THE DEAD DON’T HURT

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming from writer/director Viggo Mortensen, Talipot Studios and Shout! Studios is the story of the rugged life in the west with THE DEAD DON’T HURT.

In the 1860’s life was difficult on the wild frontier of the United States and Danish Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen) lives in the quiet town of Elf Flats. On a trip to San Francico, Olsen meets Vivienne (Vicky Krieps) and sees in her an independent woman with a mind of her own. Finding themselves attracted to one another, she follows Olsen back to Elk Flats.

Once there, they begin to make a life for themselves and Vivienne decides to get a job at the local saloon. After a bit of time, Olsen tells her he must go and do his part fighting for the Union in the Civil War. Vivienne is left behind to take care of their homestead and working at the saloon. Around her is Mayor Rudolph Schiller (Danny Huston) and powerful rancher Alfred Jeffries (Garret Dillahunt) who control everything in town. Jefferies son Weston (Solly McLeod) has a reputation for violence but is never held accountable.

Weston is taken with Vivienne and makes advances that she makes clear is unacceptable to her but he is not accustomed to being told no by anyone. When Olsen finally returns from the fight, he is happy to see Vivienne but discovers that something has happened to disturb their peace. That does not stop them from sharing their life until Olsen decides it is time to go what’s best for them all.

Mortensen as Olsen once again plays a character that is quiet in nature but observes everything around him. When he comes across Vivienne, he quickly becomes entranced by her but at the same time realizes she is a force all her own. Mortensen gives his character an openness not found openly in that time period, happy to have Krieps’ characters company without the ties of a ceremony. He also knows his own mind and follows it, even if it is to war.

Krieps as Vivienne is a fiery woman who doesn’t suffer fools for very long. She makes herself plain always, stands up for what she wants and refuses to follow any society norms just to please men. Krieps’ performance in this role gives a strong, fearless (even when there are moments of fear) and memories of her childhood beliefs that give her a quiet strength.

Huston as the Mayor has the uncanny ability to play a bad guy but make it seem as if he is a friend to all, just love it. Dillahunt as Jeffries is going to make sure that he remains powerful and no one is going to get in the way, that includes his son. McLeod as Weston is a boy/man who doesn’t believe the law applies to him in the matter of murder or anything else. McLeod gives his character the right amount of despicability from beginning to end.

Other cast includes Nadia Litz as Martha Gilkyson, Marc Dennis as Fishmonger Stevens, John Getz as Reverend Simpson, Billy Crossley as Shane Graham, Rafel Plana as Claudio Garcia, Alex Breaux as Ed Wilkins, , Jason Clarke as Fergus, Atlas Green as Vincent, Eliana Michaud as little Vivienne, W. Earl Brown as Alan Kendall, and Ray McKinnon as Judge Blagden.

SHOUT! Studios has grown into a tremendous multi-platform media company. Releasing new animated features such as the exquisite Long Way North, and the epic fantasy Beauty and The Beast. Also, their own original horror film, Fender Bender gives fans a good scare. For more of what SHOUT has to offer please visit www.shoutfactory.com.

Talipot Studio is a content creation, production and development incubator of scripts and concepts for feature-films, television series and documentaries that in turn serves as producer or co-producer of projects. Their vision is centered on developing all types of stories, from their first visionary concept to its realization. For more of what Talipot Studios has to offer please visit www.talipot.studios.com

THE DEAD DON’T HURT is an old-fashioned western with modern undertones of a woman who clearly isn’t guided by the rules of the day. Mortenson gives the film the right feel of horses, dust, firearms and the underhandedness of powerful men in the west. Together, Olsen and Vivenne understand one another and these two actors bring about a powerful western tale. Their love was unique showing the power of overcoming both of their circumstances.

It may take a moment to adjust to the stories intermixing but, as the tale becomes clearer, it is another notch in Mortensen’s ability to weave and create an original film. Added to this is that Mortensen is also a producer and brings in the music for the film. It is a herculean task just being a director but deciding that there is an important is how the story should come across, what is a few more ways to make that happen.

THE REFLECTING SKIN is a Film of Twisted Brilliance

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from Film Movement Classics and writer/director Philip Ridley is the stunning classic THE REFLECTING SKIN.

