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For their 162nd episode, two high-as-a-kite film critics, two gummy-chugging dads, and two pec-popping teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan, turn back the time machine to the 1980s were star-driven fighting films were a holiday staple coming out of the public hits of Rocky and The Karate Kid. Our guys aim much cheesier and much lower with 1988's Bloodsport starring the "Muscles from Brussels" Jean-Claude Van Damme. When tuned up mentally and physically, our hosts will tell you this movie is a trip! Come learn more and stay for the mutual love and respect for the fun movies encapsulate. Enjoy our podcast!
Cinephile Hissy Fits is a Film Obsessive Radio, brought to you by RuminationsRadioNetwork.com. Please visit, rate, review and subscribe. If you enjoyed this show, we have more where that came from, with interesting hosts, and wonderful guests. All available on iTunes, Spotify, and anywhere you find your favorite shows. Follow the show on Twitter at @CinephileFit and on Facebook. Also, find both Will Johnson and Don Shanahan on Letterboxd as the accumulate their viewings and build their ranks and lists.
There’s quite an unarmed duel of the heart happening in the new Netflix film A Family Affair which tends to happen in romantic comedies and dramas. Often, the two amorous protagonists we’re submitted to root for are set into serendipitous plotlines moving on differing schedules. Someone tends to fall in love first or become committed sooner, while the other holds more reservations or is still incomplete in character growth to be ready for the proper epiphany. Likewise, romances love to throw in a late-film mini-collapse thrusting the suitors apart and demanding a comeback when those schedules derail or fail.
If everything and everyone fell into place simultaneously, we wouldn’t have a rapturous movie to enjoy, meaning the patience for that chase of schedules is part of the romance genre’s whole appeal. Somewhere, traditionalists harkening back to the likes of Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, and George Cukor, are pounding a table to tell us “That’s how it’s done!” Directed by a returning professional in the department of silver screen love, Richard LaGravense, A Family Affair understands these principles well and bends them to its will and modern sensibilities.
The Kissing Booth’s Joey King stars as Zara Ford, a 24-year-old Los Angelino wallowing as the personal assistant to popular Hollywood action star Chris Cole, played by the hunky and Oscar-snubbed Zac Efron of The Iron Claw. When we meet the two in A Family Affair, Chris is trying to end his relationship with his current girlfriend in a swanky cafe and is stalling for Zara stuck in traffic to arrive with the appropriately decadent and dismissive break-up gift. Despite Chris assigning trivial faults to Zara for this nearly-blown endeavor, the vane incompetency is all his. That’s the first peek into the thankless job Zara has been wasting two years of her life for.
Zara has a triple-layed support system surrounding her to get through her daily grind. She still lives at home with her widowed mother Brooke Harwood (the top-lining Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman), a successful and award-winning author. Above Brooke is her mother-in-law, editor, and Zara’s grandmother Leila Ford (fellow Oscar winner Kathy Bates). For a little freedom away from her mother’s roof, Zara squats at her bestie Eugenie’s (Double Dare host and YouTube sensation Liza Koshy) place from time to time.
LESSON #1: TO WANT THINGS FOR YOURSELF– In many ways, everyone in A Family Affair is looking for some kind of fufillment, which is where the film—scripted by first-time writer Carrie Solomon—formulates one half of the competing schedules for its romantic comedy. Zara took the job working for Chris with goals to become an associate producer or the head of his personal brand, not to chase his superfluous errands and receive his petty rants for apologies at every mistake. Meanwhile, Chris’s suffocating stardom has limited his ability to have friends and genuine relationships. Most poignantly, Brooke lost her husband eleven years ago and has not regained the same personal or professional spark since Zara’s career fits-and-spurts required her full attention.
Late in the first act of A Family Affair, Zara becomes fed up with Chris’s selfish behavior and the dead-end advancement prospects and abruptly quits, retreating to Eugenie to avoid the family disappointment she thinks is coming from Brooke. When Chris tries to track Zara down at home to beg her to come back in time for his next film shoot, he meets Brooke instead, and the rom-com Richter scale explodes with knee-weakening magnitude and starstruck tremors. This flirty collision of beautiful people meeting over complimentary conversation and the clinking of tequila shooters leads to a tumble between the sheets discovered by Zara herself.
