Vox Luxis a 2018 Americanmusicaldrama filmwritten and directed byBrady Corbet,from a story by Corbet andMona Fastvold.The film starsNatalie Portman,Jude Law,Raffey Cassidy,Stacy MartinandJennifer Ehle.
| Vox Lux | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Brady Corbet |
| Screenplay by | Brady Corbet |
| Story by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Lol Crawley |
| Edited by | Matthew Hannam |
| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Neon |
Release dates |
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Running time | 110 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $11 million[2] |
| Box office | $1.4 million[3] |
Vox Luxhad its world premiere at the75th Venice International Film Festivalon September 4, 2018, and was released in the United States on December 7, 2018, byNeon.The film received generally favorable reviews from film critics.
Plot
editAct 1: Genesis
editIn early January 2000, a boy named Cullen Active walks into his school in theStaten Islandneighborhood ofNew Brighton,goes to an 8th grade class and shoots the teacher, Mrs. Dwyer. One student, 14-year-old Celeste Montgomery, calmly and compassionately talks to Cullen, and offers to pray with him. However, he shoots all the students and kills himself; Celeste is later seen to be in one of only three ambulances carrying survivors from the scene.
As she slowly recovers from her injuries, Celeste and her older sister, Eleanor, write music together. Soon afterward, at an event led by Father Cliff in memory of the shooting victims, Celeste sings a song that she and Eleanor wrote titled "Wrapped Up".The song becomes an instant hit and Celeste is soon picked up by a manager.
ByApril 2000,Celeste is recording anEPin New York City. Over the next 20 months, Celeste manages and navigates the increasing pressures of her newfound fame in spite of her past trauma. She and Eleanor indulge in bouts of partying that soon get in the way of Celeste's work, including the 14-year-old Celeste being subject tostatutory rapeby an older musician and Eleanor having sex with Celeste's manager the night before theSeptember 11 attacks.Nevertheless, Celeste continues to successfully rise in the music industry, with her songs getting quickly picked up by the radio and rushing the demand for her first music video, "Hologram (Smoke and Mirrors)".
Act 2: Regenesis
editIn 2017, a terrorist shooting on a beach in Croatia is rumored to be linked to Celeste's music due to the masks that the criminals donned, which are similar to the masks from Celeste's 2001 "Hologram" video.
Celeste is now 31 years old and preparing for the first night of a concert tour for her sixth album,Vox Lux.Her manager informs her of the terrorist shooting, and then tells her to prepare for the ensuing press junkets. Before her first interview, Celeste takes her teenage daughter, Albertine (conceived from the encounter with the musician), to lunch. Once there, Celeste unveils her erratic and destructive behavior, aided by alcohol, resulting in Celeste and Albertine getting kicked out of the restaurant by the manager. It is revealed that, six years prior, Celeste permanently blinded herself in her left eye due to consuming excessive amounts ofmethanolwhile binge-drinking household cleaning products. Celeste then drove under the influence across three state lines, injuring a man in his left leg and pelvis in the process, which resulted in a public lawsuit.
After lunch, Celeste has a heated argument with Eleanor after discovering Albertine has recently lost her virginity; Eleanor has been Albertine's guardian since her birth. The press interviews begin soon after, with Celeste becoming increasingly unhinged after one interviewer mentions the aforementioned driving incident. Her publicist decides to cancel the rest of the interviews scheduled that day and asks Celeste to rest before the concert. However, Celeste and her manager get high on drugs and have sex. That evening, an impaired Celeste heads for the concert venue with her entourage in tow. She then experiences a mental breakdown, with Eleanor successfully comforting her before sending her out.
Finale
editCeleste appears ready for the concert and preps for the stage with her band and background dancers. She then performs multiple songs with elaborate dance numbers involved. It is revealed that after she was shot, Celeste told Eleanor that she made a deal with the devil for her life. Her manager, Albertine, and Eleanor pensively look on at the façade of a performing Celeste.
