Reel Rewind: “Fair Game”

Tonight I’m at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood to watch a free preview screening of “Fair Game” thanks to Film Independent and their Filmmaker Forum. Usually I only see screenings at the DGA in April (ColCoa), but it was no problem coming here this October night (except for the door on the bus that refused to close for at least ten minutes – a source of amusement and annoyance). Although I arrived later than I planned, people were still in line to enter theatre one and I ended up in the general area that I like to sit.

The film, “Fair Game”, is based on events in which lying to deceive was the modus operandi and the truth was repelled and ignored. CIA agent Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) is a NOC (No Official Cover) covert leader with operations in Kuala Lumpur, Cairo, Amman et. al. who becomes responsible for finding the intelligence on Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) program. As part of this investigation, the CIA sent her husband, former diplomat Joseph Wilson (Sean Penn), to Niger to check on reports that Iraq had bought a large quantity of yellowcake (a powder formed from the processing of uranium ore) from Niger for use in its nuclear weapons. Wilson’s trip determined that no such sale had taken place, yet this truth was eventually sidestepped by the White House.

A portion of George Bush’s Tuesday 28 January 2003 State of the Union address is shown in which the “sixteen words” are stated – “The British government had learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.” This false statement was the basis for sending Americans into a needless war in Iraq (and perhaps the start of Tony Blair’s fall from grace). Unforgivable. Wilson’s refutation of that statement resulted in a backlash from the US government against him and the outing of his wife as a CIA agent. The consequences of the revelation compromised not only Valerie Plame and her operations, but other agents with the same work cover and their operations. All of this because a decision was made to cover up the truth.

The tragedy of the situation was that the Iraqi scientists who could confirm that Iraq did not have a WMD program were not able to be retrieved from Iraq because Valerie’s departure operation for them was stopped. And besides would the United States actually find it in their interest to rescue people who could have debunked the country’s position regarding the reason for entering the war. I think not. What happened to the scientists in Iraq can only be imagined and despaired. Under this type of reality, Valerie and Joseph fight for the truth, while also fighting with each other. Despite White House efforts, the truth does come out. Unfortunately, Valerie’s (and other CIA agents) career is over and the unnecessary Iraq War continues, with causalities of all kinds. Joseph has vindication and the marriage with Valerie does remain intact.

Naomi Watts portrays Valerie Plame as a woman who is good at lying and deceiving in the name of her job, but who just might have a conscious on the cost those qualities have to others. I am not a Sean Penn fan, however he disappears within Joseph Wilson and displays a man determined to have the truth prevail. A treat to see Sam Shepard for a few minutes. Although the truth about the Iraq War has been known for some time now, it is enlightening to see the effects of deceit on an individual level as opposed to a national scale. Which makes everything that much more tragic.

The Q&A session with director Doug Liman was moderated by John August. During the discussion, Liman revealed that he had talked with some former colleagues of Valerie Plame for a more in depth understanding of the whole debacle. “Fair Game” was shot in forty-five days on a budget of twenty-two million dollars. And most of the film was actually shot on location. Liman also said that the Egyptian government hadn’t wanted the Egyptian actor who played the primary Iraqi scientist to act with the Israeli woman who played his sister. You’d think they were still at war. Where is hope?

Film Facts: Director/Cinematographer/Producer: Doug Liman, Writer/Producer: Jez Butterworth, Writers: John-Henry Butterworth, Joseph Wilson, Valerie Plame, Editor: Christopher Tellefsen, Musician: John Powell, Producers: Mohamed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei, Dave Bartis, Gerry Robert Byrne, Kerry Foster, Sean Gesell, Akiva Goldsman, Anadil Hossain, Bill Pohlad, David Sigal, Mari-Jo Winkler, Kim H. Winther, Janet Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Production Companies: River Road Entertainment, Participant Media, Imagenation Abu Dhabi FZ, Zucker Productions, Weed Road Pictures, Hypnotic, Fair Game Productions

Film Type: Action, Biography, Drama, Thriller, Cast: Naomi Watts (Valerie Plame), Sean Penn (Joseph Wilson), Ty Burrell (Fred), Sam Shepard (Sam Plame), Louis Ozawa Changchien (Nervous Analyst #1), Bruce McGill (Jim Pavitt), Brooke Smith (Diana), Noah Emmerich (Bill), Michael Kelly (Jack), David Denman (Dave), David Andrews (Scooter Libby), Iris Bahr (CPD Agent), David Warshofsky (Peter), Satya Bhabha (Jason Neal), Sunil Malhotra (Ali), Length: 104’, Languages: English, Arabic, French, Countries: United States, United Arab Emirates, Year: 2010
Film Trailer
United State release date Friday 5 November 2010