Registering stronger than that erotic earthquake is Zara’s appallment (and ensuing knockout bump to the head) over what has transpired between her cherished mother and the asshole-ic source of her daily disdain. Toothy apologies are extracted and bandied about to assuage Zara, but, here’s the kicker. Brooke and Chris don’t want the tryst to end. As Kidman’s Brooke puts it, “No great tryst every started with someone being rational.”
LESSON #2: GET OVER YOURSELF– This hubba-hubba swerve sets off the second competing schedule of A Family Affair. Our flock of intertwined folks each need to think of, and ultimately respect, the desires and decisions of loved ones over their own personal opinions and preferences. There’s nothing wrong with wanting things for yourself like Lesson #1, but as the movie threatens to spill its different pots of tea, there’s a measure where people need to get over themselves, for lack of a better term, and accept the happiness of others and their terms.
That’s where the strength of a director like Richard LaGravenese excels for the movie. The celebrated screenwriter of The Bridges of Madison County, The Mirror Has Two Faces, The Fisher King, and The Horse Whisperer works with more than fluff. A Family Affair may have its roots in comedy, but he knows how to punch back with effectual drama when necessary. LaGravenese handles neurotic talks of insecurity and bared flaws as seriously as he does the intimate togetherness of scenes leading to bonding and swoon. Even with a premise as silly as A Family Affair, LaGravenese has a mellow maturity to lift it higher than May-December jokes and sex farce gags. After ten years since his last directorial effort of the stellar, somber musical The Last Five Years, it’s a treat to have Richard LaGravenese back.
The disarming cast of A Family Affair met their director’s firm effort for sincerity with thoughtfulness and investment of their own. Nicole Kidman is the movie’s bedrock, where all affirming connections must go through her. She had to convincingly fall for Zac Efron (which, when shirtless, is easy) and become the wellspring for Chris Cole’s arc of improvement. For her own agency, Kidman had to embody the earnest woman ready for new love and play the devoted mother spurring her very skeptical daughter through everything Lesson #2 required. The Aussie never faltered.
Kidman’s castmates respond in kind. Efron effortlessly sheds the selfish skin to play an glamorous love interest offering rich quality time that’s not all lustful physicality. The actor’s humor is folded well into his dreamy figure. As she often does in these kinds of supporting senior roles (like in LaGravenese’s own P.S., I Love You seventeen years ago), Kathy Bates is a balm of feisty honesty and heartwarming mirth. Her matronly chemistry with Kidman is superb.
Regrettably, the blemishes of A Family Affair come from its setting of privilege and the source of the plot’s roadblocks. It must be said, but the film is asking viewers to feel for very successful people turning out alright amid comfortable parachutes and upper-class safety nets. Despite fully fitting the inherent impracticality and convenience of rom-coms, circumstances land enjoyably, but fairly easily. Therefore, the individual who embodies the most nuisance feels the most out of sync. While this film counts as Joey King positively stepping out of teen-centered roles, Zara may be the weakest link of A Family Affair. Yes, someone had to be the center of poor choices and calamities (more than Efron, surprisingly), but her level of “him or me” selfishness which ruins friendships and pits a parent versus her boss can be very grating. Despite their headlining status, this film needed more Kidman and Efron front-and-center.
LESSON #1: THE VARYING DEPTHS OF UNEXPECTED CONVERSATIONS– There’s a large gap between forgettable and memorable when it comes to random conversations occurring between strangers. Somedays, it’s simply cordial and disposable pleasantries shared with someone to pass the time waiting in a line, an elevator, or a seat on any given mode of mass transportation. Fight Club probably defined it best as the “single-serving friend.” On the other end of the spectrum, the topics evolve, individualities click, and opportunities present themselves for quality, and even life-changing, conversations. A fascinating one of those with full heft is happening in Daddio.