Cast
edit- Natalie Portmanas Celeste
- Jude Lawas the manager
- Stacy Martinas Eleanor
- Jennifer Ehleas Josie the publicist
- Raffey Cassidyas young Celeste and as Albertine
- Christopher Abbottas the journalist
- Logan Riley Bruneras Cullen Active
- Maria Dizziaas Ms. Dwyer
- Meg Gibsonas Celeste's mother
- Daniel Londonas Father Cliff
- Sahr Ngaujahas a recording engineer in 2000
- Micheál Richardsonas the musician
- Matt Servittoas Celeste's father
- Leslie Silvaas the stylist
In addition,Willem Dafoeprovides the narration.
Production
editIn August 2016, it was announcedBrady Corbetwould write and direct the film, withChristine Vachon,David Hinojosa and Brian Young producing the film under theirKiller Filmsand Three Six Zero Group banners respectively.[4]In September 2016,Rooney Marajoined the cast of the film, whileSiawas hired to compose original songs for the film.[5]In October 2016,Jude Lawjoined the cast of the film.[6]In January 2017,Stacy Martinconfirmed her involvement in the film.[7]In January 2018,Natalie Portmanjoined the cast of the film, replacing Mara.[8]In February 2018,Raffey Cassidyjoined the cast of the film.[9]In August 2018, it was reported that Sia would be contributing original songs andScott Walkerwould be scoring the film.[10]Speaking of his surprise involvement in the film,Willem Dafoe,who narrates the film, stated that “it was a very last-minute thing. I think Brady had another voice in there and he wasn’t quite happy with it, and at the last minute he had the idea to use me to be the narrator — which in terms of actual work isn’t a huge time commitment. It’s an important tonal element and framing device in the film. It’s a kind of go-between with the audience.”[11]Corbet has discussed the challenges of making the film, saying that "nobody asked for it" and he did not make any money from it.[12]
Principal photographybegan on February 1, 2018.[13]Portman said her performance was influenced by what she had observed in documentaries on pop stars, such asMadonnaandLady Gaga.[14]
Release
editVox Luxpremiered at the75th Venice International Film Festivalon September 4, 2018.[15]It also screened at the43rd Toronto International Film Festivalon September 7, 2018.[16][17]Shortly after,Neonacquired distribution rights to the film.[18]It was screened at the 29thNew Orleans Film Festivalon October 23, 2018.[19]It was theatrically released on December 7, 2018[20]and onVODbyUniversal Home Entertainmenton March 5, 2019.[21][22]
Reception
editBox office
editVox Luxgrossed $0.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $0.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.4 million,[3]against a production budget of $11 million.[2]Sales of its DVD/Blu-ray releases cashed $121,480.[21]
Critical response
editOnRotten Tomatoes,the film holds an approval rating of 62% based on 252 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Intriguing albeit flawed,Vox Luxprobes the allures and pitfalls of modern celebrity with sharp intelligence and visual style, all held together by an assured Natalie Portman performance. "[22]OnMetacritic,the film has aweighted averagescore of 67 out of 100, based on 39 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[23]
Guy Lodge ofVarietypraised Portman's performance and called the film "a bold, often brilliant trip through the celebrity spin cycle."[24]
Accolades
edit| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CinEuphoria Awards | 2019 | Best Supporting Actress - International Competition | Natalie Portman | Nominated |
| Best Screenplay - International Competition | Brady Corbet | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design - International Competition | Keri Langerman | Nominated | ||
| Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | December 23, 2019 | Best Actress | Natalie Portman | Nominated |
| Guild of Music Supervisors Awards | February 6, 2020 | Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Under 10 Million Dollars | Margaret Yen and Alison Litton | Won |
| Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards | February 16, 2019 | Best Contemporary Hair Styling - Feature-Length Motion Picture | Esther Ahn and Daniel Koye | Nominated |
| Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival | 2018 | Best Film | Brady Corbet | Nominated |
| London Critics Circle Film Awards | January 30, 2020 | Young British/Irish Performer of the Year | Raffey Cassidy | Nominated |
| Motovun Film Festival | 2019 | Best Film | Brady Corbet | Nominated |
| Stockholm Film Festival | 2018 | Impact Award | Nominated | |
| Venice Film Festival | September 8, 2018 | Golden Lion | Nominated |
Soundtrack
editReferences
edit- ^"Vox Lux".Venice Biennale.July 13, 2018.RetrievedJuly 25,2018.
