten Dunst ? (mine is MELANCHOLIA!). It’s so easy!

Good Luck!

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES.  NO P.O. BOXES.  NO DUPLICATE ADDRESSES.

2. WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES.


Golden Globe® nominee Kirsten Dunst stars as Theresa, a haunted young woman spiraling in the wake of profound loss, torn between her fractured emotional state and the reality-altering effects of a potent cannabinoid drug. Immersive, spellbinding, and sublime, Woodshock transcends genre to become a singularly thrilling cinematic experience that marks the arrival of Kate and Laura Mulleavy as major new voices in film.
                                                                                          
CAST
Kirsten Dunst              TV’s “Fargo,” Spider-Man films franchise, Melancholia, The Beguiled 
Joe Cole                      Green Room, Netflix’s “Peaky Blinders”
Pilou Asbæk                HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” Ghost in the Shell

BLU-RAY/DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

  • “Making Woodshock: A Mental Landscape” Featurette

WOODSHOCK Starring Kirsten Dunst Available on Blu-ray and DVD November 28th


The hypnotic and daring thriller starring Golden Globe nominee Kirsten Dunst (Best Actress – Limited Series, ”Fargo,” 2016; Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, 1995), Woodshock, arrives on and Blu-ray™ (plus Digital HD), DVD, and On DemandNovember 28 from Lionsgate. Written and directed by Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the world-renowned fashion designer duo behind American luxury label Rodarte, the dark and twisted drama follows a woman who falls deeper into paranoia after an experiment gone wrong. Executive produced by Dunst and theatrically released by A24, the Woodshock Blu-ray and DVD includes a making-of featurette and will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.


Golden Globe® nominee Kirsten Dunst stars as Theresa, a haunted young woman spiraling in the wake of profound loss, torn between her fractured emotional state and the reality-altering effects of a potent cannabinoid drug. Immersive, spellbinding, and sublime, Woodshock transcends genre to become a singularly thrilling cinematic experience that marks the arrival of Kate and Laura Mulleavy as major new voices in film.
                                                                                          
CAST
Kirsten Dunst              TV’s “Fargo,” Spider-Man films franchise, Melancholia, The Beguiled 
Joe Cole                      Green Room, Netflix’s “Peaky Blinders”
Pilou Asbæk                HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” Ghost in the Shell

BLU-RAY/DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

  • “Making Woodshock: A Mental Landscape” Featurette

WOODSHOCK – Review

 

It’s travel time at the vacation wing of the ole’ multiplex yet again. A couple of months ago we explored France in PARIS CAN WAIT, and just a few weeks ago we joined Steve and Rob for a food-filled travelogue in THE TRIP TO SPAIN. Summer may be over, but it’s not too late to “get away from it all” with another trip….a trip inside your mind. If you’re thinking of “mother’s little helper” then you’re on the right track. Movies about drugs have changed with society over the years. The first flicks were hysterical (in more ways than one) cautionary tales epitomized by the camp classic REEFER MADNESS. With the counter culture’s rise in the 60’s and 70’s there were more enlightened films like, well Roger Corman’s THE TRIP. And in the 80’s Cheech and Chong finally took their weed humor to the big screen with UP IN SMOKE, which begat a new genre, the “dope comedy” with PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, HALF BAKED, and it’s “Citizen Kane”, THE BIG LEBOWSKI. Now that states are easing up on pot, many legalizing it, will there be a new “strain” of “chronic cinema”? Well here’s a unique mix, a thriller/marijuana whose title is a nod to a 60’s movie/event: WOODSHOCK. Oh, and you’d best hit the concession stand first.

 

Theresa (Kirsten Dunst) shares a rustic house with her husband Nick (Joe Cole). He works clearing trees in the massive wooded area just outside their little town. At the beginning of the story, they’re taking care of Theresa’s gravely ill mother, who’s occupying a bedroom. As the days drag on, Theresa tries to relieve Mom’s pain with marijuana. Before she rolls the joint, she mixes in a few drops of a liquid from a small amber-colored bottle. After a few tokes, mother drifts away into the embrace of death. This sends Theresa into a tailspin of grief, wearing mom’s old clothing, and weeping beside her empty bed. Nick is of little help, since he accepted a promotion and is putting in lots of extra hours. Finally Theresa decides to return to her old job at a state-sanctioned marijuana dispensary run by the gregarious Keith (Pilou Asbaek). One of the shops regulars is senior citizen Ed (Steph DuVall), who needs to ease his suffering from a lingering illness. One day Keith suggests that Theresa add a little “something special” to Ed’s prescription to “help him out”. She douses the buds and gives him the special supply. But both are stunned when Ed returns to the shop after word gets out about the death of another “regular”, college-age Johnny (Jack Kilmer). has she lost her mind? Did she deliberately switch their orders? And what about her midnight walks about the woods and her nocturnal fence building? Will a few joints laced with the liquid help her understand what happened?

