Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009)

Long before First Man, La La Land, and Whiplash, even before he graduated from Harvard, Damien Chazelle made his directorial debut with Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, which I had to watch as I love his three big pictures. 

The film tells the story of Guy (Jason Palmer), a promising young jazz trumpeter, and Madeline (Desiree Garcia), his introverted girlfriend. After three months of dating, Guy breaks up with Madeline and pursue a relationship with another woman, the more outgoing Elena (Sandha Khin), only to realise that she is not interested in his music, that she is actually annoyed by it and his friends. Meanwhile, Madeline takes a job as a waitress in a diner to save money to go to New York.

The problem with Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench is that, in addition to the aforementioned storyline which isn't always easy to follow, there are multiple other subplots that add nothing to the main story; if anything, they distract from it, they confuse you as it's not always clear where they are going, and they make you feel as if you were watching a bunch of short stories put together in a random order.

The characters are another of Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench's flaws as Chazelle failed to deliver interesting characters. While the actors do a great job, each of the leads providing a genuine, natural performance —not even for a second it feels like a movie. It is as if you are watching life happening—, the characters have very little personality and no development whatsoever, and therefore you are really never emotionally invested as you are supposed to be. The ending, however, still manages to have an emotional impact.

Variance Films

All of that being said, watching Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench was not a waste of time. Although some parts are more compelling than others, the latter being a bit tedious, the film has a beautiful grainy black and white cinematography, rich of long takes, and intimate close-ups that capture the tenderness and vulnerability of the characters to perfection. The score, composed by Justin Hurwitz, is nothing short of beautiful, and there are some charming tip tap dancing and a wonderful musical number.

First Man (2018)

As far as I can remember, I've never been a fan of biopics, specifically of those about American heroes portrayed like perfect human beings. Also, movies involving space travel didn't always appeal to me. In other words, Damien Chazelle, director of two masterpieces, Whiplash and La La Land —fight me—, is the only reason I watched First Man. 

Just in case you have never heard of this movie before, it is a biographical drama on the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling). It is set between 1961 and 1969 and follows the journey that made Armstrong become the first man to walk on the moon.

The plot was my biggest concern prior to seeing the movie as I was afraid it'd be just a boring and obviously predictable sequence of the events that led to the moon landing. Thankfully, writer Josh Singer  —and James R. Hansen too I guess, since the film is based on the biography he wrote— decided to focus more on the personal life of Neil Armstrong, a life filled with loss, grief, sorrow and fragility.

It is clear right from the beginning that First Man is going to be a character study, and it is an excellent one. The film is a portrait of a quiet, introverted man who distanced, isolated himself from everything, specifically from his feelings and his family, after the loss of his daughter. The man history remembers as a stoic, unfriendly astronaut is actually a man haunted by death who sees in his mission, landing on the moon, his only chance at finding peace —as opposed to the USA whose goal was to beat the Soviets.

Ryan Gosling delivers an excellent performance as Armstrong, as he captures both the dedication and passion of the astronaut and the coldness and detachment of the man. We can see he’s suffering and in pain, and that he is hiding all that behind his stoic manner, and Gosling doesn’t even need to say a word to convey Armstrong’s feelings and vulnerabilities, his subtle facial movements are more than capable to do that.

The supporting characters, on the other hand, are pretty shallow. Armstrong’s wife, Janet, comes across as an icy woman who is always on the verge of exhaustion —Claire Foy does a great job though considering the little she’s given—, and Buzz Aldrin looks like a selfish and annoying jerk —it sure doesn’t help that Corey Stoll plays him as I find him very unsympathetic.

Universal Pictures

Visually, First Man is absolutely stunning. Most of the film is shot with a hand-held camera and it works beautifully as the film is told from Neil's perspective and this technique, which would be annoying as hell in most movies, really puts us in his seat and makes us feel his emotions. Also, cinematographer Linus Sandgren did a wonderful job in recreating an authentic 1960s look and vibe. 

The sound effects and the lack of them do a wonderful job at highlighting the tension and suspense, and the score, once again from Justin Hurwitz, carries the emotional intensity of the film —it fits incredibly well the melancholic tone— and conveys a wonderful sense of beauty, especially in the space scenes. 

Ultimately, First Man is one of those movies —a biopic, in this case— where you know what is going to happen and yet you still find yourself on the edge of the seat until the very satisfying climaxes are reached. An intense, powerful movie that often brought tears to my eyes.

Whiplash (2014)

Genre

Drama | Music

Director

Damien Chazelle

Country

United States

Cast

Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist, Austin Stowell, Nate Lang, Chris Mulkey, Jayson Blair, Kavita Patil, Michael Cohen, Kofi Siriboe, Suanne Spoke, April Grace

Plot

Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) has a dream: becoming one of the greatest jazz drummers of his generation.

Since the competition is fierce at the New York's prestigious Shaffer Conservatory, and to impress his instructor Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), Neiman practices hard day and night, until his hands bleed. 

Opinion

Whiplash is an incredibly powerful film with lot to teach: never give up, pursue your dream, no matter what. Damien Chazelle, young and talented, becomes part of the history of cinema with this thrilling, exciting masterpiece. The constant drumming that stays with us for almost the entire film is amazing.

Miles Teller is surprisingly good, actually he is fantastic and this is his best performance so far. J.K. Simmons delivers a flawless and astonishing performance, which got him a Golden Globe for best supporting actor, and an Oscar nomination, which surely will turn into a win.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Terence Fletcher: There are no two words in the English language more harmful than good job.

Terence Fletcher: I was there to push people beyond what's expected of them. I believe that's an absolute necessity.

Rating

10/10