Stepping off a late-arriving flight from Oklahoma at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City is an unnamed woman played by Dakota Johnson (recently of Madame Web and Cha Cha Real Smooth). She has a single rolling bag of luggage and opts for taking a traditional taxi cab instead of using a vehicle from a ride-share app. The lucky and unassuming cab in the queue receiving her flat-rate airport fare is driven by Clark, played by Mystric River Academy Award winner Sean Penn. The catalysts for their coming conversation are mood and time.
The latter is easier to dissect. The woman’s requested destination is the unspecific crossroads of West 44th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues in Midtown Manhattan. The drive from JFK to Midtown is approximately a 17-mile trip that can take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour-and-a-half depending on traffic and the time of day. For Daddio, longer minutes meaning statements like “that’s a long story” or “a story for a different day” can get cheeky replies like “we’ve got plenty of time” or “we’ve got all the time in the world.” Writer-director Christy Hall’s script doesn’t drop those common cliche lines, but the two central characters fall into those roles and get each other’s drifts.
LESSON #2: MATCHING MOODS IN UNEXPECTED CONVERSATIONS– Therein lies the real key to unlocking a memorable conversation higher than chit-chat: Mood. Two people– not just one– have to want to talk. One person can have all the wisdom in the world or be a fountain of entertainment, but the other will never know it if genuine curiosity and investment aren’t reciprocated. Daddio doesn’t lose a second introducing a pair of differing dispositions prime for participation and initiative.
Clark opens the ride in Daddio to let his customer know she’s the winner as his last fare of the night. Hints of a long day’s grind come out as Clark speaks with an educated edge laced with a New Yorker’s flippant and poetic comfort with profanity. He shares a small rant about the lack of tips coming from credit card customers that escalates into a history lesson on destructive wars fought over priceless currencies that used to be salt, tea, coffee, and gold before they were the plastic and digital varieties of today, prognosticating a future societal collapse if the system fails.
Johnson’s woman doesn’t offer her name, but is soon labeled “Girlie” by Clark. She takes that first diatribe in with an engrossed smile, a comeback lesson of her own about how her career of computer programming works connected to said system, and a joke that’s she’s good for a sizable tip at the end of the ride tonight because her suitcase in the trunk is filled with salt, proving she can be clever right back. From her looks, gait, and those retorts, Clark reads Girlie as woman who can “handle” herself, something she takes and appreciates a proud compliment.
With that, Daddio settles into the candor and smoke-blowing repartee of its limited encounter. The reason the myth exists that cab drivers (and now the regular Uber and Lyft drivers of the world) have seen and heard it all as traveling pontiffs receiving the spoken worries and cares of the world is because they truly have. If the movie wanted to, Daddio could pretend to be a feature-length and carefully scripted episode of the old Emmy-winning HBO hidden camera documentary show Taxicab Confessions that ran from 1995 to 2006. That would cherry pick being spicy for spicy’s sake with the respectively smoldering essences of Johnson and Penn.
Daddio avoids the scintillating in favor of divulging and treating painful mindsets. Clark’s conversation starters take Girlie away from an insistent male texter labeled as “L” in her phone contacts. He’s up late sexting and pushing hard for sexual fulfillment. What he is and who is to her is something Clark reads and extracts out of her quickly and clearly. When they are stopped waiting for police and emergency vehicles to clear a bad car accident ahead of them, Clark can turn around, slide the Plexiglass divider open between them, look her in the eye, and really talk. When he does so, the whole conversation of the cab ride shifts to another emotional plane.
LESSON #3: CONFIDING IN A STRANGER– Whether Girlie wants to hear it or not, Clark comes in bluntly strong with his aged and male viewpoint into the whole gamut of behavior going on. His dissection of the situation jarringly gives the woman pause, while validating her toughness and promoting the happiness she deserves. The exposed mistakes being revealed echo many of his own and lead to a buffet of food for thought. Sure enough, as temporary and unalike as Clark is, here she is pushing away the “Why do you care?” cease-and-desist options to allow an unplanned convergence of personalities reassess her life.