 

 

After co-starring in last year’s unexpected box office smash HIDDEN FIGURES, Dunst is re-establishing herself as an “indie” film icon with this role (even more arty that THE BEGUILED remake from a few months ago). Her Theresa is the film’s main focus. Dunst conveys the all-consuming grief Theresa feels over the loss of her mother, and her own hand in it. It’s followed by numbed days, leading to extreme self-meditation. Dunst makes her an enigma (or perhaps a mystery wrapped in an enigma), a blonde ghost often literally floating through life (echoing her MELONCHOLIA role in many ways). She’s the opposite of Asbaek as the “party monster” Keith who seems to always be on the search for the newest thrill or high. His relationship with Theresa is complex. Were or are they lovers? We know they’re boss and employee, but something deeper is bubbling under the surface. There’s more passion between them than there is with Cole as the confused, clueless Nick. He wants to help his wife, but doesn’t have the skills or time to break through to her. DuVall is a hovering reminder of mortality, a guy wanting to go, but can’t get the exit door to work. Kilmer is almost a kid brother to Dunst, a warm fire snuffed out cruelly, though it’s never clear if it was by accident.

 

Nothing’s very clear about this film at all. Fashion documentaries Kate and Laura Mulleavy in their feature film making debut (script also) aim for atmosphere rather than coherence. the camera lingers on Dunst as she gazes into mirrors, an angel of death dispensing truly “killer weed”. Much time is spent on double-exposed images with flowers and butterflies suddenly dissolving into the background. Are they trying to make us feel as though we’re on some powerful stuff? Oh, and what’s with the fence building anyway? No clues are present nor hinted. The whole flick’s a hazy fever dream that never really lets us wake up. While the recent mother! flaunted its artistic intents, it had an energy to it, while this film glides along in a slow-motion haze. We never get attached to the characters (who mumble more than speak), which lessens the story’s impact and heightens the frustration at the stupefying conclusion (everything just stops instead of resolving). WOODSHOCK is one long pretentious trip. Bummer man.

 

1.5 Out of 5

 

WOODSHOCK opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli theatre.

 

 

THE BEGUILED – Review


THE BEGUILED is director/writer Sophia Coppola’s remake of an offbeat, little-seen 1971 gem that starred Clint Eastwood. Though directed by Don Siegel, best known for tough crime drama (he directed Clint in DIRTY HARRY the same year), the original had a strong feminist bent, so it’s seems suitable that the story is retold from a woman filmmaker’s perspective. The new film is faithful to the original to the point where it may seem unnecessary to some, but it’s a compelling story and Ms Coppola and her cast do an admirable job.

THE BEGUILED is a haunting gothic western that takes place near the end of the Civil War in a Southern mansion that functions as a small all-girls private school. As the war rages on outside its wrought-iron gates, headmistress Martha Farnsworth (Nicole Kidman) tries to maintain civility inside. The youngest student Amy (Oona Laurence), discovers injured Union soldier John McBurney (Colin Farrell) while out mushroom-hunting. She brings him back to the school where the women agree to hide him until he is strong enough to survive a Confederate prison camp. It’s not long before some of the women starts throwing themselves at McBurney, who takes advantage of the situation (and the women). There’s inexperienced Edwina (Kirsten Dunst), the sole teacher at the school who immediately takes a romantic interest in McBurney while pouty Alicia (Elle Fanning), one of the older students, also has her eyes on him. And then there’s Martha, torn between her longings for McBurney and the safety of the girls. The sexual tension becomes increasingly thick until it all comes to a head in a burst of violence and revenge as McBurney learns the hard way that Hell hath no fury like a gang of man-deprived women scorned.

THE BEGUILED has an eerie atmosphere thanks in part to the hazy, candle-lit glow of Phillipe Le Sourd’s 35mm, all-natural lensing and the mournful score by Laura Karpman that perfectly complements the mood of the film. Coppola’s calculated direction and her taut, tight screenplay (the film runs just 85 minutes) bring out the best in the cast. Farrell fill’s Eastwood’s shoes surprisingly well in the unsympathetic role of McBurney.  Although we feel bad about the condition he’s in, we soon realize what an amoral, manipulative scoundrel he is (though Clint was even worse in the original, even enticing young Amy). The female cast fits perfectly to their roles – from Kidman’s yearning spinster, to Dunst’s  fragile virgin with chaste romantic fantasies, to Fanning’s beguiling vixen. The BEGUILED is a carefully-paced and elegant film and is recommended.

4 of 5 Stars

THE BEGUILED opens in St. Louis June 30 at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater and Plaza Frontenac Theater.