#alisonpill

People have been telling me for years to watch Snowpiercer.  With its dystopian sci-fi setting, ‘used future’ aesthetic and the litany of film-canon conspiracy theories that have arisen surrounding it, I’ve had it on my ‘to-view’ list for quite some time.  After seeing the stunning Parasite, however, the need to see this film become more apparent, and with Netflix having a track record of disappearing films before I get around to them, it seemed there was no time like the present to dive in.

In hopes of curbing a global catastrophe threatening to destroy the Earth in 2014, a mysterious substance known as CW7 into the atmosphere.  Unfortunately, the substance put the world in a seemingly permanent state of deep freeze, with the only survivors found aboard an extremely long, non-stopping train known as the Snowpiercer, created by a man known as Wilford (Ed Harris).  Those with wealth and privilege reside in the lavish front cars, while a large portion of disadvantaged passengers survive in the tail cars.  Curtis (Chris Evans), a member of the tail car population, along with the help of confidant and advisor Gilliam (John Hurt) and best friend Edgar (Jamie Bell) begin to formulate a plan to revolt and overtake the front cars.  Tensions reach a breaking point when Claude (Emma Levie), a lackey for Wilford, takes the children of Tanya (Octavia Spencer) and other tail residents, and Minister Mason (Tilda Swinton) punishes tail resident Andrew (Ewen Bremner) for standing up in protest.  Fed up with being treated less than human, Curtis and the residents of the tail car seize a moment to advance forward in an attempt to take over the Snowpiercer, and after rescuing Namgoong Minsoo (Kang-ho Song), a man notorious for his skill in opening locks and designing the gates that seperate the cars, and his intuitive sidekick Yona (Ko Asung), the group proceeds towards the engine.  As they get closer to the front cars, the group is rocked by a combination of defensive maneuvers and mind-blowing information connected to their circumstances that changes their lives forever.

Snowpiercer is an extremely stylized observation on classicism in the face of environmental issues, dwindling resources and land becoming uninhabitable due to these reasons.  The ecosystem of the world on the train becomes an extreme one, where race and culture are basically eliminated, and people fall into the two extreme classifications of rich and poor.  One interesting detail I noticed was how the poor make attempts to hold on to an assemblance of power by documenting the past and present... it echoes how, if left unchecked, history will always be written by the victors.  This film, despite its stylized science-fiction presentation, does not shy away from showing the costs of environmental issues that mirror those in the real world, as well as the cost of revolution, which tends to be glorified in film.

The idea of scarcity plays a major part in the narrative, as the possibility of limited common resources, food, water, and event bullets and cigarettes become major factor that influence huge decisions.  The scarcity also trickles down to human resources, as the poor are viewed as a commodity to the rich more so than a lesser class of human.  The limited resources fall into a similar split as the ‘class structure’, with dirty and inhuman resources appointed to the poor while clean and extravagance are saved for the rich and advantaged, making items like clean water a more valuable commodity than money.  The desperate times presented become host for desperate measures from both sides, as the actions of the poor and their revolt are offset by the drastic, underhanded tactics implemented by the rich.  On top of everything, the Snowpiercer itself not only serves as protection from the exterior wasteland, it is literally a rolling attempt to protect the original ecosystem, in hopes of possibly restoring life to the way it was. 

The cramped locations inside the train, even in the fancier parts, are designed for visual and emotional stimulation, and the lack of space parallels how the Snowpiercer never stops moving in order to avoid the danger of what was originally relief from their current confinement.  The gritty costuming and set design really pop as the group moves closer to the front of the train, very similar to how the extremely frenetic action scenes offset the methodical nature of how the poor make their forward advancement.  Touches of crude and practical technology are sprinkled throughout, with much of it being familiar to a bygone era, even (again) in the fancier spaces.  Bong Joon-ho is clearly not afraid to get up close and personal, letting the film get its hands dirty when it is appropriate to really add to the film’s emotional weight.  Ultimately, Snowpiercer is a nuanced, cautionary tale on preparing for the irreparable damage humans have already collectively done to the Earth’s ecosystem. 

Chris Evans shows as much of his range as an actor is capable of, switching effortlessly between calculated, action-driven, intimidation and emotionally centered performances... almost as if he is living in the world of the film rather than acting.  Song Kang-ho gives the appearance of letting madness and mania drive his performance, and his payoff moments hit that much harder because of this.  Ed Harris captures the mood and attitude of the unaffected... those advantaged enough to be able to separate themselves from the issues that impact the rest of us (and at times, the issues they themselves have created), complete with mind games.  John Hurt embodies the essence of the wise sage, slowly and methodically grooming the Curtis character into the tool needed to exact the master plan.  Tilda Swinton and her natural gift for total embodiment of strange personas is yet again put on full display, with her ability to ground even the most outrageous characters in reality being used to maximum potential.  Jamie Bell brings the energy of those wanting immediate change without weighing the potential risk and outcomes of their actions.  Octavia Spencer shows how nature  and human desire will remain, even in the face of extreme circumstances and obstacles.  Go Ah-sung balances well against Song Kang-ho, as her quirky and eccentric performance balances both against her natural abilities and Kang-ho’s offbeat mannerisms.  Ewen Bremner, Alison Pill, Vlad Ivanov, Luke Paqualino, Adnon Haskovic, Clark Middleton, Emma Levie, Tomas Lemarquis, Steve Park and Paul Lazar also stand out in the massive cast. 