Seth Dove (Jeremy Cooper) is a young man living in 1950s Idaho farmland country with parents Luke (Duncan Fraser) and Ruth (Sheila Moore). The days are long and Seth spends time with friends Eben (Codie Wilbee) and Kim (Evan Hall). Three young boys together sometimes brings about mischief.

One such gathering the boys pull a prank on neighbor lady Dolphin Blue (Lindsay Duncan) and Seth feels momentary guilt. Back at home the young boy deals with a mother who treats him in almost sadistic ways and finds a bit of solace with his father who speaks rarely. Trying to talk with him, Luke introduces his son to the idea of vampires in a book he is reading.

Seth is in trouble about a frog incident and must go to Dolphin to apologize. She tells him a little about herself and in the midst of a joke that he takes wrong decides she is a vampire. Eben goes missing so Seth and Kim decide to sneak into the neighbor’s house to see what she may be hiding. After a fright, he runs home and accidentally finds his friend.

That sets his parents on edge and disaster comes from it with a town that holds a grudge on a past secret. This brings home Seth’s older brother Cameron (Viggo Mortensen) who finds himself taken with Dolphin Blue. Now that his mother is in a state, the boy finds that he needs his brother even more.

But Cameron finds solace with Dolphin and tells her of the bomb experiments he was a part of in the war while Seth peeks in on them both. When he sees that his brother may be getting ill, he is more convinced Dolphin is a vampire killing his brother. More tragedy strikes the town and there are more questions than answers.

In that tragedy Seth believes he has found a way to save his brother from a monster that lives so close to home.

Cooper as the young Seth is absolutely brilliant for a young actor to play this very disturbing role. From the way he spoke to the characters clothing, Cooper made that secondary to his performance. Disturbing is too small a word for Seth yet it was impossible to take my eyes off of him.

Duncan as neighbor Dolphin Blue is beautiful, extraordinary and holds a solemn and strangely peaceful attitude toward her life but will let out a scream with ease. Her handling of Seth is sometimes amusing and its probably there conversation on the rode that amused me the most with its disturbing content.

Mortensen as Cameron is a young man who returns from war only to find that coming home is really the last thing he wanted to do. It is Dolphin that gives him light in a dark place and he embraces it immediately. This is one of Mortensen’s first roles and had I seen this film earlier I would have said then what I believe now and that is he has a presence on screen that is a mixture of tough, charming and painful all rolled into him.

Other cast include David Longworth as Joshua, Robert Koons as Sheriff Ticker, Jason Wolfe as Cadillac Driver, Walt Healy as the Old Man, Sherry Bie as Cassie, and Jeff Walker as Adam Blue.

Celebrating its 17th year in 2019, Film Movement has released more than 250 feature films and shorts culled from prestigious film festivals worldwide, and last year it had its first Academy Award-nominated film, THEEB. Film Movement’s theatrical distribution strategy has evolved to include promising American independent films, documentaries, and an even stronger slate of foreign art house titles. Noted directors Film Movement brings are Eric Rohmer, Peter Greenaway, Bille August, Marleen Gorris, Takeshi Kitano and Ettore Scola. For more information, please visit www.filmmovement.com.

The DVD includes the Bonus Features of Angels & Atom Bombs: The Making of THE REFLECTING SKIN, Commentary with writer/director Philip Ridley and New Essay by Travis Crawford and Heather Hyche.

THE REFLECTING SKIN is a film with so many layers that eventually level into one. There is a strangeness, horror, mystery, intensity, beauty and a draw to go down the road of the story even if something tells us not to. Each character has fears of their own yet survival makes a convenient blinder.

Small towns have big secrets and this place has one that they use to quickly fill in the gap tragedy often leads. It isn’t important whether or not it’s the true; it makes whatever sadness permeates the people easier to serve up with their evening meals. The vampires are secondary to my way of thinking.

A film such as THE REFLECTING SKIN will leave its cinematic mark and I am thrilled to have had the chance to experience it.

In the end – sometimes terrible things happen quite naturally.

Oscar Winner GREEN BOOK on Digital and Coming to 4K Ultra HD and Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on Digital and coming to on 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and DVD from director Peter Farrelly and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the story of two men and a GREEN BOOK.

It is the 1960s and Tony 'Lip' Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) is an Italian-American in the Bronx who works as security at the famous Copa. When there is a problem at the club, Tony must find temporary employment elsewhere. He receives a telephone call one morning asking if he wanted to interview for a driving job.

