Hereditary

Tags

2010's, Alex Wolff, Ann Dowd, Ari Aster, Gabriel Byrne, Hereditary, Horror, Milly Shapiro, Psychological Horror, Supernatural Horror, Toni Collette

A visceral, emotionally haunting and horrifying psychological horror from the debuting Ari Aster, Hereditary plunges you into grief, family secrets and the terror of what we might inherit from our relatives.

Annie Graham(Toni Collette), a miniatures artist, is mourning the death of her secretive mother. She is joined in this by her therapist husband Stephen( Gabriel Byrne)and their two children; bored and dejected 16-year-old son Peter( Alex Wolff) and unusual tomboy daughter Charlie( Milly Shapiro) . The thing is Annie was estranged from her mother and various things in her past impacted their tenuous relationship. while young Charlie, who was her Grandma’s favourite, begins acting even more strangely than usual. Soon enough, a strange force begins plaguing the family. Though she secretly visits grief counselling for guidance, Annie believes she sees her mother again, Charlie also sees visions of this along with unusual phenomena. Peter buried his feelings in smoking pit and trying to get girls but tragedy brings him back around. Stephen is the main point of attempted calm in a powder keg situation that slowly starts to unravel. It all pertains to the deceased Grandmother, but how does it? As grief and tragedy plunge the family further into turmoil, Annie starts to lose her grip on her sanity and events descend into a waking horror for the Graham’s. Matters aren’t helped by the arrival of Joan(Ann Dowd), a mysterious woman who ingratiates herself into Annie’s life with shocking results.

Ari Aster marks himself out as a director with a future. He’s clearly a guy who loves his  spine-chilling, psychological horror and Hereditary is a testament to that. He’s got a fantastic handle over pacing; slowly dropping crumbs of information and things you think are just accidental, but are intentional. It’s a slow burn that’s punctuated by moments of shock horror and extreme situations, while still examining the ups and downs of grief in a bubbling way. Then when we get to the heart of things, all hell breaks loose and Aster unleashes chilling moment after moment. Be warned, the last half an hour is some intense stuff that will make even the most seasoned horror viewer sit up and be freaked out.

You’ll be left with images of great horror and of an unsettling nature once you finish Hereditary. And with good reason as they are plentiful and a credit to the visual team and the exploration by Aster. From slowly zooming camerawork to a mastery over sound( the sound of a tongue clicking will haunt your dreams as will Colette’s roars of grief and an intense dinner scene) , it’s a movie for definite horror fans. The claustrophobic atmosphere, heightened by the abundance of scenes within the family’s large house, helps us ruminate in how grief can isolate is and how familial ties are not always . This film isn’t full of cheap scares as it has more on its mind. Take for instance when Annie believes she sees the ghost of her mother. Most horror films would feature a sudden reveal, not here. Instead, Aster uses a wide shot and gets the audience to really pay attention as to see whether it was real or not, as if daring us not to trust our eyes. I admired Hereditary for the fact it didn’t have to resort to throwaway scares. Hereditary is certainly not for everyone, but for those with a penchant for dramatic scares and unusual imagery, this should be a treat. A rumbling score is the cherry on top of the cake as murmurs, low electronic humming and unusual instances of cacophony blend hauntingly.

One of the finest things in Hereditary is the committed performance from Toni Collette, who turns in some of her finest work. She’s put through the wringer of emotions and just displays them all so convincingly and vividly. From grieving daughter to mentally unstable and all that’s in between, Collette doesn’t miss a beat and often conveys varying feelings within seconds of each other. One can’t stress enough the sheer full throttle force with which she acts here. It has to be seen to be believed and experienced. Gabriel Byrne provides solid support in a role that could have been boring, but rises above such worries. He’s the non believer trying to keep his family together but failing as times passes. Alex Wolff gets the alienated and confused state of mind for his character just right, going between moments of escaping pain to enduring intense suffering that makes no sense to him. Rounding out the family is young Milly Shapiro, who sends shivers down the spine as the daughter seemingly most affected by her grandmother’s death. You never quite know what to make of this little girl but she is damn important to the story. In a small but pivotal role, the ever reliable Ann Dowd exudes an uneasy sense of niceness that is tempered with something that tells you that you can’t trust her as far as you can throw her.

