What. A. Fascinating. Film.
Steven Soderbergh has outdone himself with such a fascinating, rich and unique film. What I found so unusual is that the screenplay consisted of only basic outlines for scenes. The dialogue was entirely improvised by the cast, which is just incredible. I've seen this happen before, and usually to a less successful end.
I'll interpret this to mean, that Steven Soderbergh presented the cast with a basic plot - and it was up to them to interpret their characters and roll with it... which is perhaps why this film is so unique. Each character was so rich, so human... so truly complicated and imperfect, it was a wonder to watch.
It's this style of film making that I love, because although a story has been conjured up, you're really leaving a lot to the imagination of your entire cast - not just a handful of producers and a writer sitting in a room. Each character was truly able to come into their own.
The cinematography and editing was, as is standard with Soderbergh films - done by Steven Soderbergh himself, under pseudonyms (in this case Peter Andrews, and Mary Ann Bernard). So although the dialogue was rich and diverse, the architecture, and physical structure of the film was directly tied to Soderbergh. There were a few of the scenes that I wish lasted longer, the visuals were simply so stunning I wanted to linger over them and take everything in for as long as I could... which for a film directed almost entirely on The Queen Mary 2 - is an exceptional feat.
Another significant stand-out for me, was the score. Thomas Newman (Tolkien, 1917, Skyfall, The Help). Newman is a well versed composer, with dozens of well known films under his belt. The score was rich, delicate and unique - inspired by vintage jazz.
The acting, given that the script was non-existent was truly, truly inspiring. Meryl Streep - as always is a visionary actress to behold. Lucas Hedges was a constant source of admiration and bewilderment, mostly because his character was continuously so sweet. Dianne Wiest and Candice Bergen were hilarious and gentle, giving very intimate performances. Gemma Chan was a stand-out as well, delivering a really intriguing performance that made you question the character, whilst also caring about what they were going to do next.
I can't wait to rewatch this film with a fresh new perspective, keeping in mind that there was no script; and that the performances were all inspired by the cast.
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