Word: filming
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...soundtrack is any indication of the film to come, Man on the Moon, based on the life of comedian Andy Kaufman (Taxi), is going to be a very interesting, eccentric ride. The album has everything from the original Mighty Mouse theme (a favorite of Kaufman's) to a bizarre Jim Carrey/R.E.M. duet to the film's score, also composed by R.E.M. Some of the numbers are absolutely baffling, especially a whacked-out version of disco standard "I Will Survive," sung by Jim Carrey as one of Kaufman's alter-egos, Tony Clifton...
...Moon," R.E.M.'s 1992 song about Kaufman and the source of the film's title, is here in two forms--the original version appears along with a lovely orchestral arrangement that sounds almost completely different. This is R.E.M.'s first film score, and it's pretty good--some of their most delicate, beautiful work is here, though the sadder bits get a little melodramatic. The highlight of the album is "This Friendly World," with Michael Stipe and Jim Carrey trading off on vocals and at one point singing every other word; it will be interesting, to say the least...
...prisoners from their cells to the electric chair (usually called the last mile, but this particular one has green floor tiles). The unique bond that evolves between the sympathetic Edgecomb and the unexpectedly gentle Coffey forms the basis for the psychological, spiritual and moral exploration that permeates the film. The strong ensemble cast is further enhanced by the performances of David Morse (Contact), who plays Brutus Howell, Edgecomb's friend and another sympathetic guard; James Cromwell (Babe), who fills the role of Warden Hal Moores; and Gary Sinise (Forrest Gump), who briefly appears as John Coffey's public defender...
...Stylistically, the cinematography is very similar to what we saw in The Shawshank Redemption: tight close-ups, wide establishing shots, innovative camera angles. Darabont is a master of filming grand, sweeping epics in relatively confined spaces, and he stays true to form here. The pacing is deliberate, allowing the audience to fully experience all the tensions and hardships of life on Death Row. Still, Darabont is careful not to waste any screentime on dull moments; there's plenty of action to offset the unusually long running time. As the film progresses, the tone remains predominantly serious (befitting a story...
...triumphant second effort from being perfect is the manner in which the story begins and ends. Told as a flashback by an older Edgecomb sixty years after the fact, the story opens with scenes that take place in the present. This set-up at the beginning of the film is fine, but the ending just doesn't work. Immediately after the final scene from 1935, the story shifts back to the present for a wrap-up that comes across as contrived (the same problem plagued Saving Private Ryan). Instead of ending the film in the present, it would have been...