If the wickedly delightful COUP! is what happens when lifelong friends since childhood put their creative minds together to write and direct a film, I say, please sir, I want some more! Why it took Austin Stark and Joe Schuman this long to collaborate on a project is beyond me, but I am glad they finally did and look forward to more collaborations from them.
On seeing COUP!, it shouldn’t be a secret to anyone that the inspiration came courtesy of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. However, not wanting to do a “Covid” movie, COUP! takes a look at history and a broadscale emergency of 100+ years earlier during the Spanish Flu of 1918 and made that the period setting for COUP!. As we saw unfold in real-time in 2020, a global emergency has a way of exposing the vulnerabilities of the “haves” and the “have-nots”. Sadly, nothing has changed in that regard since 1918, but this is where the creativity of Stark and Schuman kicked into high gear.
Positing the question, what if the blue-collar working class and laborers on whom our daily existence is so dependent turn the tables on those so reliant on them? What if those essential workers who provide food and medicine and emergency care suddenly revolt and refuse to perform their duties? And what if the setting is 1918 with a wealthy family in a mansion on an isolated island, cut-off from the mainland due to quarantine, and where the servants decide to exploit the isolation and take control of the household, eliminating the idea of subservience? And what if there is still that one family member who will not acquiesce or adapt and tries to battle the staff for control of the situation?
With those story tenets in place, the result is dark, twisted, wry, hilarity punctuated with touches of whimsy, delivering socio-political commentary on every level from a very metaphoric battle of vegans versus carnivores, to women being relegated and chained to the home, to feminism, to crime, to the class system, to race and immigration, to yellow journalism, even World War I, and more. COUP! focuses on the societal situations and inequities of the time, providing different observations and interpretations through each character as the hierarchy is challenged from within. And what characters they are!
The beauty of these battles and commentaries comes primarily courtesy of Billy Magnussen as wealthy journalist and “war correspondent” Jay Horton, and an award-worthy Peter Sarsgaard as Floyd Monk a con man turned chef in the Horton household. It’s Monk who orchestrates the coup within the Horton household, all to great success. While Jay rails against the world in his fabrication-filled newspaper columns with an attitude of “the end justifies the means” no matter how much integrity is lost, Monk subtlety pontificates about the injustices of life and works from within to woo not only the rest of the staff to his side but Horton’s wife and two children.
The story itself would fall flat were it not for the skill and talent of Sarsgaard and Magnussen. Sarsgaard is rapier with a witty, snide, sarcastic note that leaps off the screen while Magnussen counters that with a frenetic, self-centered, haplessness. And yet, even within Monk’s COUP!, he still exhibits a generosity of spirit towards Horton. Watching these two at play is a masterful character study.
Already well familiar with Stark’s films thanks to “The Runner” and “The God Committee“, COUP! showcases a different side to his storytelling and growth in his directorial skills, both of which I attribute to the collaboration with Schuman, providing us with “two sides of the coin” in dialogue and humor within the characters.
In addition to the strength of Sarsgaard and Magnussen, Sarah Gadon serves as the outlet for commentary on feminism and where a woman’s place truly belongs. Joining her in supporting roles are Skye P. Marshall, Faran Tahir, Kristine Nielsen, and Fisher Stevens, all of whom bring texture to the tapestry.
Working with cinematographer Connor Murphy, the visual grammar is telling, resulting in a divine visual tonal bandwidth that celebrates the Gilded Age yet transcends time, feeling fresh and relatable. Clearly adept at period work, lighting is exemplary, as is Murphy’s framing, making metaphoric use of the architecture. (NOTE: Three different mansions were used for this film and “seamed” together to create the Horton estate, most notably the 1897 Blairsden Mansion in New Jersey for exteriors, the Gould Mansion on the Hudson River built in 1838 for most interiors, and the Lyndhurst Mansion in New Jersey.) The overall visual tonal bandwidth is rich, polished, and saturated, beautifully showcasing the stunningly preserved original period pieces and decor within each property that make-up the set dress.
A metaphoric intimacy is created through lighting and framing, notably in scenes with the family and staff with a shifting progression of distancing and low-angle shots that emphasize the isolation of Jay as he the divide grows between him and the family and staff now under the influence of Monk separation between Jay and the family and staff.
Night shoots are glorious with inky blue-black tones and roaring golden fires lapping into the night sky.
Working with editors Harrison Atkins and Alan Canant, Stark and Schuman struck a balance between comedy and suspense as they found the specific “Coup” tone. It’s very unique and has a fluidity to it that mirrors Monk and his shenanigans.
Most appreciated is Nathan Halpern’s score which set a musical tone filled with whimsy and lightness, celebrating the humor of the situation at hand.
Written and Directed by Austin Stark and Joseph Schuman
Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, Billy Magnussen, Sarah Gadon, Skye P. Marshall, Faran Tahir, Kristine Nielsen, and Fisher Stevens
by debbie elias, 07/27/2024
COUP! is now streaming and available on VOD.
