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Michelle Pfeiffer

French Exit: For Love or Luxury

April 2, 2021 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

FRENCH EXIT Michelle Pfeiffer as Frances Price, Lucas Hedges as Malcolm Price

Someone once asked what it profits a person if they gain the whole world but lose their soul. 

Directed by Azazel Jacobs, French Exit attempts to explore this question by following the exploits of Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer), an aging Manhattan socialite who has just been informed that her husband’s massive financial resources have finally been exhausted. Depressed and contemplating her death, she opts to sell her possessions and burn through her remaining money in Paris with her son, Malcolm (Lucas Hedges). Despite having plans to marry his girlfriend, Susan (Imogen Poots), Malcolm can never stand up to his mother and acquiesces to her request. Feeling lost and alone, the two attempt to start over in their unfamiliar surroundings.

Adapted by Peter DeWitt from his own novel, French Exit feels like a mix between Wes Anderson and the work of the Coen Brothers. Sharply written, the dialogue has the bite of an off-Broadway play, filled with double-meanings and existential arguments. Featuring quirky characters and unusual situations, the film also keeps its characters at an emotional distance from its audience. However, unlike even the Coen’s darkest works, Exit somehow carries very little joy within it. Though moments of dark humour are present, the film’s pacing and performances keep the film from fully sparking with the viewer. While the film’s eccentric humour often works, the characters often remain at such an emotional distance that they become difficult to connect with as a viewer. (Even the always engaging Lucas Hedges seems muted in this particular role.)

Though the film doesn’t always pop, the one aspect of it that works throughout is Pfeiffer. As the dissatisfied widow, Pfeiffer is absolutely captivating to watch. Though many other actresses would play Frances as a hateful beast, there remains a compassionate core to her performance that somehow makes her character likeable. While she never loses her ‘edge’, we also see behind the façade to the hurts that lie underneath. In other words, though her character maintains an exterior of stone, Pfeiffer allows Frances to reveal a certain sense of brokenness that makes her relatable. (And, I must confess, there’s a certain sense of meta-irony about the former Batman Returns star struggling in her relationship with a black cat.)

At the core of French Exit lies the gap between luxury and love. Having suffered in a loveless marriage, Frances has been drained of her soul. Kept afloat physically because of her wealth, her empty heart makes her almost anxious to see it all disappear. Having the world at her feet (for now) but haunted by her past, she struggles to allow anyone into her life. As a result, outside of the domineering relationship with her son, she isolates herself emotionally. To Frances, her waning finances symbolize her deflating, loveless life and she yearns for it to end.

This sort of existential malaise is pervasive amongst the cast of the film as they float through their meaningless existence. Sex has little emotional impact, nor does commitment. Money is merely a means to an end. Although they all have some experience with relationships, one could argue that none of the character have any concept of what it means to experience or offer love. (In fact, the character who arguably seems closest is Susan’s fiancé Tom, who states that he once thought he knew what love was but was wrong until they began their relationship.)

Yet what’s interesting about this group is that they also yearn for community. Despite the fact that they’re almost all ‘loners’, they seem to come alive as they move into the apartment one-by-one. As this group begins to solidify, their hearts begin to open, allowing for intimacy between them to bloom. Though these characters seem soulless, they eventually begin to come alive when they are together. Suddenly, the meaninglessness of their world begins to crumble. Loneliness gives way to safety and security. Isolation leans into unity. Although there is still a pervasive sense of privileged malaise surrounding them, somehow their lives become more bearable (even hopeful). For this motley crew, supportive love melts their frozen hearts and (almost) brings a new beginning to their relationships.

Anchored by a stunning performance by Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit provides enough witty banter and outrageous characters to qualify for a recommendation. While the film lacks the energy of Anderson’s films, there’s a certain amount of charm within its story that makes it enjoyable. However, it’s also likely that this is one Exit you will only want to travel through once.

French Exit is available in theatres on Friday, April 2nd, 2021.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews, VOD Tagged With: Azazel Jacobs, Danielle Macdonald, French Exit, Imogen Poots, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Pfeiffer, Peter DeWitt, Valarie Mahaffey

6.05 Exposing the Light of MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL

October 25, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

This Hallowe’en, MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL brings us back to the Kingdom of Ulstead to get reacquainted with one of Disney’s most iconic villains… or is she? Years after the death of the king, Maleficent rules the Moors and lives in peace with the magical creatures of the forest. However, her paradise is disrupted with Aurora tells her that she wishes to marry Prince Phillip and unite the two kingdoms. As Maleficent attempts to build bridges with the neighbouring kingdom, she also finds herself in the middle of a potential war that could tear the nation (and her family) apart.

This week, TeenFish host Daniel Collins and ScreenFish veteran Allen Forrest return to talk about the nature of evil, the dark side of protectiveness and which Disney Villains we would team up with in the coming Zombie Apocalypse.

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Soundcloud! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts or Google Play!