For a cinematographer, Daddio carries the challenge of being a two-handed, single-setting film where creativity is required to emulate the accurate passage of time and avoid static framing in a sedan’s cramped quarters often manned by stunt driver Galway K. McCullough. Christy Hall, making her feature-film directorial debut, called upon the right expert in two-time Oscar nominee Phedon Papamichel (Nebraska, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Ford v. Ferrari). With scene-breaking inserts shot above, behind, or out the cab window, the DP guided viewers on a miniature travelogue of the well-worn asphalt trail passing through the hearts of Queens and Brooklyn before emerging out of the Queens-Midtown Tunnel into the looming heights of Manhattan. In the car itself, Papamichael rigged views and camera placements at a multitude of angles and distances, giving Oscar-nominated editor Lisa Zeno Churgin (The Cider House Rules) a plethora of images to stitch together with sure-handed fluidity.
Beyond the technical side, the true, powerful appeal of Daddio is the mano-y-mano acting showcase between Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn, and it does not disappoint. In their seated marks, so much of their performances are reliant on body language from the chest up. Facial expressions, hand placements, posture shifts, and even the cadence of breathing become careful and exacting. So much is set up by these naturally polished choices where Hall’s dominant script goes on to give the pairing the words to make those movements count.
Sean Penn’s cynical monologues during that aforementioned accident break in the second act– and many other smaller line readings before and after delivered through his sullen voice modulated with occasional spark– is a reminder of his titanic talent for captivating complete attention without the gaudy need to scream, intimidate, or glower to make his point. Jovial and frank are his speeds in Daddio and they suit his weathered screen presence. Across the seatback is a game Dakota Johnson. The former Fifty Shades series star breaks away from her willowy act with sharp execution and determination of their own. Their combined bracing honesty in their characters’ guises builds a cathartic lust-for-life out of an unflashy commuter journey.
The BFI today announced details of LAIKA: FRAME x FRAME, a free exhibition that will showcase the boundary pushing art and science behind the studio’s five epic films, at BFI Southbank from 12 August – 1 October 2024. This narrative-rich experience will honour the stories of LAIKA and the unparalleled level of detail in the physical puppets, […]
Released: 2024 Director: Thordur Palsson Starring: Odessa Young, Joe Cole, Siobhan Winner, Rory McCann Set in 19th century Iceland. The Damned is a spine-tingling, atmospheric, psychological horror reminiscent of The Woman in Black as it relies on folklore, superstition, paranoia and good old-fashioned jump scares. The film tells the tale of 19th century widow Eva, […]
In the ever-evolving world of movie production, the quality of audio plays a pivotal role in creating an immersive experience for the audience. Sound effects, background scores, and dialogues are meticulously crafted to enhance the visual storytelling. One tool that has gained significant attention in the realm of movie editing is OnlyMP3. Known primarily for its ability to convert videos to MP3, OnlyMP3 has found its niche in the movie editing industry, proving to be an invaluable asset for editors seeking high-quality audio extraction and conversion.
What is OnlyMP3?
OnlyMP3 is an online platform that allows users to convert video files into MP3 audio files quickly and efficiently. Its straightforward interface and high-speed conversion process make it a popular choice among users who need to extract audio from videos for various purposes. While it is widely used for converting music videos and other multimedia content, its application in movie editing has opened new avenues for sound designers and editors.
The Importance of Audio in Movie Editing
Audio is a critical component of movie editing. It sets the mood, enhances the narrative, and provides a sense of realism to the visual elements. High-quality audio can significantly impact the audience's emotional response and overall viewing experience. In the editing process, sound editors work meticulously to ensure that every sound effect, dialogue, and background score is perfectly aligned with the visuals. This requires access to pristine audio files, which is where OnlyMP3 comes into play.
How OnlyMP3 Enhances Movie Editing
Efficient Audio Extraction: Movie editors often need to extract specific audio clips from a large pool of video files. OnlyMP3 simplifies this process by providing a quick and reliable way to convert video segments into MP3 files. This efficiency allows editors to focus more on the creative aspects of their work rather than the technicalities of audio extraction.
High-Quality Audio Conversion: The quality of audio is paramount in movie editing. OnlyMP3 ensures that the converted audio files maintain their original quality, which is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the sound in the final edit. High-quality audio files provide a solid foundation for further sound design and mixing processes.
