Displaying items by tag: Jenna Ortega

BEETLEJUICE, BEETLEJUICE

US, 2024, 105 minutes, Colour.

Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Nick Kellington, Santiago Cabrera, Burn Gorman, Danny DeVito.

Directed by Tim Burton.

In Beetlejuice folklore, you have to call out Beetlejuice’s name three times and he will appear. But, this time it needed only just one repetition. And here he is, 36 years after his first appearance, ready to entertain old fans and new fans.

Perhaps it is something about the world situation in 2024 that the highest moneymaking films so far have been quite a contrast, the violent fantasy of Deadpool and Wolverine and the wonderful exploration of human motor emotions in Inside Out 2. Now Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice has made over $100 million at the American box office on its first weekend. So, we can ask, is our world with all the wars, deaths in war, cost of living crises, in need of a fantasy distraction, an indulgence in absurd comedy.

Because, that is what we have here, absurd characters in over the top absurd situations, lots of jokes, special ghostly effects, Beetlejuice’s wisecracks, all kinds of unexpected dramatic turns. There is a surface world with strange human characters, Winona Ryder again as Lydia now a TV host on ghost appearances, her mother, Catherine O’Hara again as Delia, an eccentrically loud artist – but Astrid, Lydia’s daughter, Jenna Ortega, has grown up sceptical of the whole Beetlejuice ghostly world. Her scepticism is about to come crashing down. And director, Tim Burton, going back to his old fantasy styles.

In the meantime, there in the Afterlife, Michael Keaton is Beetlejuice, always sly, raucously comic, with a host of office secretaries, all skeletal bureaucrats, especially the hapless Bob, suited, but in for some tormented times because a callous janitor in the Afterlife, played by Danny DeVito, vacuuming and polishing, the machine in water, electric shock and opening up the store of dead severed human parts – especially, of Beetlejuice’s former wife, played exotically by Monica Bellucci who will pursue him relentlessly.

Fans of the original will be happy to get back into the Afterlife, the madcap visuals, the special effects, the eerie creatures… And there is plenty of plot, Astrid tricked into helping a ghost to regain his life, Lydia to the rescue and agreeing to marry Beetlejuice, his wife in pursuit, Delia ending up in the Afterlife, and, to cap it all, Willem Dafoe, seeming to appear in every other film these days, as a skeletal actor who is in charge of investigations, preening himself in his performance, modelled on television shows, of how the police ought to act!

And, right at the end, there is a very long wedding sequence, all kinds of mayhem with a performance of McArthur Park, everybody singing along…

Beetlejuice may not appeal to every audience, especially those who don’t have a high tolerance for dark fantasy. But, he will probably appeal, in his own very distinctive Michael Keaton way, to most everyone else!

MILLER'S GIRL

US, 2024, 96 minutes, Colour.

Martin Freeman, Jenna Ortega, Bashir Salahuddin, Gideon Adlon, Dagmara Dominczyk.

Directed by Jade Halley Bartlett.

This is not a film for the wide audience. It takes a very serious subject, teacher-student relationships. However, the screenplay is filled with excerpts from literature, especially from Henry Miller, his sexual subjects and style, actually not permitted to be taught in the school in the film. There are many other literary references and literary discussions which may be too much for the wider audience.

British actor, Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, Dr Watson to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock Holmes) at a small American school, creative writing, himself a published author of short stories, resigned to being a teacher rather than success as a writer. He has a brittle marriage with his wife, preoccupied with her work, alcoholic.

Rising star Jenna Ortega (Wednesday, Scream) is a wealthy 18-year-old living in a mansion while her parents travel abroad. She is well read and has ambitions. In her encounter with her teacher, she reveals her talents, he is intrigued, becomes infatuated and affected by her, she controlling the situation, writing a story based on Henry Miller which has quite a psychological sexual effect on her teacher.

Feeling some rejection and the criticism of her story, she reports him to the school’s principal, leading to questioning, suspension, and her being vindictive, even to her close friend at school.

Another variation on the dangers of teacher-student relationships and involvement.

1. The name, Miller? The character, the novelist Henry Miller, his books, his themes, sexuality, relationships, obsessions?
2. The American town, remote, school, classes, lecturers, the principal? Other students? The literature class, the students, the reading, the assignments, their stories? Jonathan Miller, leading the class? The friendship with Boris and his presence?
3. Martin Freeman as Jonathan Miller, middle-aged, the writer, his ambitions, disappointments, the tension in his marriage, his wife drinking, her work, his resentments? Love of literature, option to teach, the encounter with Cairo, that she had read Finnegan’s Wake, his admiration, comments to Boris? His interest in her, her living alone, coming through the woods, the discussions, the assignment, her story, Henry Miller and his not being allowed to be taught at the school, the continued meetings, the effect on Miller, the effect on Cairo, teacher-student relationship?
4. Cairo, the story about her parents, living in the mansion, alone, through the woods, her friendship with Winnie, Winnie and her blasé attitudes, seductive towards Boris, the discussions about sex and sexuality, about her relationship with Miller, the writing of the story, the sexual encounter with each and her later using it to intimidate Winnie? Her background, wanting to be a writer, her extensive reading?
5. The teacher-student relationship, the shared discussions, very literary, the meetings, outside, smoking, Boris present, the phone call, calling in at her house in the evening?
6. Boris, friend, teacher, sounding board for Jonathan? With Winnie?
7. Jonathan, the infatuation, her work, the sexual effect on him? His wife’s interrogation? The consequence of his trying to be detached?
8. The effect on Cairo, her reporting into the principal, his being called in, the discussions, his defence, her insistence? The effect on him?
9. At home, the taunting of his wife, interrogation? His loneliness, suspended? Cairo’s victim?
10. Cairo, vindictive, seductive, and the collapse of her friendship with Winnie?
11. The literary nature of the screenplay, limiting the potential audience not familiar with literature or interested in hearing lengthy excerpts and discussions?
12. A variation on seduction and the teacher-student relationship?