Suburbicon

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
German title Suburbicon
Original title Suburbicon
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2017
length 106 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
JMK 14
Rod
Director George Clooney
script George Clooney,
Ethan Coen ,
Joel Coen ,
Grant Heslov
production George Clooney,
Grant Heslov,
Teddy Schwarzman
music Alexandre Desplat
camera Robert Elswit
cut Stephen Mirrione
occupation

Suburbicon is an American crime drama directed by George Clooney that premiered on September 2, 2017 at the Venice Film Festival .

action

Average Americans Gardner and Rose Lodge lead an exemplary life together with their son Nicky in the equally exemplary city of Suburbicon in the 1950s. Gardner is the finance director of the hugely successful advertising agency Pappas & Swain while his wife, who has been in a wheelchair since a car accident, spends her days on the porch watching her son play in the garden.

However, the perfect idyll will soon crack. During an apparently accidental robbery by two gangsters, the entire family is handcuffed and anesthetized with chloroform, which Nicky's mother does not survive. His father asks Rose's twin sister Margaret to move in with them to take care of little Nicky. When facing the police, Nicky recognizes the criminals; But aunt and father deny that they were the perpetrators.

Nicky soon realizes that his father and aunt are not quite as innocent of recent incidents as they appear to be. But otherwise Gardner's plan does not go as he had imagined, because soon the two gangsters who turn out to be money collectors for the mafia appear in Gardner's office, beat him up and demand more money. Only a little later, a windy insurance employee appears at Margaret's during the day, questions her and signals to her that he sees through the murder plot. When he returns in the evening to demand the entire expected insurance sum from Gardner for his silence, he is poisoned by a coffee made by Margaret and escapes chokingly into the street, where Gardner finally kills him. When removing the body, one of the gangsters chases him with a VW Beetle until he dies in a traffic accident.

Meanwhile, Margaret fears that everything will come to light and prepares a fatal supper for Nicky. At the same time, the second gangster lies in wait for Margaret, because he wants to kill her and the boy to give Gardner a lesson. He strangles Margaret and looks for the boy in his room, but is killed shortly before the act by Uncle Mitch, who was previously called by phone and who is fatally injured himself.

When Gardner comes home covered in blood and finds his sister-in-law, the brother-in-law and the gangster dead in his house, he sees only two options: to call the police or to kill his son to make the new attack seem credible. While he explains to his son exactly how he intends to proceed, he devours the dinner that was actually prepared for Nicky. The next morning the father lies dead at the kitchen table.

Second storyline: William and Daisy Myers move into the house adjacent to the lodge garden with their son Andy. As the first African-American family in the quiet family town, they cause great excitement, and suburbicons citizens encounter them with hatred and prejudice. Meanwhile, Nicky has befriended Andy, who is about the same age and shares his passion for baseball. At a turbulent gathering in the town hall, however, Suburbicons citizens come to the conclusion that their city is not yet ready for African Americans. The racism, initially only expressed verbally, and the skeptical looks of paranoid city dwellers turn into violence. In a mob, suburbicons citizens run through the city with burning torches and gather in front of the Myers' house, shouting with all their might, making a loud noise, setting their cars on fire and decorating a window with a Confederate war flag . During these incidents the violence took place in the lodge's house, which, despite the police presence, went undetected in the riot on the parallel street.

production

Staff and historical background

George Clooney directed the noir drama , as it became known in fall 2015. A first draft of the script had already been completed by Joel and Ethan Coen in 1986, but the project was then on hold for years. Clooney said he was looking for a project for himself as a director, but couldn't find anything that caught him right. But then he came across the insurance story of the Coen brothers, for whom the two had offered him the role of investigator. However, believing that funding the filming of this story could prove difficult, Clooney gave him permission to bring a new idea to the film.

George Clooney at the screening of the film in Toronto

The Myers do not appear in the original script by the Coen brothers, in which they set the story in the 1980s. Clooney and Grant Heslov , who jointly revised their script, gave the film their own political stamp with a time shift to the 1950s and spanned the open racial hatred of this era idealized by Donald Trump to the current tensions between black and white America. Clooney was inspired by a campaign speech in which Trump spoke about "building walls and the minorities". As early as the 1950s, one could hear everywhere that America should be 'great again', said Clooney, and he was very interested in examining our problems today in an environment of the time: “A sick family in the middle of a sick one Placing society seemed the right way to do this. ”The director goes on to say that Suburbicon is an angry film and that his country is also in an angry state, which should be reflected in the film.

According to Clooney, the story the film tells about the African American family is also inspired by a true story. The Afro-American married couple William and Daisy Myers , whose names were adopted for the film, moved to Levittown, Pennsylvania in 1957 and were harassed and threatened for months by the natives of the suburb, which was completely white-populated. At first they just made noise in front of their house and threw cigarette butts in their garden, later stones were thrown in their windows and a cross was erected in their front yard, which was lit.

