David Fincher names the movie with the “perfect casting”
With a unique penchant for dark and atmospheric storytelling in various genres, David Fincher remains one of American cinema’s most enduring beacons. With his careful approach to filmmaking and remarkable attention to detail, while telling tales of the darker side of the human psyche, Fincher is a true master of the directing profession.
Films such as Fight Club, Se7en, Gone Girl and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo have all drawn rightful acclaim for the Colorado-born filmmaker as he traverses the challenge of detailing the inner complexities of the human experience. Working with some of the greatest actors in the industry and making films with glorious cinematography, Fincher is a genuine legend of the filmmaking game.
While Fincher has proven himself to be a modern master of cinematic storytelling, he’s also shown himself to be a profound lover of the medium itself, and in a feature with A-Frame, he once named the films that have had the deepest impact on his professional career, drawing particular attention to one the film with the finest casting ever seen in the history of the movies.
“Besides being the most perfect casting of father and daughter thespians ever,” Fincher said, “beyond Madeline Kahn’s status as national treasure — and Alvin Sargent’s relentlessly human screenplay — or Polly Platt and László Kovács’s stunning evocation of Depression-era America (with P.J. Johnson’s uproariously un-inflected Imogene), this might be Peter Bogdanovich’s best film — and that is saying something.“
Released in 1973, Bogdanovich’s Paper Moon is a beautiful combination of comedy, drama and sheer nostalgia. Taking place during the Great Depression of America, the film focuses on Ryan O’Neal’s con art Moses Pray and a young girl called Addie Loggins, who is suspected to perhaps be Moses’ daughter, played by O’Neal’s real-life daughter Tatum O’Neal.
Both give phenomenal performances with a genuine chemistry expected of their non-fictional relationship. Tatum O’Neal was awarded the ‘Best Supporting Actress’ Academy Award, which makes her the youngest Oscar winner in the history of the award ceremony. The film, shot in gorgeous black and white, serves as a timeless work of cinema, brilliantly detailing the era it’s set in.
Beyond the performances and aesthetics, though, Bogdanovich weaves a tale that explores the importance of family and personal identity and the enduring resilience that human beings often display in the face of adversity. As Moses and Addie make their way across Kansas and Missouri, Bogdanovich’s story comes to life with careful craft and attention to detail.
Check out the trailer for Paper Moon below.
