Displaying items by tag: Paul Dano

SPACEMAN

US, 2024, 103 minutes, Colour.

Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan, Paul Dano, Kunal Nayyar, Isabella Rossellini, Lena Olin.

Directed by Johan Renck.

Spaceman is certainly a generic title. It could suggest a film about space exploration. It could suggest dramatic conflicts in space. And, it could suggest a variation on a space Odyssey.

In fact, there is something of all three possibilities here.

The star is Adam Sandler, many audiences not expecting to find him in such a serious performance after his decades of comedies, broad comedies, romantic comedies. However, in collaboration with Netflix, he has appeared in some serious roles including Uncut Gems and a particularly affecting performance as a coach in Hustle.

And, it should be said at the beginning, that Adam Sandler acquits himself very well as the spaceman, Jacub.

There is a technology side of this kind of film, the vast space craft in the future, its capacity for travelling even as far as Jupiter, the enormous interiors of the craft as well as all the signs for its maintenance, progress, and communication with. And, with a huge pink cloud hovering over Earth for several years, this is also space exploration, a mission with a single spaceman, well trained and prepared, already six months out on his travel towards Jupiter to discover the nature of this pink cloud.

But, in a different kind of way, it is also something of a space Odyssey. In 1968, Stanley Kubrick brought the phrase, Space Odyssey, into our vocabulary (over a year before the 1969 moon landing). While there is a great deal of space exploration in Kubrick’s masterpiece, there is also a philosophical (even theological) probing of what is beyond human experience, the transcendent, symbolised in that film by a vast evenly planed monolith, appearing in prehistoric times, but also present and moving through the future universe. (And one can think of such films as Gravity, First Man, Ad Astra.)

But, this time the transcendent is introduced highly imaginatively, a giant spider creature tarantula-like, an alien whose community has been destroyed, who is a survivor, interested in preserving humans, learning the language, trying to understand the motivation of the exploration. He is called Hanus and is voiced persuasively by Paul Dano.

At first, Jacub is wary, hostile, but with the conversations and the questions, gradually a report between the two, Hanus and his probing, Jacob, having already experienced some personal crisis with his wife leaving him and not communicating with him, forced to look into himself, testing himself about what he really values, even risking everything to rescue Hanus.

Which means that the transcendent themes and the personal, family themes are brought together.

Carey Mulligan plays Jacub’s disaffected wife, Lena Olin has a cameo as her mother, and Isabella Rossellini has a significant cameo role as the very businesslike public relations person behind the mission.

The film has been directed by Johan Renck, prolific video music video director, also of the challenging television series, Chernobyl.

1. The title and focused? Expectations? Space exploration? A space Odyssey?
2. The director, his reputation, videos, television series, Chernobyl? Adam Sandler in the central role, audience expectations, comic, serious?
3. The vision of the future, space exploration? The strange pink cloud hovering over earth? The origins in Jupiter and beyond? The boundaries of the universe, its mystery, evolution, origins? Spacecraft and their complexities, the single spaceman? Contact with control? The visuals of the craft, space, of the mystery?
4. Jakub? The original novel, Czech Republic, keeping the characters and setting? His life, the flashbacks, relationship with his father, informant, politics, his death? A cloud hovering over him? The flashbacks and the encounters with Lenka, love, flirting, the marriage, her pregnancy, the miscarriage? His professionalism, but his absence? Always being away, next pregnancy? The decision to leave him? The videos and his memories, his not living up to them? Attempts to contact her, moving away? Her refusal, going to stay with her mother, the contacts and the excuses, the cover? The effect on him?
5. The contact on the ground, Peter, friendship, the contact, the support, the subterfuge about Lenka leaving, the press conference, Tuma and her poise, PR, covering the situation, her authority, going to visit Lenka, not communicating that she had left? The visit and talk?
6. Jakub, his vision, exploration, the mystery are science, transcendence?
7. Hanus and his appearance, the form of the spider, the visuals of the spider, size, movement, threat? Real? An alien, his voice, explanation of origins, the attack, adrift, learning and observing about humans, language? Initial interactions with Jakub? The voice and tone to Paul Dano?
8. Lenka, the present, her reaction to Jakub, leaving, the message, going to see her mother, her mother support, the pregnancy, memories of happy days, the miscarriage, sadness, Jakub and his absences? The appeal to her to make contact?
9. Hanus, his presence, Jakub’s initial reaction, fear, antipathy, the breaking down the barriers, the pace to suit with Hanus, the talk, the revelation, the cosmic dimensions, origins, the interactions between the two, companionship, emotions, Hanus in space, Jakub and the rescue? The effect of Hanus always referring to Jakub as “skinny human”.
10. The breaking of the mission, the change in Jakub, the journey becoming personal? And the commitment to Hanus?
11. The robbery with the South Koreans, mentioning them, the pursuit, the rescuing Jakub and his working with them?
12. His future, possible reconciliation?
13. A 21^st-century variation on a space Odyssey?