The daughter Lynda Myers said that there were also neighbors from whom her parents received support. However, one of the neighbors became so angry that he drove his car towards a mob of demonstrating city dwellers and only came to a stop just in front of them. This reminds Marlow Stern on one of the most terrible moments in the recent history of Charlottesville transpired, as a white Suprematist his car drove into the crowd and the 32-year-old Heather Heyer killed. Lynda Myers' mother, who died in 2011, was referred to as the Rosa Parks of the North, or a Levittown version of it , after the 1957 incidents .

Matt Damon at the screening of the film in Toronto
Julianne Moore took on a dual role in the film

The city of Levittown, to which William and Daisy Myers moved, was named after the American real estate developer William Levitt , who had several such residential projects built across the United States and is considered the inventor of the suburbs. Several suburban settlements in the United States that were designed by him and his company Levitt & Sons are named after him . Because Levitt didn't want black people to live there, but was then forced into integration by a court, he sold his property, according to Clooney.

Casting, dubbing and filming

Matt Damon and Julianne Moore star in the film Gardner and Rose Lodge, the role of their son Nicky was cast by child actor Noah Jupe . Moore also plays Rose's twin sister Margaret, who is supposed to help Gardner raise his son after her death. The roles of the new Afro-American neighbors William and Daisy Myers were cast with Leith M. Burke and Karimah Westbrook . Tony Espinosa plays her son Andy. The role of insurance agent Bud Cooper was given to American actor Oscar Isaac .

The German dubbing was based on a dialogue book and directed by Sven Hasper on behalf of Interopa Film GmbH, Berlin. Simon Jäger lends his voice in the German dubbing Gardner and Petra Barthel Rose or Margaret.

Filming took place at Van Nuys and Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank , Los Angeles , where it began on October 11, 2016, and continued in the California cities of Fullerton , Santa Clarita , Carson, and San Fernando.

Film music and publication

The score was composed by Alexandre Desplat , who also conducted the recordings. The soundtrack for the film includes 23 pieces of music and was released by ABKCO Records on October 27, 2017 . It also includes the song When I Fall In Love by Victor Young and Edward Heyman for the film Korea (original title One Minute to Zero ) from 1952.

The film premiered on September 2, 2017 at the 74th Venice Film Festival , where it was shown in the main competition. It was also presented at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2017 . In October 2017 it was shown at the Hamburg Film Festival , where it was nominated for the Art Cinema Award.

In the USA the distribution rights for the film are held by Paramount Pictures . The film was released in US cinemas on October 27, 2017 and in German cinemas on November 9, 2017.

reception

Age rating

In the USA, the film received an R rating from the MPAA , which corresponds to a rating of 17 and over. In Germany the film is FSK 16 . The statement of reasons for the release states: “The film contains a number of haunting scenes of threat and tension; several people are killed in drastic and bloody ways. However, the violence is never played out excessively. Young people from the age of 16 are able to place these scenes in the context of the overall plot and to process them appropriately. The historical venue and the theatrical staging also facilitate an emotional distancing from the events. There are also always humorous moments and ironic breaks that give young people from the age of 16 the opportunity to take some relief. "

Reviews

Suburbicon as a symbol for Levittown

Marlow Stern calls Suburbicon a clear symbol of Levittown. The real energy of the film comes from the twisting, dark and satirical script that the brothers Ethan and Joel Coen wrote shortly after Blood Simple in the 1980s , according to Stern.

Andreas Borcholte from Spiegel Online says that George Clooney chose the ominously lurking look and feel of classic suspense and noir films for Suburbicon , from Hitchcock over 24 hours in his power to A Bait for the Beast . In addition, Clooney staged his thriller grotesque precisely and relentlessly and largely without the often soothing humoresques and mannerisms of the Coen brothers, so that laughter stuck in your throat, so Borcholte.

Stefan Volk from the Berner Zeitung said that Matt Damon embodies the abysmal average American with a grandiose mixture of boyish charm, bourgeois idiocy, laconic cynicism and suppressed aggression, and Julianne Moore is convincing in her double role as wife and sister-in-law with a bittersweet bath- Mom charisma. However, the characters hung strangely in the air because Clooney consistently kept them at a distance, Volk continued.

Kai Mihm writes in epd Film that Gardner Lodge is “a classic Coen protagonist”, a “petty bourgeois with big dreams who is getting more and more entangled in his windy plans”. But as convincing as Matt Damon played this man, “as a tight-lipped, repressive suburban sociopath”, this character type now seems unoriginal: “We have seen him in variations too often.” In addition, one gets the impression that George Clooney “works for the People don't really care that he's just interested in the creaky mechanisms of the plot ”. That is "amusing to look at for a while". But “for a really good film” it is “a little bit”.

Awards (selection)

On December 18, 2017, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Alexandre Desplat's work was on a shortlist from which the nominations in the category Best Film Music will be made at the 2018 Academy Awards . The following is a selection of nominations for other film awards.

Hamburg Film Festival 2017

  • Nomination for the Art Cinema Award

Venice International Film Festival 2017

The German Film and Media Assessment FBW in Wiesbaden awarded the film the rating particularly valuable.

