Displaying items by tag: Austin Butler

CAUGHT STEALING

US, 2025, 107 minutes, Colour.

Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoe Kravitz, Griffin Dunne, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D'Onofrio.

Directed by Darren Aronofsky.

50 years ago Martin Scorsese made the striking New York film, Mean Streets, emphasis on the Italians. Caught Stealing takes place 25 years later, moving towards the end of the millennium, but the title of this film as one reviewer suggested would include “sleazy” streets. And this reviewer would add “ugly and insane”.

At the centre of this strange picture of New York gangsters is a hapless young man, Harry/Hank played by Austin Butler who, after his striking performance as Elvis, has proven himself with The Bikeriders, Dune 2, Eddington, a significant American actor who can hold a total film. He is in New York, a transplant from California, prospective baseball player, involved in a deadly car crash, working in a dingy bar, a girlfriend, no major prospects.

But, he is asked by his eccentric roommate, Russ, British actor Matt Smith with a Mohawk, to mind his cat while he goes back to London for his father’s illness. Hank is wary of the cat, it bites, proves itself a nuisance – but, relief for cat lovers, it becomes more important as the narrative goes on, even moments of endearment.

Of course, Russ is unreliable, involved in drugs, in possession of a huge amount of cash which he has hidden in a storeroom. And then the thugs and criminals arrive, assuming that Hank is involved and has all the information. And they want the money.

The old Mean Streets had Italian gangsters. In 1998, there are the Russians, with a capacity for vicious torture. There are also the Hispanic entrepreneurs, running clubs, running drugs. And, most bizarre of all, some Hebrew gangsters – very much Orthodox and observant in Jewish traditions, folksy in their conversations, going home to mother for sabbath and listening to her cautions about driving on that day – but with Hank driving, all is well. And they are played, almost unrecognisable behind the beards and Orthodox clothing, by Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio.

And, there is also a corrupt cop, played by Regina King.

Which means then that Hank is often literally on the run, even when he has had serious kidney punctures due to the vicious torture, trusting in the corrupt cop, manipulated by everyone, upset by the treatment of his girlfriend, but all the time phoning his mother in California with great devotion and baseball intensity, “Go, Giants!”

This is a film with plenty of intense and violent moments, some ironic humour, a great deal of betrayal and set-ups, the issues of whom to trust, and the put-upon Hank becoming shrewd and shrewder in how he can possibly escape from this gangster pursuit. No spoiler – he does, a victory for the little man over presumptuous brutes.

1. Literally arresting title? The status of Austin Butler as a star? The reputation of Darren often ostia as director?
2. 1990s, the mean streets of New York, the shift from Italian gangsters to Russian gangsters, Jewish and Orthodox gangsters…? But the same gangster themes, oppression, innocent victims, torture and killing?
3. Hank’s story, young man, baseball hopes, from California, ringing his mother, Go Giants? Incident, the death of his friend, alcohol, dependence? His accommodation, sharing the apartment, relationship with Russ? At the bar, his work, girlfriend? Prospects?
4. Russ, British, going back to London, criminal, the drug connections, the money? His cat? Interesting the cat to Hank? And the further involvement with the cat…? The important key in its litter box?
5. The Russian gangsters, types, personalities, demands, to the apartment, the brutality with Hank, questioning, assumptions about his guilt, torture, his injuries?? The cat?
6. The Hassidic brothers, their garb, beards, observing the Sabbath, their mother and her insistence on the regulations? Jovial manner? Yet ruthless, with Hank, searching the apartment, interrogations, torture, abducting him, at their home, the final drive – and their comeuppance?
7. Russians, Colorado, his collaboration, the questions, the complications with Hank, the key, losing, his relationship with his girlfriend, realising she is in danger, her being shot?
8. Elise Roman, police, questioning Hank, the information about the dealers? Her involvement with Hank, following leads? The revelation that she was corrupt? Confrontations with Hank? Following him? The final deals, the threats, the information about his girlfriend’s death? The key? Death?
9. Confrontation at Paul’s bar, the fights, the shootings, the key, all killed?
10. Hank, in the streets, the various encounters, his pain and wounds, the entanglements? Searching for the key, Jason, and leaving the key in his abandoned clothes?
11. Russ returning, the storeroom, the amount of money, the Russians, Hank and his handing over Russ, saving the cat?
12. Hank and survival, overcoming the Russians, overcoming the Hassidic brothers? The killing his girlfriend, his crashing the car? Getting the money, impersonating Russ, sending have the money to his mother?

EDDINGTON

US, 2025, 148 minutes, Colour.

Joaquin Phoenix, Deirdre O'Connell, Emma Stone, Micheal Ward, Pedro Pascal, Cameron  Mann, Matt Gomez Hidaka, Luke Grimes, Amelie Hoeferle, Clifton Collins Jr, William Belleau, Austin Butler.

Directed by Ari Aster.

