Displaying items by tag: Cailee Spaeny

ALIEN: ROMULUS

US/UK, 2024, 120 minutes, Colour.

Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu, David Betts, Ian Holm facial and voice.

Directed by Fede Alvarez.

Reviewer advice. First, this is definitely a film that needs to be seen in the cinema, in the dark, the impact of a large screen and high-tech sound system. Second, this is a film of continued tension, the skill in making its audience feel on edge throughout the film, prolonged time unrelieved, enhanced because this is a serious narrative futuristic story incorporating an atmosphere of terror.

For older audiences, it is amazing to think that it is 45 years since Ridley Scott directed the original Alien, its making such an impact in its time, and the emergence of Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, setting a mark for women in leadership/warrior roles. Alien: Romulus is the seventh Alien film, set in time between the original and Alien 2.

There were a number of Ripley sequels, there were also the two prequels, Prometheus and Covenant. With Alien: Romulus, there is a younger director, Fede Alvarez from Uruguay, who made his mark with some American horror thrillers, Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe. But, while he certainly draws on his capacity for horror and terror, this is a ambitiously vast project. And, it has the advantage of many references to the original film, quite a number of parallels in the action. It opens on a planet light years from Earth, a sunless planet, owned by the mining company, the men and women there virtually slaves, trapped in hard labour.

The main part of the film, however, is on the space ship, large but claustrophobic, high-tech but menaced mysterious and ugly creatures. They resemble those in the original film as do some of their origins (memories of creatures emerging from human bodies).

This time the characters are young, in their 20s, trapped in the mines, discovering a possibility for escape, to get to the abandoned spaceship and travel to a freer destiny. The central character is Rain, played by Cailee Spaeney, a pleasant and enterprising young woman, the firm friend of a high-tech android, Andy (a most sympathetic performance by David Jonsson, nicely genial and indulging in puns and wordplay, then reprogrammed to higher intelligence and loyalty to the mining Company, his skills essential for escape and survival. There is the sympathetic Tyler, his wilful and obnoxious cousin, Bjorn, Tyler’s pregnant sister Kay, Bjorn’s girlfriend, Navarro.

Most of the action, of course, is on the space ship, the discovery of the alien creatures, the sense of menace and terror, refuge and escape in various parts of the space ship, Rain assuming more and more leadership, becoming the new Ripley.

The film works well as a contribution to the Alien franchise, satisfyingly linked to the previous films and the original, but powerful in its ability to keep audience nerves on edge for a great deal of the action, at times unrelenting tension.

1. The seventh Alien film? 45 years after the original? Audience expectations, the various sequels, other explorations of the themes? The success of this film?
2. The time setting for this film, after the original, prior to Aliens 2? The original film, Ripley as survivor and her appearance on the other films? Not in this film? But the connections with the first film, the space ship, its mission, the experimentation, the creatures, the androids, the company, explorations of space, for the planets?
3. The time and the place, light years from Earth, futuristic, space exploration and travel? The opening, the mines, the company, contracts, slave labour, Rain and her wanting to leave, the digging? Her relationship with Tyler, Tyler with Bjorn, Bjorn and his relationship with Navarro, Kay and her pregnancy, and the importance of the android, Andy, sympathetic, the number of puns and play on words?
4. The atmosphere of the film, the creatures and aspects of horror and menace, the atmosphere of terror and its pervading the film and its effect on the audience?
5. The oppressive town, mining site, no sunlight, the humans as slaves to the company? Tyler, his reaction, gathering the group, the plan, to travel to the space ship, to travel to the distant planet? Their working together, the escape, arrival on the space ship, Romulus and Remus?
6. The human characters, Rain, her experience, her wanting to leave the mine, hesitant, trusting Tyler, ordinary but about to emerge as strong heroine? Tyler, leadership, hopes, keeping the group together? The contrast with Bjorn, obnoxious, critical, sabotaging? Navarro, her character, with Bjorn, with the group?
7. Andy, the sympathetic android, personality, British accent, manner, human qualities, intelligence, the bond with Rain, as a brother? And the range of puns and jokes?
8. The episodes on the space ship, the technology, the discovery of the creatures, the pursuit, tenacity, closing doors, isolating? Andy and his contribution, helping? Bjorn and his antagonism, his decisions, the escape, death? Navarro, the creature clutching her, trying to disengage it, ultimately her dying? Kate, her pregnancy, her being trapped?
9. Andy, the control, loss of power, Rain and her substituting the mechanism, his greater intelligence, but at the service of the company? Rain and her ingenuity, the dead, the destroyed androids, then mechanisms?
10. The importance of Rook, the link with Ash from the original film, the use of Ian Holm’s face and expressions, similarity a voice? His explanations, at the service of the company, the mission, the creatures, the power? Rook and his trying to control Andy? Confronting Rain? His destruction?
11. The crisis, the Xenomorphs, vicious, the visual appearance, memories of the creatures of the original film, their infiltrating the human bodies, the shock and then bursting forth? Kay, being trapped, the creatures, her giving birth to the monster, its confronting Rain and Andy?
12. Rain, using her wits, ingenuity, relying on Andy, transforming him back to his original relationship? Rain, the dangers, the confrontations, with the monster from Kay, the deaths of the other members, her becoming a new Ripley?
13. The buildup to the climax? The dangers, Andy and the rescue, rain and her success, setting for the future planet?