Super unsettling, packed with ideas and thematic value, plus boasting impressive acting and an atmosphere of never ending dread, Hereditary is definitely for those who appreciate a slow burn and a searing drama within a horror movie.

Stigmata

Tags

1990's, Gabriel Byrne, Horror, Jonathan Pryce, Nia Long, Patricia Arquette, Rupert Wainwright, Stigmata, Thriller

Film Title

Stigmata

Director

Rupert Wainwright

Starring

• Patricia Arquette as Frankie Page
• Gabriel Byrne as Father Andrew Kiernan
• Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Daniel Houseman
• Nia Long as Donna

A cross between a horror with heavy religious overtones and a thriller questioning the teachings of Catholicism, Stigmata emerges as a flashy, creepy film filled with striking imagery and thumping soundtrack. Yes, there may be inconsistencies and a few flaws, but Stigmata on the whole  generally effective and disquieting for most of its duration that leaves with a few questions.

Frankie Page is a nonchalant party girl and hairdresser in Pittsburgh. She is the kind of person who lives for the moment. Yet after she receives a gift of rosary beads from her mother, she experiences the first of the five wounds of stigmata, which are the wounds suffered by Christ on the crucifix. This unexplained phenomena appears to have occurred because of the arrival of the beads, which belonged to a devout and recently deceased priest. Terrified by this, Frankie doesn’t know what to do and how to escape. Father Andrew Kiernan, a recently ordained priest who also has history in science and travels the world debunking supposed holy miracles, is sent to investigate the unusual case. It is interesting that he should be sent because he was present at the church were the original owner of the rosary beads died and a statue of the Virgin Mary begin to weep blood. One he arrives in Pittsburgh, he is initially dismissive because Frankie is an atheist and most stigmatics are deeply religious people of immense faith. Yet as Andrew digs deeper into the case and Frankie’s condition worsens with every injury inflicted, complete with some sort of possession that talks in a dead language not used for centuries, he sees that Frankie is actually channeling something much more dangerous and questionable. These findings could have dark implications for the church and shake their very foundations to the core. And while Andrew is somewhat more open-minded with his beliefs and is a lot more concerned with saving Frankie’s life, his superior Cardinal Daniel Houseman, is prepared to resort to the darkest acts in order to keep these findings from being revealed.

I’ve read that upon release Stigmata was lambasted by critics as being a shallow, style over substance and exploitative film. I personally think that those criticisms are more than a little harsh, though sometimes the style does overpower the story. But what style and imagery it is with scenes overlapping, slickly executed cut backs and forth and religious liturgy taking centre stage in a style reminiscent of a music video. At least Stigmata still has a story that pushes many buttons on an interest level to back up such strong visual impact. And though Stigmata is very much a horror film that can be very unnerving, clearly witnessed in the harrowing scenes of Frankie suffering the titular injuries in gruesome detail, there is a mystery angle about the history of religion and there possibly being something else to say. It must be said that there are inconsistencies with this and sometimes it comes off as a bit illogical, but for me the mystery angle didn’t buckle under these flaws and did leave me questioning things. An unusual but highly appropriate score and soundtrack combine electronic beats, hard rock and whispering chorus to capture the melding of ancient religion with a contemporary host.

Patricia Arquette is an excellent choice for the role of Frankie. Bringing in the beginning a humour and no cares attitude to her as she parties a lot, she successfully incorporates a sense of disbelief, pain and vulnerability once Frankie becomes afflicted with Stigmata. The part is made all the better because of Arquette being in the role and making Frankie a sympathetic character going through unimaginable horror. Gabriel Byrne is well cast as Father Andrew, whose history as a scientist often clashes with the more spiritual around him. There is a sense of grave concern that Byrne invokes Andrew with as his main concern becomes saving Frankie from death as the wounds get worse and her health declines. Jonathan Pryce brings authoritative menace to the part of the corrupt cardinal intent on keeping the message from Frankie deeply buried away from anyone. Nia Long, on the other hand, is wasted as one of Frankie’s friends.