Versatility and Compatibility: OnlyMP3 supports a wide range of video formats, making it a versatile tool for editors who work with various types of video files. The MP3 format is also widely compatible with most audio editing software, allowing for seamless integration into the editing workflow.
Cost-Effective Solution: Movie production can be an expensive endeavor, and budget constraints often require editors to find cost-effective solutions without compromising quality. OnlyMP3, being an online tool, is accessible and affordable, providing a valuable resource for both independent filmmakers and large production studios
Case Study: Enhancing Soundtracks and Effects
Consider a scenario where a movie editor needs to enhance a particular scene's soundtrack. By using OnlyMP3, the editor can extract the desired audio segment from a reference video and import it into their editing software. This extracted audio can then be layered with additional sound effects, ambient noises, or dialogue to create a rich and immersive auditory experience. The ability to quickly obtain high-quality audio files allows editors to experiment with different soundscapes, ultimately enhancing the scene's impact.
Conclusion
OnlyMP3 has emerged as a crucial tool in the arsenal of modern movie editors. Its ability to efficiently convert video files into high-quality MP3 audio files streamlines the editing process, allowing editors to focus on the creative aspects of their work. As the demand for high-quality audio in movies continues to grow, tools like OnlyMP3 will play an increasingly important role in ensuring that editors have access to the best possible audio resources. Whether it's for extracting soundtracks, dialogue, or sound effects, OnlyMP3 offers a reliable and cost-effective solution that enhances the overall movie editing experience
In today's digital landscape, having easy access to multimedia content is essential, and tools like Y2Mate have become vital for downloading and converting media files. Y2Mate seamlessly downloads MP3 and MP4 files from YouTube and other platforms, allowing you to enjoy your favorite content offline. This article explores the features, benefits, and practical uses of Y2Mate, positioning it as your ultimate resource for efficiently downloading and converting online videos.
Understanding Y2Mate
Y2Mate is a popular online tool for downloading and converting videos from platforms like YouTube into various formats, including MP3 and MP4. It's known for its user-friendly interface and efficient performance, making it a favorite among users who want to download online videos for offline viewing.
Key Features of Y2Mate
Multi-Format Support: Y2Mate supports various formats, including MP3, MP4, 3GP, and more. This free functionality allows users to choose the format that best suits their needs.
High-Quality Downloads: The tool offers high-quality downloads, ensuring that the audio and video files retain their original quality.
Fast Conversion Speed: Y2Mate boasts quick conversion speeds, enabling users to download and convert files in minutes.
User-Friendly Interface: The intuitive interface makes it more comfortable for users with low knowledge of the internet to navigate and use the tool.
No Registration Required: Users can access all features without registering or creating an account.
How to Use Y2Mate for MP3 Downloads
Downloading MP3 files using Y2Mate is straightforward. Follow these simple steps:
Copy Video URL: Copy the YouTube video URL you wish to convert to MP3.
Visit Y2Mate: Open your browser, go to the Y2Mate website, and click the YouTube to MP3 button in the navigation.
Paste URL: Paste the URL you copied into the search bar on the Y2Mate homepage.
Select MP3 Format: Choose the MP3 format from the list of available formats.
Download File: Click the Download button to start the conversion process. Once completed, your MP3 file will be ready for download.
Benefits of Using Y2Mate for MP3 Downloads
Offline Listening: Downloading MP3 files lets you listen to your favorite music offline.
Personal Playlists: Create custom playlists by downloading individual tracks and organizing them on your device.
Portability: MP3 format is compatible with various devices, making transferring and playing music on different platforms easy.
How to Use Y2Mate for MP4 Downloads
If you prefer to download videos in MP4 format, Y2Mate makes it just as easy. Here's how:
Copy Video URL: Copy the YouTube video URL you want to download.
Visit Y2Mate: Open the Y2Mate website in your browser and navigate to YouTube to the MP4 converter page.
Paste URL: Paste the video URL into the search bar on the homepage.
Select MP4 Format: Choose the MP4 format from the available options.
