Displaying items by tag: Emile Hirsch

THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE

UK, 2016, 86 minutes, Colour.

Brian Cox, Emile Hirsch, Ophelia Lovibond, Michael McElhatton, Olwen Catherine Kelly.

Directed by Andre Ovredal.

A brief horror film, but very different. This is a British production, American setting, but filmed on location in England. And the director is Norwegian, Andre Ovredal, noted for Troll Hunter and the Dracula variation, Last Voyage of the Demeter.

In this film, the body of a beautiful but an unidentified woman is discovered and taken to the morgue for an autopsy. The autopsies are managed by a father and son who work closely together, played by Brian Cox (some years before Succession) and Emile Hirsch.

The action takes place overnight, and the action is confined within the house, but especially the laboratory for the autopsy. The screenplay begins as something of a murder mystery, a detective investigating, the commission for those doing the autopsy to provide information quickly.

Some of the autopsy procedure is quite graphic, the cutting, the intestines, close-ups… But, soon there are mysterious aspects to be found in the body of the young woman. And it is a stormy night. And the electricity goes out, requiring the generator. Strange noises throughout the house…

The film is well-written and well acted, some credibility that the situation could arise – but, then the mystery expanding, suggestions of witchcraft, mysterious presences, deaths.

The film had positive critical response – and a commendation for finding a new venue for horror (although one does think back to Burke and Hare and the Body Snatchers).

1. British production, American settings, British location photography, Norwegian directors?
2. Audience response, a different perspective for horror films?
3. The location, the American town, the surroundings, the location for the discovery of the body? The exterior of the house? The interior, the morgue, autopsies, the dark corridors?
4. The father and son working together, the background history, their working well together, mutual respect, talent? Tommy, the film illustrating his skills with autopsies, Austin, his skills? The details of the autopsy throughout the film, the close-ups of the corpse, beauty and touched, then the cutting, the opening, the focus on the body parts, the mysteries, the insect from the nose and the blood, the parchment and its signs, the missing tooth, the flower…?
5. The film as a mystery, the local police, bringing the body, later returning, the assistant? And the mystery continuing?
6. Austin, Emma, her visit, wanting to see the bodies, his being unwilling, his father urging her to have a look, the effect? The plan for the outing? Her later returning, the horror, her death? Austin and his grief?
7. The process of the autopsy, writing on the board, the microscope an examination, the efficiency of the work, and in detail?
8. The mystery, the consultation of books, identification of the flower, the thread, keeping the blood?
9. The indication of witchcraft, the mystery? The oncoming storm, thunder and lightning, the radio broadcast? The outing of the lights? Austin and his searching the ceiling, the dead cat? And the rats in the background?
10. Increasing mystery, the violence, the sense of presence in the building, Emma and her death, appearances, doors being locked?
11. The increasing suspense, the effect on Tommy, being possessed, wanting to die, Austin and the death, Austin and his death?
12. The aftermath, the police arrival, the carrying out of the bodies? That Jane Doe unharmed – and the process possibly starting again?

THE ENGINEER

US, 2023, 92 minutes, Colour.

Emile Hirsch, Danny A. Abeckaser, Angel Bonanni, Dan Mor, Adam Haloon, Robert Davi.

Directed by Danny A. Abeckaser.

It is 1995. There are a series of bombings, terrorist bombings, in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It is the time of peace talks of the 1990s, Oslo agreements, the visit of Israeli and Palestinian authorities, including Yasser Arafat, to Camp David and discussions with President Clinton. And, throughout the film, there are inserts of television news about the bombings, about the American meetings, of the assassination of Rabin, the assumption of authority and dealing with terrorism by Shimon Peres.

The name of the bomb maker and strategist for attacks was Yaya Ayyah but he was dubbed at the Engineer.

While the material is historical, this is an American treatment, much in the vein of an action drama. The director is Danny A. Abesecjer, who also appears as the Israeli coordinator of investigations. There are two teams investigating the bombings and trying to track down The Engineer. The first is an official Israeli group, led by Emile Hirsch, an interrogator, noted for extremes in his questioning and torture, suspended, but brought back. The second team is unofficial, led by a former mercenary, Angel Bonanni, who was summoned by a Florida senator, played by Robert Davi, whose daughter is killed in the initial explosion, graphically shown at the film’s opening. Other mercenaries are brought into the operation which is secret and undercover.

We are shown the different approaches of each group, abductions, interrogations with unofficial torture, undercover surveillance, with the two groups eventually confronting each other and then working together.

The running time of the film is comparatively brief. It plays fairly conventionally in terms of detection, action, confrontations. One of the difficulties is having Emile Hirsch in the central role – a more genial screen presence even when on the wrong side of the law, perhaps too pleasant to be convincing as such and interrogator-torturer. Angel Bonanni, as the leader of the undercover group, is more convincing. Another casting typically is Robert Davi in the role of the Senator, an actor who has been quickly and easily cast as a villain in so many films.

At the end, there is a statement that there is a desire for peace rather than attempts through violence – but, in fact, the final moment of the film is a Palestinian terrorist standing up in a bus and bombs exploding.

1. The title, the terrorist, making bombs, the network, the terrorist bombings, consequences?
2. An American perspective on characters and events? The international cast?
3. Audience attitudes towards Israel, the Palestinians, terrorism, reprisals? The history of Israel and Palestine since 1948? Uprisings? Peace attempts?
4. The opening, the suicide bomber preparing, the girl going to the bus stop, her comments, his entering the bus, pushing, praising God, the explosion? The consequences?
5. Etan, at home, family, the birthday party, chocolate cake? Interrogator, torturing, suspended? His superior, calling him back? The situation? The other members of the team, their backgrounds? The two Palestinians, one shot, the other captured, the interrogation, his defiance, in time and his stances, the rules, the attempted smothering, the prisoner giving information? Surveillance, the house? Communications, the female operative, the surveillance of the house, the men approaching? The raid, the discovery of Avi and his team? The Senator? Past history? Tension? The decision to work together? The interrogation of the owner of the apartments, wanting money, his whisper, the information? Going on a helicopter ride? Substituting the phone? The plan for the detonation, in the phone, the helicopter ride, the aftermath, the failure? Retrieving the phone, substituting the bomb? The father and the phone call to the terrorist, checking the accuracy? The explosion, death? The final raid, the shootout?
6. Avi, introduced, mercenary, his team and the interviews, recruiting them, mercenaries? Mossad in the past? Called by the senator, his relationship with the senator? The pressure on him? In Palestine, disguise, getting information, the raids, shooting? The arrival of the senator, the diplomatic difficulties, his being bent on revenge for his daughter, the time and having to include him? The final raid, the news, Avi’s death?
7. The information throughout the film, news about the bombings, the terrorists, statistics? The meetings between Israel and Palestine, Arafat, President Clinton? On the assassination of the Israeli Prime Minister? The events of 1996?
8. The human touches throughout the film, Avi seeing his wife and daughter, clashes? The town and his family, relationship with his wife?
9. The film receiving unfavourable reviews? A way into understanding 1995 and terrorist tensions? The final image of the woman terrorist in the bus after the information about attempts for peace, rather than through violence?