So if you can forgive a few lulls and inconsistencies, Stigmata is an eerie, stylish horror/thriller.

Little Women(1994)

Tags

1990's, Christian Bale, Claire Danes, Coming-of-Age, Gabriel Byrne, Gillian Armstrong, Kirsten Dunst, Little Women, Mary Wickes, Period Drama, Samantha Mathis, Susan Sarandon, Trini Alvarado, Winona Ryder

Film Title

Little Women

Director

Gillian Armstrong

Starring

• Winona Ryder as Jo March
• Trini Alvarado as Meg March
• Claire Danes as Beth March
• Kirsten Dunst as Young Amy March
• Susan Sarandon as Marmee March
• Christian Bale as Laurie
• Mary Wickes as Aunt March
• Samantha Mathis as Adult Amy March
• Gabriel Byrne as Friedrich Bhaer

Adapted from the much-loved novel of Louisa May Alcott, Little Women is a heart-warming, movingly told gem of a coming of age movie about the importance of family and sisterhood. Boasting strong performances, beautiful cinematography and emotive music, Little Women is a joy for everyone to watch.

The focus of the story is on the women of the March family in the years of the Civil War and the time after in Concord, Massachusetts . Meg is the beautiful, gracious but slightly vain eldest, Jo is an expressive tomboy with a passion for writing, Beth is sensitive and earnest,  Amy is the romantically winsome and spoilt youngest. Their mother, affectionately known as Marmee, guides them through their lives with loving care but makes sure the girls manage to stay true to themselves no matter what whilst their father is fighting in the war that to them seems to be never ending. The sisters come across love, hardship and kindness as they grow up and experience the vicissitudes of life. The sisters befriend Laurie; the lonely boy next door who becomes almost like a part of the family and yet he develops feelings for Jo along the way. The film follows the March sister’s various ups and downs, personal pain and happiness and the strong, unbreakable bond between the girls that is eternal. Crafted by Gillian Armstrong, Little Women is sensitively told and beautiful without falling into the trap of being overly sentimental in its story of these four special girls.

Gillian Armstrong brings to the forefront the feminist undertones of the story, embodied by Marmee’s wish that her four daughters develop their intellect as well as blossoming beauty. Some purists may take issue with this and feel that it is bashing people on the head with the message, but it does the opposite by subtly adding an interesting dimension to the story and gives us an array of strong female characters that live long in the memory. Armstrong obviously feels a connection to the story and as her past output often features strong female characters, it’s not difficult to see why such a talented film maker would adapt this classic, intimate story for the screen. As the story spans many years in the lives of these girls, the expressive cinematography captures the changing of time to stunning effect by showcasing the beauty of the seasons. The evocative score by Thomas Newman highlights the deep themes of family importance and the various differing personalities of the March sisters as they make their journey through life and all that it entails. It was rightly nominated for an Oscar and it isn’t difficult to see why. As an audience, we glimpse the various troubles and joys that make up the lives of these characters. Many of the scenes stay strong in the memory such as Jo’s feisty independence beginning to emerge, Amy’s near death experience when she slips through the winter ice, the sisters reading a letter from their father around the fire and the sensitive Beth’s battle with Scarlet Fever. It really makes for heart-warming viewing as these girls go through the various stages of life and experience the many changes that it brings.

Most of the joy that comes from the film is down to the cast. In the lead role as the idiosyncratic and hot-tempered Jo, Winona Ryder is a marvel at bringing both the tough side to her character to the forefront whilst showing us the emotional care she has for those around her. Ryder is delightful and makes the plum role of Jo her own, The beautiful Trini Alvarado is impressive as the manner obsessed Meg, who begins to understand the social standing isn’t everything in life. A young Claire Danes is suitably lovely and sensitive as the caring Beth, who seems to face even the toughest things life can throw at her with a sense of decency and a smile. Young Kirsten Dunst adds mischief and an amusing selfishness to her role as the hopelessly winsome Amy, who is a regular madam with her nose in the air. It must be said that the chemistry between the four young actresses is simply delightful and helps you buy into them as sisters. Susan Sarandon embodies the love but firm care of the girl’s mother, revealing a strong women intent on keeping her girls from becoming merely a decorative piece on a suitor’s arm. A young Christian Bale is impressive as Laurie, the boy next door who is first enchanted by the four March women and later befriended by them. Mary Wickes, with killer one liners and a withering eye, is a hoot as the rich Aunt March, who can’t seem to go a minute without finding something to bad mouth or look down upon. On the other hand, Samantha Mathis as the older Amy and Gabriel Byrne as a handsome professor involved with Jo, are underwritten and as a result don’t get much to do in terms of pushing the story ahead.