Download File: Click the Download button to begin the conversion. Once the process is complete, you can download the MP4 file to your device.
Benefits of Using Y2Mate for MP4 Downloads
Offline Viewing: Enjoy watching your favorite videos offline without any interruptions.
Quality Preservation: Y2Mate ensures that video quality is maintained during conversion.
Device Compatibility: MP4 files are universally compatible with almost all modern and old devices, making it easy to watch your downloaded videos anywhere.
Safety and Legal Considerations
While Y2Mate is a powerful tool, it's essential to use it responsibly. Please keep these safety and legal considerations in mind while using the site:
Copyright Laws: Ensure that you have the right to download the content. Downloading copyrighted videos without proper permission may violate copyright laws.
Avoid Malware: Use the official Y2Mate website to avoid malware and phishing scams. Beware of counterfeit sites that may harm your device.
Use Antivirus Software: Protect your device using reliable antivirus software to scan downloaded files.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Y2Mate? Y2Mate is an online tool for downloading and converting videos from YouTube and other platforms into various formats, including MP3 and MP4.
Is Y2Mate free to use? Y2Mate is free and does not require users to register or create an account.
Can I download HD videos using Y2Mate? Yes, Y2Mate supports high-quality downloads, including HD and Full HD resolutions.
Is it legal to use Y2Mate? The legality of using Y2Mate depends on the content you are downloading. Ensure you have the right to download the material to avoid violating copyright laws.
How can I ensure my downloads are safe? Always use the official Y2Mate website, avoid clicking on suspicious ads, and scan downloaded files with antivirus software.
What devices are compatible with Y2Mate downloads? Y2Mate downloads are compatible with various devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers.
Conclusion
Y2Mate is a versatile and user-friendly tool that makes converting and downloading a breeze. Whether you want to enjoy music offline with MP3 downloads or watch your favorite videos on the go with MP4 downloads, Y2Mate has you covered. Following the simple steps and considering legal considerations, you can make the most of this powerful downloader. Start using Y2Mate today and take control of your multimedia content.
Released: 2024 Director: Andrew McCarthy Starring: Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Timothy Hutton, Leah Thompson, Jon Cryer One of the iconic images in 1980s film canon is that of Rob Lowe, as a fully fledged member of the Brat Pack, wearing a well fitting yellow vest and playing the saxophone onstage, as […]
For their 161st episode, two egocentric film critics, two professional killer dads, and two un-hot teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan, stay in the summer sun of 2024 to discuss the Netflix headliner HitMan, starring Glen Powell and directed by Richard Linklater. Does this fit the buzz of being a star-making fireworks show for Powell and his sultry co-star Ardria Arjona or does this assasin's gun misfire among our hosts? Come learn more and stay for the mutual love and respect for the fun movies encapsulate. Enjoy our podcast!
Cinephile Hissy Fits is a Film Obsessive Radio, brought to you by RuminationsRadioNetwork.com. Please visit, rate, review and subscribe. If you enjoyed this show, we have more where that came from, with interesting hosts, and wonderful guests. All available on iTunes, Spotify, and anywhere you find your favorite shows. Follow the show on Twitter at @CinephileFit and on Facebook. Also, find both Will Johnson and Don Shanahan on Letterboxd as the accumulate their viewings and build their ranks and lists.