CIVIL WAR

US, 2024, 109 minutes, Colour.

Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Nick Offerman, Nelson Lee, Jesse Plemons.

Directed by Alex Garland.

The US has had a Civil War so it is not unthinkable that it could have another. Many observers from around the world might think that, in fact, the uprising and riots on January 6, 2021, the rabble invading the Capitol, the stance of the defeated President, indicated, at least, a divided America.

British writer and director, Alex Garland (who shown a liking for apocalyptic themes (28 Days, The Beach, Ex Machina, Annihilation) has been observing the divisiveness in America and created this story of a Civil War, in the not too distant future. In fact, so much of the film looks contemporary.

We are introduced to a situation where an embattled President broadcasts a speech, desperately, having intervened militarily in situations, some states seceding (rather unlikely union between Texas and California!). Troops marching on Washington DC.

While there are military encounters, especially the siege of Washington and the attack on the White House and the President, immersing the audience right in the middle of it, the point of view of the screenplay is that of a group of photojournalists, based in New York, New York where there is a disturbing protest, a bomb blast in the middle of the protest, police action, and the journalist with their cameras ready. The group decides that they will risk the travel to Washington to try to interview the president before any final disaster.

We are introduced to the group of journalists, familiar from so many movies, gathered in a hotel, plans, rivalries, dangers. The leading personality is a battle-scarred veteran, Lee, Kirsten Dunst, working with Joel, Wagner Moura, enterprising but more cautious. Lee has come across a young woman shaken up by the explosion, Jesse, Cailee Spaeney, discovers that she wants to be a proto-journalist, has come from Missouri, and, reluctantly, is taken up by the group, accompanied by an old veteran, Sammy, Stephen McKinley Henderson. The roads are dangerous and they have to travel to DC in a roundabout route.

Civil War then becomes a literal road movie, a succession of different incidents revealing what is going on in the American countryside, plenty of roadblocks, encounters with soldiers, having to take shelter from a sniper in a mansion, going through a town where everything seems normal, including a clothes shop, the citizen seemingly complacent, then the vision of soldiers on the roofs of the buildings. In West Virginia, there is a sports complex, people taking refuge on the central arena, in the seats, suspicious but the inhospitable.

There is a powerful sequence, truly upsetting and highlighting ideological stances, a group of soldiers, a truck full of corpses, then tipping them into a vast open grave, a confrontation with the journalists, especially with two journalists who join them, Asian backgrounds. The soldier, uniformed, on guard, is played as the grimly violent patriot, an embodiment of Make America Great Again, supremely self-assured, and, unhesitatingly, shooting the Asians.

And, all the time, the group are taking photos, many in seemingly impossible situations, and on the screen, we see the black-and-white versions of so many of the photos, jolting.

It is something of a surprise to find that Civil War has done very well at the box office, that it has found an audience, but it would be very interesting to interview members of the audiences as they came out of the cinema, and discover what liberals thought of it and what the conservative right made of it!

1. Expectations from the title? Memories of the American Civil War? Civil War in the future? The 21^st-century and the ideologically divided America?
2. The director, British background, interest in futuristic and apocalyptic themes?
3. The situation, the President’s speech, the audience gaging his stances, his appeal to the people, the civil war situation, his military interventions? Secession of States? California and Texas? The uprising against him? The generic nature of the issues rather than detail?
4. The New York opening, the protests, the bomb, the injuries? The introduction to the photojournalists, their involvement, daring, the close-ups, Jessie being injured, Lee helping her, Jessie and her ambitions of being a photojournalist? The refuge in the hotel?
5. The hotel, the journalist gathering, the atmosphere, tensions, journalist ambitions, photojournalists? The discussions, the rivalries? The introduction to , Joel his experience, his wanting to interview the president? Lee, her association with Joel, her ambitions? Jessie and her wanting to join them, her age, and experience? The friendship with Sammy, his age, his experience, wanting to go along as well?
6. The road journey, different faces of America, from New York State, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, to Washington DC? The impact for the audience, to understand something of the Civil War?
7. The effect of the various episodes, the car, the travel, the interactions between them, Joel, his attitude towards Jessie, her being forthright, Sammy and his experience? Lee in charge? Service station, the encounter, the deals, guns, Mansion with the sniper and being with the soldiers shooting back? West Virginia Stadium, the people gathered, hospitality, food? The quiet town, the shops open, seemingly normal, soldiers on the roofs? Tension?
8. The work of photojournalists, always alert, looking for the angle, close-ups, and the device of having the audience see the photos in black-and-white? Adding to the drama?
9. Tony and his associate, Asian background, linking up with the group? The encounter with the Patriot soldiers, the truck and the corpses, emptying them into the pit? The soldier, his stances, right-wing patriotism, his speeches and declarations, the challenge, the arguments, confrontation, the guns, his being shot?
10. The effect on the photojournalists, nearing Washington, the encounter with the encampment, the soldiers, the embedded journalists, the discussions?
11. Going into DC, the siege of Washington, the intense military action, the focus of the group, their access, continually taking photos, the extreme situations? Eventually to the White House, the confrontation with the president, the military reaction? His reaction, issue of the interview, his death?
12. The cumulative effect of this experience on an American audience? Reflect the situations of 2024 and the presidential election year? The cumulative effect on observers outside the United States? The puzzle about American society, contemporary, the future?
13. The portrait of the characters, Sammy and his experience, his death? Joel and his intensity, hesitations? Jessie, ambitions, the dangers, the violence? The common by the two women of the families back in Missouri and Colorado oblivious of the war? Lee and her leadership?