DUMB MONEY

US, 2023, 105 minutes, Colour.

Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Myha'la Herrold, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Seth Rogen, Talia Ryder, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, Kate Burton, Clancy Brown, Larry Owens, Dane de Haan, Olivia Thirlby.

Directed by Craig Gillespie.

Unless you are very well versed in the details of the financial world, the business world, stock exchange, familiar with the language of shares and trading, you may find it somewhat difficult to follow this story in detail. There has been quite a long tradition of American films about the financial world, even before the 1980s and Wall Street. We have seen the back rooms in Margin Call, the higher-life exploiters like The Wolf of Wall Street, a number of television films about the financial crisis of 2008, ironic pictures like The Big Short. Dumb Money is in this vein.

Most of us may have missed this true story from 2020-2021, particularly American (and we may have been more preoccupied with pandemic issues and limitations). But, as promotion tells us, this is something of a David and Goliath story. And it is a true story – and, after we have been both alarmed and exhilarated looking at these characters and the financial dealings, there is some satisfaction/alarm in seeing photos, videos, testimony with the actual people during the credits.

For those not in the know, so many of us, the phrase Dumb Money refers to funds invested by smaller individuals and groups, those whom the high flyers would generally despise and, probably, ignore. One of these is Keith Gill, a family man, a job, but in his spare time very interested in finance, stock exchange movement, investments, profits, hedge funds… He becomes interested in a particular company, GameStop, which does not seem to be doing well, invests, but Keith is also an influencer, with his own online program, quite a following, students, employees in shops, who have interest in finance and are looking for opportunities to invest. And, his followers trust him, and as long as he does not sell, they don’t. The value of the company rises, as they say, exponentially (or even more so).

Keith Gill, whose online tag is Roaring Kitty, is from Brockton Massachusetts, working on his computer in a back room, but thorough and meticulous in his research and communication. He is played by the very versatile Paul Dano, his wife by Shailene Woodley. And there are a number of younger character actors playing the range of investors, including Anthony Ramos and America Ferrera. And there are a lot of home scenes to balance the financial world, Keith and his interacting with his offhand brother, Kevin, comically played by Pete Davidson.

But the film also takes us into the high life of the hedge fund entrepreneurs, the powerful men who can draw on billions at beck and call, who are so confident, unspoiled, that they take no notice and then underestimate the financial David’s of this story. And, strong cast here with Seth Rogen, Nick Offerman, Vincent D’Onofrio, Sebastian Stan.

On the one hand, there is the comic atmosphere of Keith Gill’s home life, especially family sequences with his parents (Clancy Brown and Kate Burton), his interchanges with his carefree brother. On the other hand, there is the tension of movements on the stock exchange, holding to one’s convictions, not selling, hugely increasing profits, the danger of their being targeted and falling. And, in the background, government investigations about manipulation of the money market.

Keith Gill testified before Congress committee – as did the high flyers, Keith with a strong prepared statement – well accepted, the high flyers replying on subterfuge – and failing.

(There is a lot of coarse language throughout the film – and this is something of an understatement – as well as some particularly crass lyrics of songs which are playing throughout the action. The Australian classification notes: Strong coarse language.)

1. The title, the tone, the judgement about investments?
2. The 2020 setting, the background of Covid, the financial world dealing with the epidemic? The role of the Internet? Companies, games companies, networks, shrewd observers and investors, their moves?
3. Homes and characters, offices, online activity, official meetings, finance, politics, legal?
4. Keith Gill, life at home, scenes with his parents, his wife and her support, his job? Online, visiting the sights? You Tube and advice, “Roaring captivity”? His relationship with his brother, Kevin and his mocking his brother, the borrowing of the car?
5. 2020, the games company, the investments, difficulties, reading the signs, Keith and his savings, advice for the friends and the online supporters? Success?
6. The portrait of the big finances, Gabe Plotkin and his company, threats, sales, plans? Confidence, manoeuvres, discussions amongst themselves, the contacts and advice?
7. Keith and his followers, Marcos and his work in the store, Rin and Harmony and their life together? Jennifer and her savings? The tension for them, investments and risks, there watching U-tube, they’re trusting Keith? Tested?
8. Selling, waiting, finding the right time, Keith and his wife, the followers, selling, buying again? The complexities?
9. The US House Committee on Financial Services, the interest in the case, a subpoena for all the main people, the heads of the companies, the interrogations?
10. Keith, his being interrogated, his stances, convictions, legalities?
11. The results, Keith and his security, his relationship with his brother and parents, the car for Kevin? The followers online and the success and security?