Arriving at Carnegie Hall, he waits his turn to be interviewed. That's when he meets Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), a world class pianist who is African-American. He learns that Dr. Shirley is planning a road trip into the deep southern states that will take two months. As the two men talk and feel each other out, Tony is sure that he didn't get the job.

To his surprise, Dr. Shirley gets the okay from Tony's wife Dolores (Linda Cardellini) for him to be gone until Christmas Eve. He also learns that because he is driving an African-American, Tony needs to read The Negro Motorist Green Book that will tell him when, where and the rules in the south.

Throughout their trip, Tony and Dr. Shirley begin to learn about each other, experience new things and discover that the deep south of the 1960s could be a place of fear and ignorance. Both men begin to change their perspectives and perceptions that will lead to a life long friendship based on the one word they knew that most didn't - respect.

Mortensen as Tony portrays this Italian-American as a man who has no problem using his fists when push comes to shove - and it’s not Tony that starts the shoving. He is a man of the era with a belief found in almost everyone from the neighborhood in the Bronx. Mortensen is absolutely stunning in this role and deserves every accolade. It is a difficult role and his talent in portraying Tony is locked in and strongly portrayed.

He has made his way through characters in films since I first spotted him in the 1993 film AMERICAN YAKUZA and there has been no looking back. Mortensen cemented his career with the role of Aragorn in the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy which has allowed his choice of roles to range from westerns to apocalyptic in nature. His role in GREEN BOOK is just extraordinary.

Ali as Dr. Shirley is now an Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actor for his role in GREEN BOOK. He is a very eloquent, educated and smooth moving pianist who believes that Tony has the potential to be even more than he is. What he doesn't understand is that Tony likes being Tony. There are moments that Ali's performance is just heartbreaking because of the situations they two men found themselves in but then the joy of laughter in a bucket of KFC.

If Ali seems familiar to you then you are obviously a fan of the hit Netflix series House of Cards but his career spans television with the most recent series The 4400. He has continues to jump from television with the HBO hit series True Detectives and the film FREE STATE OF JONES.

Cardellini as Dolores is a woman who sees that her husband will do anything to provide for his family. Worried that his beliefs would have him fired in a week, she slowly begins to see that the friendship between the two men is forming and having an effect on her husband Tony.

Other cast include: Dimiter D. Marinov as Oleg, Mike Hatton as George, Joe Cortese as Gio, Don Stark as Jules Podell, Quinn Duffy as Mikey Cerrone and Von Lewis as Bobby Rydell.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us all to experience and re-experience in our own home theatres. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

The 4K Ultra HD, Bluray, DVD and Digital Bonus Features include Virtuoso Performances - Go behind the scenes with Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali as they discuss their characters and the lengths they went to accurately portray them, An Unforgettable Friendship - Cast and filmmakers discuss the friendship between Don Shirley and Tony Lip and Going Beyond the GREEN BOOK - Filmmakers and cast discuss the significance of the GREEN BOOK.

Movies Anywhere is the digital app that simplifies and enhances the digital movie collection and viewing experience by allowing you to access favorite digital movies in one place when codes are redeemed. For more information please visit http://moviesanywhere.com.

GREEN BOOK turns out to be the surprise win at the 2019 Academy Awards but then again it shouldn’t be a surprise at all. It is a story of true friendship and the lessons each learn along their two month road trip. From bars to police to hotels and even the unexpected reactions to driving Dr. Shirley - each situation that presents itself causes both men to have to remain calm.

I was absolutely mesmerized by Mortensen and Ali together on the screen. They played off of each other to the point that I forgot who I was watching because the story captured me.  Not being afraid to tackle the issues of the south in the 1960s, it also tackles the belief of those living in the northern states who perhaps didn't believe they had issues at the time.

As both characters start to open up more and more, it doesn't surprise me that the friendship of Dr. Shirley and Tony lasted a lifetime. The two months they spent together brought surprises, life lessons, humor, understanding, secrets and music.

The Bonus Features are absolutely worth watching to get a deeper look inside this friendship from the two men portraying Dr. Shirley and Tony. The heartfelt interviews just give GREEN BOOK am even deeper reason for us all to watch the film.

Not only winning an Oscar for Best Picture, Ali won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and a nomination for Viggo Mortensen along with Best Picture and Best Screenplay. GREEN BOOK is everything I want in a film that tells the true story of two unexpected men who became brothers.

In the end - inspired by a true friendship!