As a college student earning a Bachelor’s Degree in TV/radio news during the period of time that 9/11 took place, I have an intimate connection with the George W. Bush administration.  I spent many years focusing on the entire administration, and one thing always stood out to me : the seemingly elusive and power-hungry nature of Vice President Dick Cheney.  For years, Bush was painted as the villain, but to many of us watching, we could see Cheney’s influence and the way it benefited him.  Nearly 20 years removed from the time served in office, Adam McKay has taken on Cheney and his rise to power in the form of the interesting comedy-drama that is Vice. 

Richard ‘Dick’ Cheney (Christian Bale) and his wife Lynne (Amy Adams) are a young couple living in Casper, Wyoming in the early 1960s.  Lynne is ambitious and driven, but due to the times, held back based on her gender, and her frustrations are further compounded by the path that her husband Dick seems to be taking.  In an effort to better both of their lives, she pleads to Dick to take some initiative and turn things around for them, leading to Dick’s time as an intern in the White House during the Nixon administration.  Cheney is impressed by Donald Rumsfeld (Steve Carell) during orientation, and finds himself working under him, where Cheney begins to learn about opportunity and the impact that choices in the White House have on the entire world.  After Nixon is impeached, Cheney finds himself the youngest Chief of Staff during the Ford administration, where he helps get Rumsfeld appointed as Secretary of Defense.  The pair begin making moves to put the Republicans in a position of power, but the plans are undercut by the election of President Carter and the Democratic takeover of the White House.  Dick and Lynne return to Wyoming to focus on a position in the House of Representatives, only to find himself back in the White House during the George H.W. Bush (John Hillner) administration prior to taking time in the private sector to run the Haliburton company.  All of this served as run-up to his greatest act, which was serving as the Vice President with the most control and power on record under President George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell).

Vice is the story of building momentum via opportunities that present themselves.  The line between taking charge of your life and career and taking advantage of those that help you position yourself becomes blurry and questionable during Cheney’s journey.  The concept of loyalty is also brought into question, as it seems to be a quality that is valued right until the moment that it appears disadvantageous to remain loyal.  On top of everything that falls in Cheney’s political journey and his cold, calculated nature, the irony of Cheney continually escaping death in the form of several heart attacks is driven home by his receipt of an entirely new heart.  This literal ‘new’ life he is given only further seems to extend his ability to stay wholly focused on what benefits him and those he loves.

While Cheney stepped into politics as an opportunity, he quickly became a student of the game, only to learn that he could change it through nuance and the power of laws.  Watching the mistakes of those he worked with and was in the same circles with allowed him to not only use those missteps for educational purposes, but to study the reactions of the public and those impacted in order to shape his method and protocols.  Multiple origins are shown where the seeds of connection were planted, many of which paid off in the form of power, influence and cronyism during the Bush presidency, including a power building machine in the form of Fox news and an old buddy on Supreme Court that would help during a questionable moment in election history.

The lighthearted approach to the storytelling mechanism of film brings a much needed comedic edge to a story that, if told in a traditional manner, would probably incite anger.  Curveballs are abound throughout, including a false ending with credits that are interrupted right around the middle of the film.  The integration of archival news footage, stock footage from the appropriate eras, and popular culture references replace the standard use of informational text, allowing the informational text to serve the purposes of character identification.  The makeup and hair done to help the actors embody the likeness of those whom they portray is extremely well done.  The editing, when not mirroring films like Goodfellas, is not afraid to shock us with brutal visual reminders of the events directly tied to choices that Cheney had a hand in.

Christian Bale's transformative performance, both in appearance and persona, is downright amazing, as he seems to perfectly embody the nature and tendencies of the highly secretive Cheney.  Amy Adams takes a 1950s approach and wraps it around a sense of pride, drive and determination that becomes the motivating force behind the Cheney family.  Steve Carell takes his normally light comedic nature and turns it into a boorish, pushy personality in the form of Rumsfeld.  Sam Rockwell manages to embody the spirt of George W. Bush without turning him into a human cartoon.  Jesse Plemons serves as the bridge between film and audience, bringing a blue-collar essence to a film wholly focused on the advantaged and opportunistic.  Alison Pill plays the emotion heart of the Cheney family, while Lily Rabe serves as an echo of the parents in the form of a child driven to politics.  Tyler Perry manages to shed the persona that follows him and commit himself to play the tragic prideful downfall of Colin Powell true to heart.  Political characterizations by Justin Kirk, Don McManus, LisaGay Hamilton, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Matthew Jacobs, Eddie Marsan, Kirk Bovill, Bill Camp, Joseph Beck and Paul Perri, plus guest appearances by Fay Masterson, Alfred Molina and Naomi Watts round out an extremely stacked cast.