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He didn't direct the following seasons (and there was a tremendous drop in quality, especially in Season 2; Season 3 was better, but nowhere close to the first season).
And BoNN is a killer. Such a wonderful, diabolical, almost drug-induced, anti-fairy tale...
It must be said that it's a marked departure from Fukunaga's previous projects. Nonetheless, it is still a very directed and individualistic show. Gone is the nihilistic sense of gloom. Instead, Fukunaga replaces it with a more playful, mischievous and flamboyant energy.
Here the director is playing 'genre tourist' and hop-scotching through different tones, sometimes more successfully than others. Essentially, the show is a dramedy. Though I should say that the comedic side is less successful and the laughs are few and far between. Maniac doesn't quite have my sense of humour and the gags can feel a little laboured and strained.
Where the show really excels is (unsurprisingly given the talent involved) is in the drama department. At its essence, Maniac is about the realities of mental illness and, in this respect, the show captures the core truths about them. At no point does the show demean or smirk at its characters despite the kooky premise. Instead, Maniac explores how mental illness can isolate people by playing tricks inside the brain, and how it can’t necessarily be cured through any single, simple means.
There are some truly fanatic performances throughout the great ensemble. In particular from Emma Stone, who is not only a gifted comedian but a brilliant dramatic actress. She is the MVP here. Jonah Hill does an excellent job playing against type as a troubled man suffering from schizophrenia, but he's less successful during the mind-meddling dream sequences (which occupy around half the episodes). There are also some really fun turns elsewhere, especially Billy Magnussen who is hilarious. Plus it's always nice to see Gabriel Byrne.
I found the sub-plot concerning Justin Theroux (a little slapstick and distracting) and Sally Field (a tad lost) to be underwhelming. But it's mostly redeemed by a cool and, a soon to be iconic, turn by Sonoyo Mizuno as Dr Azumi Fujita.
It's clear Fukunaga is imposing his own visual styles and quirks in the show and he's created an immensely gorgeous show. The production design is stunning, the widescreen compositions are stunning (even if the lighting is a little flat - though I think this was deliberate to suit the 1980s retro-alternative present). The costumes are also very cool. This show is very much the product of an auteur director. Though you'd struggle to make the connection that the man between True Detective and Sin Nombre cam up with this. It's by far not a career best.
Maniac is a show brave enough to be surreal and weird, whilst maintaining an off-beat and eccentric style. It's during these bouts where the show transcends above other streaming shows. But it is still messy and the narrative is unwieldy and overly busy. In the end you're left with a show that is as exhausting as it is ambitious.
I must say I love Cary's long tracking shots in both Beasts of No Nation and True Detective (the latter in particular was bind-blowing stuff when I saw it in 2014).....but the shoot-out in Manaic was not good.
It felt like a sub-par John Wick or Kingsman sequence. Emma Stone clearly didn't get much stunt training (which is fine, as I guess she is supposed to be in a 'dream' sequence) but there are clearly some hidden cuts and it all feels too 'video-gamey'.
Bit of a let down after the hype I heard............
I agree. I think he'll do a great job.
If you look at it from the perspective of a dream sequence, it does its job. It's nothing mindblowing, but it succeeds in what it's trying to do.
https://www.businessinsider.com/director-cary-joji-fukunaga-takes-us-inside-making-netflix-series-maniac-2018-9?r=US&IR=T
Guerrasio: In episode 9 you do a single-shot scene of Emma's character, who is a CIA agent in that episode, killing a bunch of guards in a hallway? What was the motivation behind doing a "oner" there.
Fukunaga: That was efficiency. One of the reasons to do that oner in "True Detective" is because there's no way in the schedule that we can shoot this in a real action sequence. It would be a bad version of it. So a oner actually, if you have the time to get the choreography down, is just more efficient. For "Maniac," we shot that whole thing in less than half a day.
Guerrasio: Wow! But what about Emma getting down the choreography for it? How long did that take?
Fukunaga: She had like a couple of hours. She's not doing anything extremely "Aeon Flux"-like. But she's a good dancer, she understands her body. She hurt her wrist doing it in one of the takes. I don't remember what take we ultimately used. But there's no place to do a splice to cut together, so she just had to kind of get through the whole thing.
Very interesting....
Also, here are some cool screencaps of Maniac. The show has serious style.
I have a serious crush on Sonoya Mizuno ... I think it's her sarcastic pout and her addiction to cigarettes (usually repulses me; but in Maniacs it was like... an oral fixation...-- to the point it hurt my lungs watching her)... She would have made a great Irma Bunt.
Surprised to hear myself say it, but I couldn't agree more with you.
Sonoya Mizuno is stunning...
I have not seen his other work, so I appreciate the bits put into this thread. He puts together film that is definitely interesting, thought provoking.
Come, come, don't be a little snot.
I found these interesting featurettes on True Detective. What did people think of the show?
I’m looking forward to finally watching it.
I'm still hoping NTTD delivers some sort of tracking shot like that one from the neighborhood heist sequence, or even the gunfight from his Netflix limited series Maniac.
Have you seen the one in Beasts Of No Nation? Whoa!
I saw the film upon release (loved it!) but can't say I recall what the tracking shot in that one entailed. I bet it was fantastic! Completely forgot about it so it does seem to be a staple of his - will be really upset if he doesn't opt to include one in NTTD, then.
Yes that scene was quite intense. I think Bond 25 is in good hands :)
Oof, I recall that scene but couldn't remember it being a tracking shot. That was one of the more visceral, violent and upsetting sequences in the whole film. What an experience, I need to rewatch it before NTTD is released.
I keep writing Bond 25 :=0. Not used to the new title yet...
https://discussingfilm.net/2020/02/28/cary-joji-fukunaga-is-in-talks-to-direct-next-film-for-netflix-exclusive/
Interesting.....it's said to involve a lot of 'visual effects.' Could this be the Kubrick-written Napoleon film?
Fukunaga was one of my favourite director before Eon appointed him, so i'm excited regardless.
Does Cary's recent photo with Jan Harlan at Kubrick's grace confirm that his next film is 'Napoleon?'
It certainly feels like something Netflix would have the confidence to finance. The project is generally considered an unfilmed masterpiece. I do hope that he mades it. I'very excited.
@peter Didn't you hear that it was on the cards for Cary next?
Here's a short documentary on it:
I hope that this is indeed a signal that this is what he’s working on.
He has such a distinct cinematic style. Makes me so hyped for NTTD!! The cinematography is stunning.