Displaying items by tag: Dakota Fanning

THE WATCHERS

US, 2024, 102 minutes, Colour.

Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouere, Oliver Finnegan, John Lynch.

Directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan.

We are in the west of Ireland, an isolated forest, a young man stumbling through, climbing and falling from a tree, disappearing. Seems a reasonable start for an eerie terror film, drawing on some of the old tales of fairies, halflings, ancient folk living beneath the surface and emerging to frighten – even in the 21^st-century.

Dakota Fanning plays an American, Mina, working in a shop in Galway, running away from her sister and the memory of the death of her mother, full of guilt (shown later in the film with startling detail). When she drives to the edge of the forest, audiences will be, rightly, apprehensive. We have seen the signs, Point of No Return. Mina is lost but is urged by a strange old woman, Madeline (Olwen Fouere) to seek refuge in a mysterious concrete bunker there in the middle of the forest.

The film is based on a novel by A. M. Shine, from Western Ireland himself, intrigued by the stories of the strange folk, an academic who has pursued serious studies in writing on his themes. In fact, listening to Madeline explain herself and her research, instantly echoing the career of Shine. And, it emerges that there has been an academic investigating these themes, responsible for the bunker, leaving a lot of records of his research. In the flashbacks and videos, he is played by veteran Irish actor, John Lynch.

Mina finds two others in the bunker, the young man, Daniel (Oliver Finnegan) is one saw struggling in the opening and a young woman, Ciara (Georgina Campbell), who has been separated from her husband who keeps pounding on the door of the locked bunker. The four are trapped in the forest, cannot escape, forage in the forest, but also watch television programs in the bunker.

And, The Watchers themselves, eerie characters, sometimes glimpsed, skeletal, but frequently heard, especially when huge flocks of black birds fly overhead and swoop. And the drama as the audience sharing the mystery, the quest, the hopes for escape, with Mina.

For movie buffs and fans of writer-director, M. Night Shyamalan (remembering The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Village), he is the producer here and the writer-director is his daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan, and she is certainly following her father’s lead, atmosphere, tone, mystery, suspense, and twists in final explanations.

1. Title and expectations? Eerie? The screenplay based on the novel by A.M.Shine? Themes and atmosphere?
2. The work of the director, in the footsteps of the career of her father?
3. Irish folklore, over the centuries, the strange people, fairies and variations, legendary stories, ghostly, frightening people, appearances and disappearances…?
4. The opening, Daniel in the forest, his age, alone, the Point of No Return signs, the night, as stumbling, climbing the tree, falling, the huge flock of birds? His disappearance?
5. Mina and her story, American, in Galway, running away, the later flashback of the drive, the girls, her wilfulness in the car, her mother, the crash and death? Phone calls from her sister? Working in the shop, going out on the town, the black wig, flirting? Job, the bird, the cage? Relationship with the bird? Driving through the forest?
6. The car breaking down, the signs, wandering, getting lost, the disappearance of the car, encountering Madeline, her urgency, the warnings? The audience sharing Mina’s bewilderment?
7. The bunker, finding Daniel, Ciara and the disappearance of her husband, the explanation of their being trapped, The Watchers, stage, the glass, the Watchers outside, observing the humans – and the motivation? The humans and their performance?
8. Beginnings of explanations, Madeline telling the stories, life in the bunker, hunting outside, food, and the irony of the television with the reality shows? Time passing? Discussions of escape?
9. John at the door, voice, the plea, resisting? The Watchers and their taking over the humans like John?
10. Mina and her daring, going down the hall, the rope, finding the bicycle and other equipment? The threats and destruction with the cycle?
11. The discovery of the basement, the technology, the computers, the files, the videos with Kilmartin explaining, his obsessions, research?
12. The escape plan, Madeline leading, running through the forest, the pursuit, getting out?
13. Mina and return to her flat, the escape, having Kilmartin’s files, going to the University, going to his office, taking the material, going to see Ciara, Madeline, the Watchers and their attempts to take over?
14. The explanations, Kilmartin, Madeline, part human, part Watches, the plan, on the women, the taking possession of the young girl, wandering the city of Galway, taking her stand outside the window? But Mina reunited with her family?
15. A film for the Irish audience, those intrigued by this kind of folk story and legend?

RIPLEY

US, 2023, 8X 56 minutes, black-and-white.

Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning, Johnny Flynn, Margharita Buy, Kenneth Lonergan, Elliot Sumner, Maurizio Lombardi, Bokeem Woodbine, John Malkovich, Fisher Stevens.

Directed by Stephen Zaillian.

Tom Ripley is the literary creation by crime novel writer, Patricia Highsmith. Over the decades, he has had many incarnations, Alain Delon in the 1960s, Purple Noon, Dennis Hopper in the 1970s, The American Friend, strikingly in 2000, Matt Damon in The Talented Mr Ripley, John Malkovich in Ripley’s game, 2002. (Wikipedia indicates quite a number of other films, especially from the 1950s to the 1970s.)

This time he is played by Irish actor, Andrew Scott, completely convincing. And this time Dicky Greenleaf is played by Johnny Flynn and Marge by Dakota Fanning. There is a strong supporting cast of British, American and, especially, Italian actors.