Images:
Left: Naomi Watts as Valerie Plame from the website movieplayer.it
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Fair Game” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “Fair Game” poster from the website cinemablend.com

Reel Rewind: “Nowhere Boy”

My jaunt to Marina Del Rey this afternoon to see “Nowhere Boy” was courtesy of Campus Circle. I was a runner-up winner of their recent sweepstakes contest for the movie and my prize was a run of engagement pass good at any Los Angeles area AMC Theatre. “Nowhere Boy” wasn’t playing at any of the AMC theatres to which I usually go, so a little extra traveling was necessary. Finding the theatre was easy enough, though confusingly it still has the name Odeon Cineplex (wonder how long AMC has actually owned the multiplex – a physical name change would be helpful).

While waiting for the film to begin, I thought I would be the only viewer of “Nowhere Boy” at the screening; but eventually I heard the sound of popcorn munching and the rare opportunity of having a whole theatre to myself was not to be. A different sound soon reached my ears when the film began with the screams of young females and John Lennon running towards them. This sound would be a part of Lennon’s future life, but the sounds of Lennon’s adolescent life in Liverpool are the ones I’m hearing today.

Lennon’s (Aaron Johnson) and his Uncle George’s laughter and his Aunt Mimi’s classical music is our introduction to Lennon’s domestic life in his mid-adolescence. Sadly George’s laughter ends too soon (both in real life and the film), but out of this tragedy Lennon "begins" a long over-due relationship with his mother Julia (Anne-Marie Duff). The sounds of their relationship begin with an outing to a pier in Blackpool and progresses over the next few years from banjo lessons and the song “Maggie May” to words of truth. The child finds the lost mother, learns the truth behind the losing, only to tragically lose her again, forever.

With his Aunt Mimi (Kristen Scott Thomas), Lennon lives in quietness with refrains of “glasses, John”, evolving to clashes about his mother and school, to departure towards his own life. And intertwined with the mother and the aunt is the development of Lennon’s music sensibility from Elvis Presley “Shake, Rattle & Roll” (wants to be him) and Buddy Holly “Peggy Sue” (imitates his look) to his first band, The Quarrymen and to writing his own songs. However "truthful" this whisper of one part of Lennon’s Liverpool life is, the best sounds are coming and will carry across the world.

Although Aaron Johnson may be a little too attractive to play John Lennon, the casting of “Nowhere Boy” is fine, though most of them are unknown to me. When I first saw the cast list, I thought the only person I’d seen before was Kristen Scott Thomas; however, it turns out that I saw Thomas Sangster (Paul) in “Love Actually” (he doesn’t look that much older). The song “Nowhere Man”, from which this film takes part of its title, was first recorded beginning on Thursday 21 October 1965, forty-five years ago today. Finally for Lennon, one can sing “Nowhere Man, the world is at your command!” Now if they can only get the right chord to your story.


Film Facts: Director: Sam Taylor-Wood, Writers: Julia Baird, Matt Greenhalgh, Cinematographer: Seamus McGarvey, Editor: Lisa Gunning, Musicians: Alison Goldfrapp, Will Gregory, Producers: Robert Bernstein, Matt Delargy, Jon Diamond, Tim Haslam, Kevin Loader, Jaynie Miller, Christopher Moll, Douglas Rae, Paul Ritchie, Tessa Ross, James Saynor, Mark Woolley, Production Companies: Ecosse Films, Film4, UK Film Council, Aver Media, North West Vision

Film Type: Biography, Drama, Music, Cast: Aaron Johnson (John), Kristin Scott Thomas (Mimi), David Threlfall (Uncle George), Josh Bolt (Pete), Ophelia Lovibond (Marie), Kerrie Hayes (Marie’s Friend), Angela Walsh (Schoolmistress), Paul Ritter (Pobjoy), Richard Syms (Reverend), Anne-Marie Duff (Julia), James Johnson (Stan), Alex Ambrose (Young John), Angelica Jopling (Julia – Aged 8), Abby Greenhalgh (Jackie – Aged 6), David Morrissey (Bobby), Length: 98’, Language: English, Countries: United Kingdom, Canada, Year: 2009
Film Trailer
United States release date Friday 8 October 2010


Images:
Left: “Nowhere Boy” pass
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Nowhere Boy” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “Nowhere Boy” poster from the website obzarkina.tv

Reel Rewind: "Mahler Auf Der Couch"

German title – “Mahler Auf Der Couch” / English title – “Mahler On The Couch”
The English title is a direct translation from the German and therefore the English title is perfect.