Released: 21st June 2024 Directed: Agnieszka Holland Cast: Jalal Altawil, Maja Ostaszewska, Tomasz WÅ‚osok, Behi Djanati Atai Agnieszka Holland’s enraged and hard-hitting drama is what the viewer will make of and take away from it. Is Green Border enough to move people to make changes, actively helping in the migrant crisis at the Belarus-European Union […]
Released: 2024 (Dances With Films Festival) Director: Nicholas Giuricich Starring: Theo Germaine, Vico Ortiz Review By: Gavin Spoors The time loop concept has been exhausted as a storytelling device in general, never mind just within cinema. Writer and director Nicholas Giuricich aims to do something new by putting a queer spin on it. Spark, which […]
As so often has happened for me, critics meet other critics in virtual places creating a little network of acquaintances and cheerleaders for fellow creative people. I met William Eguizabal of FilmSnobReviews years ago and we hit it off with or similar clashing styles of expertise mixed with saltiness when necessary. William recently invited me back as a guest for his “Snob Chat” podcast with his multi-talented co-host Chai Simone. This time it was time to “Party Like It’s 1999,” where the panel looked back at the greatest movie year of many generations and offered some of our favorites. Enjoy this energetic show and give William and his team a like, subscribe, or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Amid the ostentatious theatricality of actors making all kinds of noise in The Bikeriders, the other sound the film absolutely nails is the unmistakable deep bass rumble caused the asymmetrical arrangement of firing cylinders in Harley-Davidson engines. One by itself will get your attention. Five rolling together will rattle your windows. A dozen or more churning as a fleet becomes an aural maelstrom. Your selected reaction to that hellacious harmony will be your tinted gateway into Jeff Nichols’ petulant film.
LESSON #1: HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU HEAR THAT RUMBLE COMING?-- As I see it, there are three defined reactions to that level of growling, fuel-injected rumble. You could be prudishly annoyed by it in a “knock off all that racket” kind of way begging for peace and quiet. Second, you could be scared by it, where the goosebumps and little hairs rise because of the sizable unknown menace getting closer. Or, you are downright drawn to it. To you, the sounds of those engines are a sensory trigger for freedom and as soothing as a lullaby to a baby. It goes without saying, the many crass and cantankerous characters of The Bikeriders fall into that emancipating third reaction.
To tell The Bikeriders based on Danny Lyon’s photography book of the same name, Jeff Nichols centered on two initially opposite vantage points that end up coiling together. The exposition dispenser of the film is Kathy, played by Jodie Comer of The Last Duel and Free Guy. She is being interviewed in 1965 and 1973 by a photojournalist (Challengers and West Side Story breakout Mike Faist) hoping to chronicle the inside story of the hey-day of the fictional Vandals Chicago motorcycle club. Kathy married into it and bore witness to the club’s tumultuous existence and rapid evolution.
On a fateful night meeting some girlfriends at a bar, a disinterested and perturbed Kathy had her gaze tempted and ultimately fixated on Benny, a stoic Vandals member played by dreamboat Elvis Oscar nominee Austin Butler. The film previously introduced his intoxicating mystique in Scorsese Lite freeze-frame fashion getting assaulted standing up to his own version of the old “these colors don’t run” ideal. The bond between the ingratiated, grounding nature of Kathy and the ultra-committed seriousness of Benny becomes the root of the film’s drama, all while the biker subculture flourishes under the no-nonsense command of Tom Hardy’s hulking Johnny.
LESSON #2: THE ROOTS AND APPEAL OF THE BIKER SUBCULTURE– Dating back to silver screen inspirations from Marlon Brando’s watershed 1953 film The Wild One (echoed and emulated here in the costume designs of Birds of Prey’s Erin Benach), the shared affinity for engines and belonging created motorcycle clubs across the country, decades before they would degrade and become synonymous with crime-committing gangs. With every greasy hand coming out of a sleeve of an exclusive member’s jacket adorned with badges and titles to swig cans of Schlitz or Blatz or throw hands at opponents, these men carried themselves with camaraderie underneath a streak of anti-establishment behavior. The Bikeriders platforms those original tenets with a glimmer of hero worship while also addressing their problematic flaws.
LESSON #3: RULES FOR RULEBREAKERS– With that divide in mind, the motorcycle club subculture of The Bikeriders also swings a pendulum of rules for rulebreakers. On one level, unbridled personalities stirred men of “undesirable character” to defy laws for thrills, and not just the basic traffic ones. They found protective power as a rebel or group of strength. Yet, within their collective, there was an odd patience for unwritten laws of moral codes for immoral people all over the place. In the film, these are dictated by Johnny, right down to the “knives or fists” preference of challenging him for group leadership. What began as a tinkering club of common interests and motorcycle racing became a corrupt nest of inherent danger, where respect equaled fear.