Writer-director, Ari Aster (Heredity, Midsummer, Beau is Afraid) is not afraid of making demands on his audiences, a lot of thinking, a lot of discussion. He urges us to remember where we were in May 2020, the early covid months and lockdown, masks, vaccinations, controversies, conspiracy theories.  He immerses us in Eddington, New Mexico, May 2020, and invites the audience to make comparisons.

But, this is the US, compliance and protest, the story of the sheriff, some American righteousness with devious intentions, campaigning to be mayor. While there is his storyline, the atmosphere widens with Black Lives Matter protests, some screaming left wingers, some disruptive right-wingers and increasing chaos and Antifa interventions. (It is amazing to know that President Biden was elected five months later, but then January 6th seven months later.  Actually, with the second Trump presidency, it all looks strangely more familiar than we might have imagined.)

Aster stressed that he saw the pandemic as an inflection point that merely accelerated an inevitable series of events. Our brains were already broken by technology and media polarization, 2020 just provided a lethal dose of social isolation that permanently destroyed the societal norms we had been living with for the past century.  Christian Zilko IndieWire

We see dramatised anger, paranoia, distortions, insanity, violent calculations and eruptions, conspiracies. A Rorshach test – beserk.

For over 30 years Joaquin Phoenix has been giving complex performances and this is amongst his best, playing the sheriff. Pedro Pascal, frequently present on our screens at this time plays his rival, the mayor. There are some interesting casting is, Emma Stone as the sheriff’s disturbed wife, Austin Butler as a right-wing evangelical agitator, British Michael Ward as the deputy sheriff.

There is always movement during the film but, as it moves towards its violent climax, it becomes, literally, all guns blazing – and an emotional unexpectedly calm but ominous ending.

1. The date, may 2020, Covid, locked down, conspiracy theories, the Trump presidency? Seen in retrospect and memory?
2. Eddington, New Mexico, the town itself, the streets and neighbourhoods, homes, mansions, offices, the hillside, the industrial complex? The musical score?
3. The challenge to American audiences, international audiences observing, the 2020s, Covid, the Biden years, the second Trump presidency? Extreme right and conspiracies, militant action? Left-wing demonstrations? Political atmosphere?
4. Joe Cross, an Everyman American, sheriff, his attitudes and behaviour, his views, relationship with his wife and tensions, with his mother-in-law, the sequences at home? With his deputies and relying on them, the racial mix? His clashes with the Mayor, the confrontations in the street, ideologies, business interests and development? The campaign for mayor? His decision, his posters, his billboards, those of the Mayor? His attitude towards masks, vaccines, spaces in lines, his behaviour in the supermarket? His wife unstable, the tensions and meals at home, issue of children, his mother-in-law and conspiracy theories?
5. Industrial background, the financial interests, the buildings, the plants, work, development?
6. Joe and his campaign, meeting people, confrontations with Ted, his two deputies and his reliance on them, their characters and behaviour, race issues?
7. Ted, Mayor, his place in the town, contribution, his family, travelling with his son? Indications of the previous contact with Louise and its consequences for Joe? The campaign? His son and his relationship with him, the son’s friendship with Bryan, Brian and his background, political stances, demonstrations, Sara, the demonstrations, her political stances, Bryan wanting favour with her, a relationship?
8. Vernon, his visit and meal with the family, his religious stances, the religious right? His interventions? His campaigns and rallies? On television? Ultimately Louise leaving home, joining him, seen on the television, pregnant?
9. The situation of Black Lives Matter, Minneapolis and the demonstrations, the death of George Floyd? The occasion for demonstrations, protests, the involvement of citizens in the town, Joe and his dealing with the demonstrations?
10. The switch in tone, Joe confronting tent, the slap, the humiliation, Joe and his killing the vagrant and putting his body in the water, confronting Ted, killing him and his son? Going to the house, setting up the robbery scenario, and his writing on the wall (and that later being the revelation of his guilt)?
11. The further switch in tone, the plane load of protesters and their arrival? The intervention of Butterfly humane is, the people and nation, his authority, the shooting on the land, his investigations, examining the house, confronting Joe?
12. Beginning of the mayhem, the armed pursuers, the protesters, Brian and Sarah and their interventions, Joe, covering himself, the clashes at home, getting the guns from the store, the transition to an all guns blazing scenario? Joe and his being wounded? And is being unmasked by Butterfly who sees the campaign poster in the office and makes the connection with the house?
13. Joe, his involvement, the guns, his being stabbed, saved by Brian?
14. A year later, Joe and his injuries, quadriplegic, cared for? His mother-in-law and her presence? Status, authority?
15. Brian, symbolising ambitions and complacency? The television program with Vernon and his right-wing religion, Louise present? And Michael, surviving the fires and explosions, deputy sheriff?
16. An American response to the film, depending on stances, political issues, conspiracy theories?