Web links

Commons : Suburbicon  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Release certificate for Suburbicon . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry (PDF; test number: 173300 / K). Template: FSK / maintenance / type not set and Par. 1 longer than 4 characters
  2. ↑ Age rating for Suburbicon . Youth Media Commission .
  3. ↑ George Clooney: Suburbicon Isn't Really a Comedy. August 11, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2019 (American English).
  4. ↑ Marlène von Arx: George Clooney in a big interview: This is how he wants to stand up to Donald Trump In: Aargauer Zeitung, November 4, 2017.
  5. ↑ a b Andreas Borcholte: US cinema at the Venice Film Festival: When America still seemed 'great' In: Spiegel Online, September 2, 2017.
  6. ↑ afp.com: People: Trump's campaign speeches inspired Clooney's new film "Suburbicon". In: welt.de . September 3, 2017, accessed October 7, 2018 .
  7. ^ Matthias Greuling from Venice: George Clooney: "Dark clouds over America". Retrieved July 23, 2019 .
  8. ↑ a b Stefan Volk: From Farce to Drama In: Berner Zeitung, November 7, 2017.
  9. ^ The Real-Life Racial Battle That Inspired George Clooney's 'Suburbicon'. Retrieved July 23, 2019 .
  10. ↑ a b c Marlow Stern: 'Suburbicon' Review: George Clooney Takes On White Supremacy, With Echoes of Charlottesville In: thedailybeast.com, September 2, 2017.
  11. ^ The Real-Life Racial Battle That Inspired George Clooney's 'Suburbicon'. Retrieved July 23, 2019 .
  12. ↑ DAVE SOMMERS: Residents shaken by grisly accident. Retrieved July 23, 2019 .
  13. ↑ Eric Pace: William J. Levitt, 86, Pioneer of Suburbs, Dies . In: The New York Times . January 29, 1994, ISSN  0362-4331 ( nytimes.com [accessed July 23, 2019]).
  14. ↑ Stefanie Brösigke: A master of science fiction. June 30, 2015, accessed July 23, 2019 .
  15. ↑ Los Angeles Location Film and TV Shoots Jump 6.2 Percent in 2016. Accessed July 23, 2019 .
  16. ↑ Glamorous Amal Clooney visits George on set of his film Suburbicon. October 4, 2016, accessed July 23, 2019 .
  17. ↑ Emily Sweeney Globe Staff, October 12, 2016, 12:24 pm Email to a Friend Share on Facebook Share on TwitterPrint this Article View Comments: Check out Matt Damon on the set of his latest movie - The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 23, 2019 (American English).
  18. ↑ Filmed in Santa Clarita - Film Santa Clarita. Retrieved July 23, 2019 .
  19. ↑ Alexandre Desplat to Score George Clooney's 'Suburbicon' | Film Music Reporter. Retrieved July 23, 2019 (American English).
  20. ↑ 'Suburbicon' Soundtrack Announced In: filmmusicreporter.com, October 12, 2017.
  21. ↑ "George Clooney - Suburbicon | La Biennale di Venezia ”. Accessed August 15, 2017. http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2017/program-cinema-2017/george-clooney-suburbicon .
  22. ↑ Adam White: Venice Film Festival 2017: all-star program includes Jennifer Lawrence, George Clooney, and Guillermo Del Toro In: The Telegraph, July 27, 2017.
  23. ↑ Toronto International Film Festival 2017. Official Film Schedule In: tiff.net. Retrieved on August 23, 2017 (PDF; 852 KB)
  24. ↑ Brent Lang: Toronto Film Festival Lineup Includes Movies From Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Alexander Payne In: Variety, July 25, 2017.
  25. ↑ Films from A to Z ( Memento of the original from November 19, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.filmfesthamburg.de archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: filmfesthamburg.de. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  26. ↑ Suburbicon In: filmfesthamburg.de. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  27. ^ Leo Barraclough, Leo Barraclough: George Clooney's 'Suburbicon' Sells Around the World. In: Variety. February 15, 2016, accessed July 23, 2019 .
  28. ↑ Dave McNary, Dave McNary: George Clooney's 'Suburbicon' Gets Award-Season Release. In: Variety. March 28, 2017, accessed July 23, 2019 .
  29. ↑ DPA-Starline: Film: George Clooney's "Suburbicon" in the cinemas in November. In: Focus Online . March 29, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2018 .
  30. ↑ Start dates Germany In: insidekino.com. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  31. ↑ Suburbicon In: parentpreviews.com. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  32. ↑ release rationale for Suburbicon In: Voluntary Self-Regulation of the Film Industry. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  33. ↑ Kai Mihm: Critique of Suburbicon | epd film. Retrieved November 11, 2017 .
  34. ↑ Zack Sharf: Oscars 2018: Best Original Score Shortlist Includes 'The Shape of Water', 'All the Money in the World' and More In: indiewire.com, December 18, 2017.