- ^ab"Vox Lux".Kodak.Archived fromthe originalon July 21, 2019.RetrievedJuly 21,2019.
- ^ab"Vox Lux".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedApril 21,2019.
- ^Donnelly, Matt (August 8, 2016)."Brady Corbet to Write and Direct Pop Star Drama 'Vox Lux' (Exclusive)".TheWrap.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^Kroll, Justin (September 21, 2016)."Rooney Mara to Play a Pop Star in Drama 'Vox Lux' With Original Music From Sia".Variety.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^Kroll, Justin (October 4, 2016)."Jude Law to Join Rooney Mara in Pop Star Drama 'Vox Lux' (EXCLUSIVE)".Variety.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^Tice Studman, Kristen (January 17, 2017)."Stacy Martin Has a" Very French "Approach to Drinking Wine and Eating Bread".W.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^Lang, Brent (January 26, 2018)."Natalie Portman Boards 'Vox Lux' (EXCLUSIVE)".Variety.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^Kroll, Justin (February 6, 2018)."Natalie Portman's 'Vox Lux' Adds 'Killing of a Sacred Deer's' Raffey Cassidy (EXCLUSIVE)".Variety.RetrievedFebruary 6,2018.
- ^Barfield, Charles (August 21, 2018)."Sia & Scott Walker Providing The Music For Natalie Portman Musical Drama 'Vox Lux'".The Playlist.RetrievedAugust 23,2018.
- ^Willem Dafoe on Becoming Vincent Van Gogh: "You Want a Living Painting, Not a Museum Piece"
- ^"Director Brady Corbet discusses Vox Lux - A DGA Q&A in New York".dga.org.RetrievedJuly 15,2019.
- ^McAtree, Paige (January 31, 2018)."Movie Starring Natalie Portman, Jude Law To Film In Floral Park".New Hyde Park Patch.RetrievedFebruary 1,2018.
- ^"Is Celeste Based On A Real Singer? 'Vox Lux' Was Influenced By Some Very Famous Names".Bustle.RetrievedOctober 25,2020.
- ^Tartaglione, Nancy (July 25, 2018)."Venice Film Festival Lineup: Welles, Coen Brothers, Cuaron, Greengrass, More – Live".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedJuly 25,2018.
- ^Vlessing, Etan (August 21, 2018)."Toronto: Natalie Portman's 'Vox Lux,' Chloe Grace Moretz's 'Greta' Join Festival Lineup".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedAugust 21,2018.
- ^"Vox Lux".Toronto International Film Festival.RetrievedAugust 21,2018.
- ^Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 10, 2018)."Festival Action Heating As NEON Edging Towards Natalie Portman-Starrer 'Vox Lux:' Toronto".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedSeptember 10,2018.
- ^"Vox Lux | New Orleans Film Society".New Orleans Film Society.RetrievedSeptember 30,2018.
- ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 21, 2018)."'Vox Lux' To Strike A Chord This Awards Season As NEON Sets December Release For Natalie Portman-Jude Law Music Drama ".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedSeptember 21,2018.
- ^ab"Vox Lux(2018) - Financial Information ".The Numbers.Nash Information Services, LLC.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
- ^ab"Vox Lux (2018)".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango.RetrievedOctober 10,2021.
- ^"Vox Lux Reviews".Metacritic.RetrievedSeptember 8,2019.
- ^Lodge, Guy (September 4, 2018)."Film Review: Natalie Portman in 'Vox Lux'".Variety.
