Author: Zgamer
Location: Eagle, Idaho
Heavy Rain Part 1
Directed by: Ben Affleck
Written by: Ben Affleck, Peter Craig and Aaron Stockard
Based on the game by: David Cage and Quantic Dreams
Cinematography by: Robert Elswit
Art Direction by: Chris Cornwell
Edited by: William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor
Music by: Normand Corbeil
Cast
Ryan Gosling as Ethan Mars
Casey Affleck as Norman Jayden
Jena Malone as Madison Paige
James Gandolfini as Scott Shelby
Robert Knepper as Lieutenant Carter Blake
Michele Monaghan as Lauren Winter
Lukas Hoss as Gordi Kramer
Alan Tudyk as Dr. Clarence Dupre
Dakota Goyo as Shaun Mars
Tagline: How far will you go to save someone you love?
Synopsis
People view rainstorms differently. Sometimes it is gratitude for the nutrients it gives while sometimes it is contempt for making one’s day harder. The last few years, however, the Origami Killer has made the rainstorms in Pennsylvania something to fear. This psychopath has abducted eight young boys in broad daylight, drowned them in rainwater and left them with an orchid on their chest and an origami figure in their hand. No one has seen these abductions and there is no pattern to determine where one will happen. During this recent storm, however, one boy’s abduction will affect four people in ways they could never have foreseen.
Life for Ethan Mars has been rough. After he failed to save his oldest son Jason from being killed by a car, his career, his marriage and his mental health took their hits. His therapist Dr. Dupre has deemed him clinically depressed, his agoraphobia has made him excessively paranoid and he has recently developed a habit of inexplicable blackouts. Today has reached a new high as his remaining source of hope, his youngest son Shaun, was abducted from his school playground under his watch. As the searches become fruitless, Ethan discovers an envelope he overlooked a day prior. Following its cryptic message, he is led to a train station locker with a lone shoebox. The cell phone and five origami figures confirm his worse fears: the Origami Killer has Shaun and has devised trials for Ethan in each figure to see how willing he is to save Shaun. Taking a deep breath, Ethan opens the first figure…
FBI agent Norman Jayden has seen corpses before, but seeing a dead child is never pleasant. Only a day has passed since his arrival and already he is examining the Origami Killer’s last victim. Though he has the skills and cutting edge equipment to aid the case, the police see him as a nuisance, especially his temporary (and temperamental) partner Lieutenant Carter Blake. Jayden knows his own motivation though and hopes he can save Shaun Mars without bloodshed. Jayden’s equipment, however, may prove to be as much a liability as an asset. Because prolonged exposure the Added Reality Interface (ARI), his state of the art investigative tool, runs the risk of aneurisms, he has been forced to become dependent on an illegal drug called Triptocaine to counter the effects. Jayden has spent the last two months trying to break this addiction, but as he travels with Blake to investigate two leads, the consequence of Triptocaine withdrawal begin to manifest…
It has been a while since Scott Shelby retired from the police and became a private investigator. He has never liked the emotional distance police work causes and feels this job allows him to be more personable and direct with his clients. Ever since the Origami Killer has come to town, Scott has been searching on behalf of the victims’ families to find even a trace of the killer’s identity. His most recent job has led him to the room of Lauren Winter, a prostitute whose son was the seventh victim of the killer. Though still bitter over the event and her husband’s disappearance the day after the abduction, she is focused enough to direct her suspicions towards a man named Gordi Kramer. Gordi, a hedonistic playboy, has been previously convicted of luring young children into his car, one of whom was a victim of the Origami Killer. Unfortunately, Gordi’s protection comes from his billionaire father Charles, whose mafia connections and private security are things of urban legend. Knowing the risks and that Shaun Mars may be dead shortly, Scott must devise a way to get into Gordi’s mansion and confront him…
Madison Paige has been checking into the Cross Road Hotel ever since her insomnia made sleeping at home impossible. She has not had a good article to submit for a while and knows her career is in jeopardy. So it is quite lucky for her when she encounters Ethan Mars hobbling into the room next to her. Though he refuses to say where his wounds came from, the recent reports about Shaun Mars and an unknown highway car crash make it clear to Madison what is going on. While cleaning Ethan’s wounds, the opportunity for the year’s biggest story secretly forms in her head. As Ethan goes off to face his next challenge, Madison decides to investigate the situation further. Little would she know that her snooping would lead to an encounter with a suspicious taxidermist, witnessing Ethan’s psychologist get beaten by Lieutenant Blake and a breaking news report that will further complicate Ethan’s trials…
What the Press Would Say
Heavy Rain’s production has had its fair share of detractors and who can blame them. From shooting delays to director swaps to the trilogy announcement, Heavy Rain has had a hard run getting its first installment out. Now that the film has passed the critic test and been released, the people (including this reviewer) have had a chance to see for ourselves if it would live up to its hype. We all seem to be in agreement that Heavy Rain Part 1 has surprised everyone in its complexity, emotion and superb craftsmanship. Not only does it break from the dreaded video game curse, but also it shows Ben Affleck’s continued rise to becoming one of our most talented filmmakers.