6.05 Maleficent: Mistress of EvilDownload

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: Angelina Jolie, Aurora, Maleficent, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sleeping Beauty

mother!: A Metaphor for Creation

December 19, 2017 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, mother! brings us into the heart of the fractured marriage of Mother (Jennifer Lawrence) and Man (Javier Bardem).  A poet who suffers from writer’s block, Bardem is distant and cold as he sweats over his pages, praying for inspiration.  Meanwhile, as her husband focuses his energy on his work, Lawrence’s Mother invest her time meticulously rebuilding their home after a recent fire burnt it to the ground.  However, when a mysterious visitor arrives in the middle of the night, Bardem invites the stranger into their home (without consulting his bride).  As a result of the invitation, the presence of the visitor (and those that come after) begins to destroy their marriage and, potentially, their home as well.

In mother!, it should be no surprise that Lawrence provides the right mixture of stability and chaos while Bardem appears as menacingly as ever.  Nevertheless, the real visionary behind the narrative is writer/director Darren Aronofsky.  While the marketing would have you believe that the film is a straight up ‘home invasion’ thriller, that’s not entirely true.  As with previous Aronovsky pieces, such as Black Swan and Noah, the film begins using traditional genre tropes and undermines them as the film progresses.  As a result, mother! comes across as more of an art-house piece than blockbuster thriller.  Visually stunning and filled with metaphors from the films first frame to the last, mother! is the type of film that may leave the casual ticket buyer baffled, unless they’re really interested in exploring Aronovsky’s deeper messages.

In many ways, mother! is a natural follow-up to Noah, Aronovsky’s controversial Biblical epic.  Serving as a metaphor for environmental disaster, mother! also delves deeply into spiritual metaphor and man’s relationship with an arrogant God.  As the film unravels, the relationship between Lawrence and Bardem becomes increasingly visual as they explore the religious significance of the apparent priority that God places on humanity over his first love, Creation. While Lawrence obsesses over trying to build her home and keep it beautiful, Bardem’s unnamed character is disinterested in her passions (and personally) as he broods about his inability to create His way.  His love for his fans begins with a welcome of ‘the first family’ and becomes increasingly unreasonable as he constantly defends the actions of those who have come to worship him yet destroy the home in the process.  In other words, unlike the vengeful (and almost random) God of Noah, mother! portrays God as more self-absorbed, feeding off the worship of his followers regardless of their recklessness.  (In fact, in mother!, the viewer begs Bardem to hold the people accountable for their actions, an irony considered that Noah depicts God as unreasonably ruthless.)

As a pastor, I recognize that Aronofsky is addressing some key spiritual questions in the midst of the carnage. Does God care about his creation at all, given that his people do not?  Is his view of worship (which the church acknowledges is to give Him glory) about merely feeding his own ego or something more profound? While Aronofsky speaks of the things of God, he often seems to fall on the more negative side of the conversation (again, see Noah), however, he also shows his interest in exploring the significance of meaning of the Biblical narrative.

But be warned.  mother! is a fierce and unrelenting beast of a Creation metaphor that not only wants you to feel uncomfortable.  It wants you to live there.

Special features include behind-the-scenes looks at the making of the film and the special effects of the makeup.

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Creation, Darren Aronovsky, Ed Harris, environmentalism, Javier Bardem, Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Pfeiffer, mother!

4.02 The Heart of the mother!

October 22, 2017 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/4.03-mother.mp3

When director Darren Aronofsky releases a film, it’s often bound to court controversy.  Blending an environmental message and Biblical metaphor, mother! instantly divided audiences between those that loathed its excessiveness and those that loved and respected its ambition.  This week, Steve welcomes ScreenFish guppies Ben Dower and Andrew Eaton as they tackle Aronofsky’s complicated vision by discussing its portrayal of God, the meaning of love and… um… Taylor Swift.

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

4.04 mother!

Thanks Ben and Andrew for coming on the show!

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Podcast, TIFF Tagged With: biblical epic, Darren Aronofsky, Ed Harris, environment, environmentalism, horror, Javier Bardem, Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Pfeiffer, mother!

The Wizard of Lies: What Will Greed Get You?

July 26, 2017 by Jacob Sahms Leave a Comment

Bernie Madoff perpetrated the largest Ponzi scheme (currently) in history, having defrauded investors out of approximately sixty-five billion dollars. In Diane B. Henriques’ book, The Wizard of Lies, the story she found as she covered the investigation beginning in 2008 is laid out in some detail. Now, in HBO’s original film of the same name, legendary director Barry Levinson tells the story as adapted to the screen by his son, Sam.

But let’s be clear – the captivating elements of the otherwise ‘numerical’ story come from the performances of the main cast, a set of A-list actors.

De Niro seems born for his typical roles, and this is really no different. But Michelle Pfeiffer also stars as Madoff’s wife, Ruth, and Alessandro Nivola (A Most Violent Year, American Hustle) as their son, Mark. [Hank Azaria plays the role of Madoff’s “second-in-command,” Frank DiPascali.]

While the story shows the intense success (fleetingly) that Madoff achieved, the film’s stark warnings about the cost of this abuse of power and truth hang on after the credits end. There’s the impact on Mark and Ruth, not to mention the incarceration of Madoff, and the bitterness felt by Madoff’s other son. But the thousands of people fleeced by the Madoff scheme? Those wounds will last for generations.

In the end, we’re left with Madoff’s own madness – even his final question (via De Niro) to the real-life Henriques playing herself: “Do you think I’m a sociopath?”

Filed Under: DVD, Film, Reviews, Television Tagged With: Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro

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