It is a television series of eight episodes. This gives the screenplay enough time to offer sequences plenty of time to develop, sometimes giving the impression of events happening in real time.

But, one of the key assets for the film is its black-and-white photography, often described by reviewers and bloggers as “pristine” (clean and fresh as if new; spotless). Comments cannot do justice to the clarity of the black-and-white, some of the cities of Italy enhanced by the quality of the photography.

Tom Ripley is a conman. Tom Ripley is also a psychopath, not just a sociopath who can smile and charm but is self-absorbed, but is also criminally insane, and unscrupulous murderer. Every actor who plays Ripley has to be persuasive with charm but yet able to show the in the madness, the unscrupulous narcissism.

Ripley has offered the opportunity to go to Italy by wealthy American businessman, played by playwright Kenneth Lonergan, to persuade his son Dicky to come back to the US. Ripley takes the money, visits Dicky, sees the lifestyle, enviously and vicariously starts to live it, overcoming any suspicions by Dicky, but not by Marge. Which leads them to Ripley is murdering Dicky, covering the murder shrewdly, Tom becoming Dicky in the comfortable life in Rome, then in Venice. And, he is always one step ahead though there are many close calls.

The screenplay for this series has been written by veteran writer-director, Steven Zaillian, celebrated writer of many significant films from Schindler’s List, Gangs of New York, the Irishman.

1. The work of Patricia Highsmith? The different versions of her Ripley stories?
2. Ripley, a conman, psychopath, his success, an amoral character?
3. The previous versions and comparisons? The value of the television series, eight episodes?
4. The decision to film in black and white, the striking photography, “pristine”? Of the locations, towns, the beach, Naples, Rome, San Remo, Palermo, Venice? The musical score?
5. The pacing with eight episodes, some action in real time, the strong attention to detail for developing the plot?
6. The casting, Andrew Scott embodying Ripley?
7. The introduction, New York City, the petty conman, his character, seeing him in action, the summons by Herbert Greenleaf, his wife, business interests, the proposal about his son? Ripley being tracked down by the private detective, the conversation? Explanations of Richard Greenleaf, Dickie and his leaving, settling in Italy? Ripley accepting the mission, the money, the travel to Italy?
8. The town, Atrani, life there, the coast, Dickie, his age, lifestyle, wealth, relationship with his parents, alienation, dabbling in art? His relationship with Marge? Her writing a book? Her devotion to him? He to her? Is reading the manuscript and giving suggestions, her response? Ambiguous attitudes towards Tom?
9. Tom, his arrival, ingratiating himself, his schemes, revelation of the truth about his mission, bonding with Dickie, not with Marge? Freddie and his visit, Tom’s dislike? The invitation to Cortina and its consequences? The lifestyle in the town, Tom, emulating Dickie, caught wearing his clothes and Dickie’s off-hand response?
10. Tom writing to Herbert Greenleaf, money issues? The father and his letters, dismissing Tom, urging Dickie to be suspicious? The decision to go to San Remo, hiring the boat, Tom, calm, waiting for the moment, malevolent, killing Dickie, taking his ring, all the effort to come to shore, the body overboard, the rocks on the boat? The later recovery, the police investigations, the reports in the media?
11. The details of Tom’s life, in the town, the various characters, learning Italian, the banks? The train rides? The hotels and reception? The feel of Italy in 1961?
12. Tom, his skills at evading detection, going back to the town, Dickie’s clothes, typewriter? The smuggler and the previous proposition to smuggle, selling the boat? American Express in Rome? Tom becoming Dickie, his clothes, manner? Settling in Rome, expensive hotels?
13. The various letters, the importance of the typewriter and its flawed letter e, Freddy’s visit, Tom and his coping, levels, the plan to kill him, the alcohol, the blood on the floor, taking the body, the elevator and its not working, dragging him down the steps, in the street, the car and his working out which one, holding him up, the witness walking his dog and the later visit to the police? The details of the drive, repeated several times, the via Appia, the taxi drivers, going back to retrieve the passport, his settling back at the apartment? Cleaning the blood? The importance of the landlady, her kindness to him, showing him the apartment, her receiving the police?
14. Inspector Ravini, the visits, Tom and his calm during the interviews, the blood on the path? Marge, the visit, his meeting her in the cafe, her telling Ravini and his not believing her?
15. The character of Ravini, the interviews, Tom on the edge, Max and his relationship with Freddie, wanting to meet Dickie? The media reports, suspicions on Tom? On the newspaper, the visualising of the articles, the pressure? Then on Dickie? The finding of the boat, the bank fraud and Tom fixing the signatures? The various phone calls from the bankers? Tom cashing the money? Getting the permission to go to Palermo
16. The twist, Tom and the media and photos in Palermo, moving hotel? The decision to leave, the false clue about Tunis?
17. Tom, in Venice, alive, revealing the visiting, Marge and her visit? The art world and the dealer? Marge intruding? Herbert Greenleaf arriving, the dangers, exposure, the private detective and his arrival, accusing Tom? The further discussions, speculation, the forged letters, the money to the landlady, the ring, the assumption that Dickie had killed himself?
18. Tom, the art dealer, the Picasso, getting a new name and passport?
19. Marge, publishing the book, the irony of Ravini seeing the photo of the actual Dickie?