Through a mercurial path of remembered episodes and key confrontations shot in and around the Cincinnati, Ohio area doubling as fringes of Chicago and flaunting that very danger for Johnny, Benny, and their tight-knit Vandals crew (an ensemble which includes professional movie villain Boyd Holbrook, Brooklyn’s Emory Cohen, Damon Herriman of Justified, and Jeff Nichols’ incomparable good luck charm Michael Shannon), Kathy tells all to Danny and his eager microphone. Across many attempts, she longed to change Benny, but quitting the powerful gravity of Lesson #2 and Lesson #3 was difficult if not forbidden. Meanwhile, waiting in the wings is undefeated time reducing middle-aged vigor and The Kid (Babyteeth’s Toby Wallace), a rebuffed harbinger upstart who is this movie’s equivalent of Benny Blanco to Tom Hardy’s Carlito Brigante.
To appreciate the immersive ambiance and production detail of The Bikeriders, is to circle back to those steel horses and their sounds. Thanks to stunt coordinator Freddie Poole (Emergency) and driving specialist Jeff Milburn (Tulsa King), the shoot utilized over 40 historical motorcycles to match the time period. All appreciation and recognition for calibrating the cinematic sound from this orgy of old machines should be given to The Batman’s supervising sound editor Will Files, who two years ago made something as simple as Robert Pattinson’s walk sound like the goddamn embodiment of vengeance. When the horde of bikes is humming, most of the incidental (and unnecessary) score from composer David Wingo (Midnight Special) is drowned out. In most cases, only the jukebox soundtrack of late-1950s/early-1960s rock ditties curated by the Everything Everywhere All at Once music supervisor tandem of Lauren Mikus and Bruce Gilbert powers through to reach audience’s ears with a flair of flavor that cuts the exhaust. That balanced audio cauldron is plenty and impactful.
The acting seeks to rattle viewers the same way, and does so quite effectively. Matching his M.O., Tom Hardy is a taut catapult, ready to unleash destruction at the pull of the right (or wrong) lever from a scene partner. His performance wisely leans more towards intimidating screen presence over explosive rants, keeping his character in a permanently ominous, yet humanistic, groove. After Hardy, the only things louder than the engines in The Bikeriders are Austin Butler’s volcanic smolder and Jodie Comer’s dialed-to-11 motormouth Midwestern accent. While a level of hot-and-bothered passion between the two is coldly missing due to the majority of Comer’s scenes being set in a future separated from the flashback times of their romance, longtime Nichols cinematographer Adam Stone and his rich camerawork loved basking in their alluring glows.
The Bikeriders is a penetrating, robust, and nostalgic return for Jeff Nichols, presenting his first film since the excellent 2016 double of Midnight Special and Loving. He is a galvanizing and stern voice cinema has missed in eight years away. When it’s all said and done in The Bikeriders, it’s still about those three key reactions to that signature roar of combustion, gears, and pavement. The annoyed will picket the film’s masculine nucleus of languishing agony and perceived apathy and look no deeper. The scared will admonish the same nucleus and distill the movie down to vain attempt to get tough guys to cry without a psychiatrist’s couch. But, those drawn to it will see the real poignancy of it all, barreling down storytelling roads with acceleration and liberation.
For their 160th episode, two gas-powered film critics, two demented dads, and two hard-driving teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan, return from brief and busy end-of-the-school-year hiatus to muscle into the 2024 summer box office landscape. Much like the receipts coming in, they find a wasteland more than landscape to discuss George Miller's prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. One of our guys was chugging gasoline about it and another was spitting it out. Come learn more and stay for the mutual love and respect for the fun movies encapsulate. Enjoy our podcast!
Cinephile Hissy Fits is a Film Obsessive Radio, brought to you by RuminationsRadioNetwork.com. Please visit, rate, review and subscribe. If you enjoyed this show, we have more where that came from, with interesting hosts, and wonderful guests. All available on iTunes, Spotify, and anywhere you find your favorite shows. Follow the show on Twitter at @CinephileFit and on Facebook. Also, find both Will Johnson and Don Shanahan on Letterboxd as the accumulate their viewings and build their ranks and lists.