Touching, immensely enjoyable and crafted with beautiful care by Gillian Armstrong, Little Women is sensitive and loving viewing at its best.

Spider

Tags

2000's, David Cronenberg, Gabriel Byrne, Lynn Redgrave, Miranda Richardson, Psychological Drama, Ralph Fiennes, Spider

Film Title

Spider

Director

David Cronenberg

Cast

• Ralph Fiennes as Dennis ‘Spider’ Cleg
• Miranda Richardson as Mrs. Cleg/Yvonne
• Gabriel Byrne as Bill Cleg
• Bradley Hall as Young Spider
• John Neville as Terrence
• Lynn Redgrave as Mrs. Wilkinson

With Spider, David Cronenberg takes the viewer on an intense and psychological journey through the mind of a paranoid schizophrenic as he begins to remember important events from his childhood. Deftly told and powerfully acted, Spider is a film that gets you tangled up in its web and just when you think you’ve figured it out, you see something unexpected and you’re left flawed.

The film begins with an excellent tracking shot through a London station as passengers disembark a train. When the camera finishes gliding through the crowd, we finally get our first glimpses of the title character. He is unkempt, often stoops, mutters to himself and has a haunted expression. In these opening moments, we get a distinct picture of Spider and how his behaviour that will influence the events of the film. He has just been released from an asylum after treatment for schizophrenia and now is to live in a dilapidated halfway way house in the East End. He arrives and is greeted with the cold, unfeeling Mrs. Wilkinson, but is helped by an old man called Terrence. It is here that Spider’s memory begins to unravel and he begins to literally relive his key ‘moments’ from his traumatic childhood whilst revisiting his childhood haunts. The most prominent events revolve around his caring mother and his drunken father, who seems to be having an affair with a local hooker. But as Spider descends deeper into these memories, his mental state begins to deteriorate, even as he begins to put the missing pieces together. Throughout the film, the audience is left with an interesting question, Are the memories that he is reliving real or the result of his paranoia? That is for the audience to decide as the film takes on numerous ambiguous meanings and connotations.

As the title character, Ralph Fiennes delivers a powerful and committed portrayal that lets the audience experience the living nightmare he endures. He lets his body do most of the talking, capturing the nervousness, jittery movements and awkward gestures that say so much more than speech can. It is through Spider’s eyes that we see the ‘events’ that befell him as a child and how the repercussions have deeply and emotionally scarred him. He is excellently portrayed as a child by Bradley Hall, who boasts an eerily resemblance to Fiennes. Miranda Richardson delivers knockout performances as two women who although they were at different ends of the moral spectrum, each had a huge impact on the boy’s psyche. She embodies both characters, Spider’s saintly mother and Yvonne, a vulgar, loose living prostitute, with a deft skill that is amazing to watch and remarkable in clearly showing the differences in the women. Gabriel Byrne exudes menace as Spider’s abusive father, whose dalliance with Yvonne led to terrifying consequences. And Lynn Redgrave is suitably chilly as the unfriendly and beady-eyed Mrs.Wilkinson.

Credit must go to the screenplay that blends the lines between past and present with a haunting skill. This use of narrative further challenges the audience to decide what is in fact real and imaginary. The set design impeccably displays the dark and dingy area in which Spider grew up and the various incidents that shaped his existence. As with most of Cronenberg’s films, Spider isn’t the most pleasant thing to watch but regardless of this, is an exceptionally evocative and chilling account of the repercussions of memory and the tenuous link between past and present as it overlaps. The film boasts many interpretations that rise from small events that you may have to view again to get a better understanding. If its psychological drama that you want, watch this underrated film that will leave you flawed by the time it ends and thinking about it for days after.