PRISCILLA

US, 2023, 113 minutes, Colour.

Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Ari Cohen, Dagmara Dominczyk, Tim Post, Lynne Griffin.

Directed by Sofia Coppola.

Soon after the release and popularity of Baz Luhrmann’s spectacular and glittery portrait of Elvis Presley, Elvis, comes this rather subdued portrait of his wife, Priscilla.

It is based on her memoir, Elvis and Me, published in 1987, the basis for so many films about Elvis Presley. The memoir, has now been adapted for the screen by writer-director, Sofia Coppola. In looking at Sofia Coppola’s career, we see that she has been continually interested in teenage girls and younger women: The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, The Bling Ring…

This is a rather subdued film in its tone, making quite a contrast between the personality of Priscilla and her celebrated husband. Cailee Spaeny won the Best Actress award in Venice for this performance. She has to be the somewhat timid schoolgirl, aged 14, away from the US, in Germany with her military parents, invited to meet Elvis, somewhat bewildered, then fascinated, and growing fascination. She has to deal with her parents’ reactions. But, then she has a visit to Graceland, and the family accept Elvis’s invitation for her to live at Graceland and go to school in Memphis. So, Priscilla from age 14 to 18.

Jacob Elalordi, much taller than Elvis in real life, shows us Elvis in his early 20s to age 30, cheerful, comfortable with the young Priscilla, respecting her in terms of sexual relationship, the marriage, the birth of their daughter. The Presley estate did not give permission for any of Elvis’s songs to be used so the soundtrack is not of him but of popular hits of the time finishing with I Will Always Love You (as Priscilla drives away from her marriage).

There are references to Elvis’s singing career, to the films, gossip about a relationship with Ann Margret. But, this is Priscilla’s film.

For a great deal of the film, Priscilla is left alone at Graceland, Elvis doing the bidding of Colonel Parker (who does not appear but there are many telephone calls and demands), lonely, glad to see Elvis, but the victim of his presumptions about male superiority and domination, even a touch of physical violence with apology, but, finally, his serious reading of the Bible and her negative reaction.

Early in the film, there is the introduction of Elvis and his pill taking, sharing this with Priscilla, indication of tragedy to come.

Many have appreciated the opportunity to see something of Priscilla Presley – but, for many audiences, it is rather low-key, not an energetic portrait.

1. Audience interest in Priscilla Presley? Elvis?
2. Based on an autobiography by Priscilla Presley, from the 1980s, her executive producing this film?
3. The focus on Priscilla, her background, in Germany, her age, the encounters with Elvis, the growing relationship, is respecting her, the visits to Graceland, her going to live in Graceland, her parents response, Elvis taking responsibility, enrolled in school, graduation (and cheating), the wedding, her pregnancy, her staying at home, Elvis absent, his domination when at home, his friends, the staff at Graceland in support, her isolation, need to be herself, Elvis and the Bible, her decision and leaving?
4. Audience response to Priscilla, aged 14, shy, in Germany, the military background, her isolation, education, the military officer and his invitation to meet Elvis, her continuing shyness, Elvis’s response, her responses? Audience sympathy for her at her age and inexperience? Audience response to her growing attachment to Elvis, her life at Graceland, the benefits and happiness, the hardships, the isolation, the magazines, the gossip, the issue about Ann-Margret, audience sympathy to her when Elvis was dominating, brutal? Audience sympathy with her decision to leave?
5. The screenplay and its focusing on pills, Elvis and his pill popping, sharing with Priscilla, the growing dependence?
6. The film as a portrait of Elvis, age, military, Germany, already his reputation, singing, style, public reaction, popularity, censorious religious responses, his films? His relationship with his father? Memories of his mother? Love for his grandmother? His response to a 14-year-old girl, over the years, having heard to Graceland, coming to live there, his concern about education, the humorous sequence of the nuns being photographed with him? His work, absences, the films, magazines and publicity, speculations, Las Vegas, and Margaret? His response to Priscilla about Ann Margret? Colonel Parker, not seen, the phone calls, his domination? Elvis’s presuppositions about male domination, his love for his mother, love for his grandmother? The continual presence of his entourage? His reading the Bible, insistence for Priscilla? Response to his shock at Priscilla leaving?
7. A portrait of Priscilla Presley, living for so many decades after Elvis’s death, her daughter (and her daughter’s death just before the release of the film and listed Marie’s criticism of the bad treatment of her father here)?