The structure of “Mahler Auf Der Couch” has the story of Gustav and Alma Mahler’s marriage told through the talks Gustav has with Sigmund Freud over the course of two days in the Netherlands. It was the discovery of Alma’s affair with the architect Walter Gropius that prompted Gustav to seek out Freud’s counsel. “That it happened is fact. How it happened is fiction.” - screen title. The interaction between Mahler and Freud begins as a battle of wills (and wits) as Mahler is resistant to Freud’s probes and rejects his implications regarding marriage to a woman nineteen years his junior. During a morning walk together among rustling trees, Mahler opens up to Freud and begins the story.

The film toggles between the session in the Netherlands and the unfolding tale, and throughout the film quotes from people who knew Gustav and Alma are presented. Alma is young, vivacious, and studying the piano and Gustav is older, staid, and an accomplished musician when they meet at a party. Although she is loved by Alexander von Zemlinsky, who “would have been the better choice” - Freud, Alma falls in love with Gustav and by doing so she loses her music. A condition of her marriage to Gustav, is that Alma no longer write musical compositions – only Gustav can. From a twenty-first century perspective, I find this deplorable. And what is more disturbing is that Alma knew she would have to give up her music before marrying Gustav. Even though she is in anguish over Gustav’s demand, Alma nevertheless freely enters into the marriage.

As “Mahler Auf Der Couch” progressed, I found that I enjoyed the scenes with Mahler and Freud, more than the ones depicting Gustav’s and Alma’s life together. This is probably due to the interaction between the two men that was at times amusing, as well as the appeal to the psychology student within me. Gustav is consumed with music, but does love Alma and their two daughters. It is the death of one of the daughters that causes Alma’s breakdown and subsequent stay at a spa where she meets Walter Gropius. In his session with Freud, Gustav at first blocks out the confrontation he had with Alma, but slowly the intensity of the event is revealed. Alma explodes the repressed feelings she had buried during the marriage. When Gustav tells her it has all been for “our music”, she retorts “your music!” - after all, hers has been forbidden. Amazingly, Alma decides to stay with Gustav, but she does continue to see Walter.

Mahler’s music in the film is performed by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen (former Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic). Having experienced many times Salonen’s manner of conducting the LA Phil, I was happy to see (hear) his involvement in the film. Although my knowledge of Mahler’s works is limited, I am sorry that my knowledge of Alma’s works is non-existent. The lesson to be taken from this fictionalized real life story – don’t let love bar you from the passion and joy of what you do well or that which gives meaning to your life and defines who you are. Perhaps, before her marriage, Alma could have benefitted from sessions with Freud and there would now be a film about her - “Schindler Spielt Klavier” (“Schindler Playing Piano”).

At the end of the screening, Felix Adlon, a director/writer, as well as actors Barbara Romaner and Nina Berton of “Mahler Auf Der Couch” were introduced for the Q & A session. Felix said that it took a long time to find someone to play Alma and Barbara came to the project via the theatre. Barbara loved the two years of rehearsal time for the film, which was in contrast to the usual few weeks of rehearsal when doing a play. Although Nina didn’t speak, she had played the singer Anna von Mildenberg (Gustav’s former lover), who I believe would have been Gustav’s “better choice”. And the choice to see the film? No regrets on my part.


Film Facts: Directors/Writers: Felix O. Adlon, Percy Adlon, Cinematographer: Benedict Neuenfels, Editor: Jochen Kunstler, Musician: Gustav Mahler, Producers: Eleonore Adlon, Burkhard W. R. Ernst, Eberhard Junkersdorf, Wolfgang Jurgan, Heinrich Mis, Konstantin Seitz, Hubert von Spreti, Production Company: ARD Degeto Film

Film Type: Biography/Drama, Cast: Barbara Romaner (Alma Mahler), Johannes Silberschneider (Gustav Mahler), Karl Markovics (Sigmund Freud), Friedrich Mücke (Walter Gropius), Eva Mattes (Anna Moll), Lena Stolze (Justine Mahler-Rose), Nina Berten (Anna von Mildenburg), Karl Fischer (Carl Moll), Mathias Franz Stein (Alexander von Zemlinsky), Max Mayer (Max Burckhard0, Michael Dangl (Bruno Walter), Michael Rotschopf (Alfred Roller), Manuel Witting (Gustav Klimt), Simon Hatzl (Arnold Bruce), Johanna Orsini-Rosenberg (Berta Zuckerkandl), Length: 98’, Language: German, Countries: Germany, Austria, Year: 2010
Film trailer
No United States release date set as of this post.


Images:
Left: Front side of the ticket for “Mahler Auf Der Couch”
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Mahler Auf Der Couch” created by Adrean Darce Brent

Right: Poster title of “Mahler Auf Der Couch” from the website moviemaze.de