After a slow but deliberate set-up, Heavy Rain Part 1 goes full force into its story of four separate but interlinked characters. We see entirely different viewpoints on a common goal and equally different challenges based on their strengths and flaws. This plays to a common motif of endurance, as we see each character being pushed in some way to reach the end. Whether it is just to make it one more step or to test their creative thinking, we see how each character responds to trials through their actions. This is a great compliment to Affleck and company’s script, which has trimmed and sorted the source material’s story for a tighter and more intimate experience. The dialogue is snappier, the pace is evenly scaled and certain plot developments make more sense in context. The story pulls out all the stops with emotions that can make you somber one moment and then incredibly tense the next. It is a promising start for what is to come.
Affleck’s directorial and production skills have also stepped up to meet this new challenge. Though his filmmaking has always been good, his straightforward style has sometimes left something to be desired. Not here! There is a greater scope physically and emotionally through the crisp and steady camerawork of Robert Elswit. This ranges from the discomforting claustrophobia of Ethan’s second trial (even Jigsaw would envy this maze) to vast and ominous shots of the perpetually raining city. Transitioning between the four stories is seamless thanks to great scene structure and precise editing throughout. The score, re-orchestrated by the original composer with some new work, stuns with pieces ranging from the opening’s haunting piano solo to the bombastic chase music.
Beneath all of this is a grade-A cast filled with Affleck regulars and newcomers. While there are great supporting roles from people like Robert Knepper and Alan Tudyk, the four leads truly own the show. Continuing his winning streak, Ryan Gosling gives an intense but somber performance as the father of the abducted boy. His body language communicates the stress and instability he faces, as he not only endures physical trials but the problems his own psyche presents (including a surreal scene in a train station). James Gandolfini, often known for his hard characters, shows us his more noble and thoughtful side playing the unassuming private investigator. Though he does show some physical prowess in one brawl, Gandolfini’s strength here is through his empathetic but direct conversational skills that attach us to Shelby’s case. Jena Malone also has some shining moments, balancing her tomboy attitude to her work with a sort of guardian angel persona towards people like Gosling. The surprise, however, comes from Affleck’s brother Casey. A fan-favorite character, Affleck portrays Jayden with a blend of straight-laced professionalism, snappy wit and warm personality that makes him the authority figure people want to trust. He also manages to show the quiet intensity of Jayden’s demons, particularly during an incredibly inconvenient moment of withdrawal.
Though the almost three hour runtime is lengthy, Heavy Rain Part 1 sucks you into its layered story like no other film. With any luck, it will have a general appeal with audiences and critics alike, especially as Oscar season approaches.
Awards Consideration
Best Picture
Best Director (Ben Affleck)
Best Actor (Ryan Gosling)
Best Supporting Actor (Casey Affleck)
Best Supporting Actor (James Gandolfini)
Best Supporting Actress (Jena Malone)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Sound Design
Best Editing
Best Original Score
Location: Eagle, Idaho
Heavy Rain Part 1
Directed by: Ben Affleck
Written by: Ben Affleck, Peter Craig and Aaron Stockard
Based on the game by: David Cage and Quantic Dreams
Cinematography by: Robert Elswit
Art Direction by: Chris Cornwell
Edited by: William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor
Music by: Normand Corbeil
Cast
Ryan Gosling as Ethan Mars
Casey Affleck as Norman Jayden
Jena Malone as Madison Paige
James Gandolfini as Scott Shelby
Robert Knepper as Lieutenant Carter Blake
Michele Monaghan as Lauren Winter
Lukas Hoss as Gordi Kramer
Alan Tudyk as Dr. Clarence Dupre
Dakota Goyo as Shaun Mars
Tagline: How far will you go to save someone you love?
Synopsis
People view rainstorms differently. Sometimes it is gratitude for the nutrients it gives while sometimes it is contempt for making one’s day harder. The last few years, however, the Origami Killer has made the rainstorms in Pennsylvania something to fear. This psychopath has abducted eight young boys in broad daylight, drowned them in rainwater and left them with an orchid on their chest and an origami figure in their hand. No one has seen these abductions and there is no pattern to determine where one will happen. During this recent storm, however, one boy’s abduction will affect four people in ways they could never have foreseen.
Life for Ethan Mars has been rough. After he failed to save his oldest son Jason from being killed by a car, his career, his marriage and his mental health took their hits. His therapist Dr. Dupre has deemed him clinically depressed, his agoraphobia has made him excessively paranoid and he has recently developed a habit of inexplicable blackouts. Today has reached a new high as his remaining source of hope, his youngest son Shaun, was abducted from his school playground under his watch. As the searches become fruitless, Ethan discovers an envelope he overlooked a day prior. Following its cryptic message, he is led to a train station locker with a lone shoebox. The cell phone and five origami figures confirm his worse fears: the Origami Killer has Shaun and has devised trials for Ethan in each figure to see how willing he is to save Shaun. Taking a deep breath, Ethan opens the first figure…
FBI agent Norman Jayden has seen corpses before, but seeing a dead child is never pleasant. Only a day has passed since his arrival and already he is examining the Origami Killer’s last victim. Though he has the skills and cutting edge equipment to aid the case, the police see him as a nuisance, especially his temporary (and temperamental) partner Lieutenant Carter Blake. Jayden knows his own motivation though and hopes he can save Shaun Mars without bloodshed. Jayden’s equipment, however, may prove to be as much a liability as an asset. Because prolonged exposure the Added Reality Interface (ARI), his state of the art investigative tool, runs the risk of aneurisms, he has been forced to become dependent on an illegal drug called Triptocaine to counter the effects. Jayden has spent the last two months trying to break this addiction, but as he travels with Blake to investigate two leads, the consequence of Triptocaine withdrawal begin to manifest…
It has been a while since Scott Shelby retired from the police and became a private investigator. He has never liked the emotional distance police work causes and feels this job allows him to be more personable and direct with his clients. Ever since the Origami Killer has come to town, Scott has been searching on behalf of the victims’ families to find even a trace of the killer’s identity. His most recent job has led him to the room of Lauren Winter, a prostitute whose son was the seventh victim of the killer. Though still bitter over the event and her husband’s disappearance the day after the abduction, she is focused enough to direct her suspicions towards a man named Gordi Kramer. Gordi, a hedonistic playboy, has been previously convicted of luring young children into his car, one of whom was a victim of the Origami Killer. Unfortunately, Gordi’s protection comes from his billionaire father Charles, whose mafia connections and private security are things of urban legend. Knowing the risks and that Shaun Mars may be dead shortly, Scott must devise a way to get into Gordi’s mansion and confront him…
Madison Paige has been checking into the Cross Road Hotel ever since her insomnia made sleeping at home impossible. She has not had a good article to submit for a while and knows her career is in jeopardy. So it is quite lucky for her when she encounters Ethan Mars hobbling into the room next to her. Though he refuses to say where his wounds came from, the recent reports about Shaun Mars and an unknown highway car crash make it clear to Madison what is going on. While cleaning Ethan’s wounds, the opportunity for the year’s biggest story secretly forms in her head. As Ethan goes off to face his next challenge, Madison decides to investigate the situation further. Little would she know that her snooping would lead to an encounter with a suspicious taxidermist, witnessing Ethan’s psychologist get beaten by Lieutenant Blake and a breaking news report that will further complicate Ethan’s trials…
What the Press Would Say
Heavy Rain’s production has had its fair share of detractors and who can blame them. From shooting delays to director swaps to the trilogy announcement, Heavy Rain has had a hard run getting its first installment out. Now that the film has passed the critic test and been released, the people (including this reviewer) have had a chance to see for ourselves if it would live up to its hype. We all seem to be in agreement that Heavy Rain Part 1 has surprised everyone in its complexity, emotion and superb craftsmanship. Not only does it break from the dreaded video game curse, but also it shows Ben Affleck’s continued rise to becoming one of our most talented filmmakers.
After a slow but deliberate set-up, Heavy Rain Part 1 goes full force into its story of four separate but interlinked characters. We see entirely different viewpoints on a common goal and equally different challenges based on their strengths and flaws. This plays to a common motif of endurance, as we see each character being pushed in some way to reach the end. Whether it is just to make it one more step or to test their creative thinking, we see how each character responds to trials through their actions. This is a great compliment to Affleck and company’s script, which has trimmed and sorted the source material’s story for a tighter and more intimate experience. The dialogue is snappier, the pace is evenly scaled and certain plot developments make more sense in context. The story pulls out all the stops with emotions that can make you somber one moment and then incredibly tense the next. It is a promising start for what is to come.
Affleck’s directorial and production skills have also stepped up to meet this new challenge. Though his filmmaking has always been good, his straightforward style has sometimes left something to be desired. Not here! There is a greater scope physically and emotionally through the crisp and steady camerawork of Robert Elswit. This ranges from the discomforting claustrophobia of Ethan’s second trial (even Jigsaw would envy this maze) to vast and ominous shots of the perpetually raining city. Transitioning between the four stories is seamless thanks to great scene structure and precise editing throughout. The score, re-orchestrated by the original composer with some new work, stuns with pieces ranging from the opening’s haunting piano solo to the bombastic chase music.
Beneath all of this is a grade-A cast filled with Affleck regulars and newcomers. While there are great supporting roles from people like Robert Knepper and Alan Tudyk, the four leads truly own the show. Continuing his winning streak, Ryan Gosling gives an intense but somber performance as the father of the abducted boy. His body language communicates the stress and instability he faces, as he not only endures physical trials but the problems his own psyche presents (including a surreal scene in a train station). James Gandolfini, often known for his hard characters, shows us his more noble and thoughtful side playing the unassuming private investigator. Though he does show some physical prowess in one brawl, Gandolfini’s strength here is through his empathetic but direct conversational skills that attach us to Shelby’s case. Jena Malone also has some shining moments, balancing her tomboy attitude to her work with a sort of guardian angel persona towards people like Gosling. The surprise, however, comes from Affleck’s brother Casey. A fan-favorite character, Affleck portrays Jayden with a blend of straight-laced professionalism, snappy wit and warm personality that makes him the authority figure people want to trust. He also manages to show the quiet intensity of Jayden’s demons, particularly during an incredibly inconvenient moment of withdrawal.
Though the almost three hour runtime is lengthy, Heavy Rain Part 1 sucks you into its layered story like no other film. With any luck, it will have a general appeal with audiences and critics alike, especially as Oscar season approaches.
Awards Consideration
Best Picture
Best Director (Ben Affleck)
Best Actor (Ryan Gosling)
Best Supporting Actor (Casey Affleck)
Best Supporting Actor (James Gandolfini)
Best Supporting Actress (Jena Malone)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Sound Design
Best Editing
Best Original Score