September 22, 2023 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Behind the Screen: “A Quiet Place” Pure Fear Overlies Emotion

By Kathy Whitney Boole

 A Quiet Place is one of the great horror films. The filmmakers employ the mind-shattering techniques of the genre, which then overlay the fear that has been created by a tightly written, fast-paced, emotion-laden story. The horror facet is only part of the equation here. It drives what is at its heart a poignant family drama. Writer/director John Krasinski and his wife Emily Blunt star as Mom and Dad in a family caught in an unspeakable hell as they try to maintain the normalcy of everyday life amidst a terror that is ever present yet seldom seen.

In a sense this is a modern-day Western. This is a pioneer family in a new world fraught with unfamiliar danger and settings, working creatively to establish a safe space in which to raise their family and construct a future against all odds. The performance of everyday tasks takes on extraordinary impact with the constant threat looming unseen in the background. Krasinski and Blunt are wonderful in their roles, truly believable as the parents. That’s actually not easy when you are real partners and parents, as they are. It’s an extra challenge as an actor to lose yourself in a role when you are performing in your own image. Millicent Simmonds, the actress I loved in Wonderstruck, is their daughter. She beautifully portrays a normal young lady coming of age who happens to be deaf. It is hinted that her deafness and the skills that the family has developed to communicate with her are the keys to their survival in a world where few humans still exist.

The opening sequence of the film is exceptionally well done. With only visual communication, a terrifying new world is unveiled, as are the elements of strength that are traits of the surviving few and of the generation that is inheriting this world. Each scene of this family’s existence is clearly and exquisitely defined by cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen. The musical score by Marco Beltrami is perfect and cues the emotional thread that unwinds with a persistent rhythm in this film in which hardly a word of dialogue is heard.

As I left the theatre I wondered if the idea for this story might have had its inception in one of those family situations where the kids are making a crazy deafening clamor. So, the parents, being at their wits’ end, came up with a tale to terrify the kids into silence – to create peace – A Quiet Place.

Photos: courtesy

 

 

 

 

Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica.

Related Posts

Join Heal the Bay for the Official Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 23

September 21, 2023

September 21, 2023

Make a Difference in Your Community by Removing Trash From Our Coast By Dolores Quintana On Saturday, September 23, 2023,...

Fatal Collision Involving Auto and Motorcycle On September 20 in Palms

September 21, 2023

September 21, 2023

Tragic Incident Prompts Swift Response by Los Angeles Firefighters By Dolores Quintana A tragic auto versus motorcycle collision unfolded at...

COVIDTests.gov to Reopen for Free Testing Starting on September 25

September 21, 2023

September 21, 2023

HHS Invests $600 Million in Domestic COVID-19 Test Manufacturing By Dolores Quintana The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services...

(Video) Citizen Public Market’s New Expanded Rooftop Bar Area

September 21, 2023

September 21, 2023

The rooftop bar’s size has been doubled and offers a relaxing and al fresco area for patrons to enjoy cocktails,...

Shake Shack Introduces Pilot Program with Eco-Friendly Oil

September 21, 2023

September 21, 2023

Zero Acre Farms to partner with Shake Shack in NYC  By Keemia Zhang Shake Shack has announced a partnership with...

Pringles and Caviar Company Introduce New Tiktok-Inspired Collaboration

September 20, 2023

September 20, 2023

TikTok Trend Spurs Special Partnership Between Brands By Keemia Zhang ​Pringles and The Caviar Co. have collaborated to produce the...

Exclusive: One of the West Coast’s Most Celebrated Ice Cream Shops To Open in Brentwood

September 20, 2023

September 20, 2023

Interview With Co-Founder Kim Malek Talks About Their Hopes For Their New Shop By Dolores Quintana It’s been six long...

Breakfast Burritos, Coffee, and Texas Style Tacos Have Arrived In Culver City

September 20, 2023

September 20, 2023

Two Popular Spots Famous For Their Breakfast Burritos Are Now Open By Dolores Quintana The news went out today among...

Culver City Council Highlights: Leadership Sponsorship, Tax Penalties, and Community Honors

September 19, 2023

September 19, 2023

Monday’s City Council Meeting Addresses Key Issues and Commemorates Former Mayor By Dolores Quintana The Culver City City Council convened...

Union Solidarity Coalition Creates Charity Auction to Support Industry Workers Amidst 2023 WGA Strike

September 19, 2023

September 19, 2023

Showbiz Memorabilia, Personal Meetings, Celebrity Dogwalking Among Auction Items By Dolores Quintana The Writers Guild strike against The Alliance of...

Los Angeles Launches ERAP to Prevent Homelessness Amidst Rent Crisis

September 19, 2023

September 19, 2023

United to House Los Angeles Program Offers Vital Rental Assistance By Dolores Quintana The United to House Los Angeles (ULA)...

Phoenix House 5K Walk Fights Opioid Crisis, Raises Overdose Awareness

September 18, 2023

September 18, 2023

Inaugural Walk Seeks To Unite Community and Show Support To Families By Dolores Quintana Phoenix Houses of California, a prominent...

U.S. Poverty Rate Records First Increase in 13 Years, Census Bureau Reports

September 18, 2023

September 18, 2023

Data Shows an Alarming Surge In Poverty Among Most Vulnerable  By Dolores Quintana In a noteworthy development, the poverty rate...

Culver City Police Confront Armed Robbery Suspect at Grace Lutheran Church

September 18, 2023

September 18, 2023

Suspect Left the Scene For Unknown Reasons After Brandishing Gun  By Dolores Quintana On September 17, 2023, at 1:27 p.m.,...

(Video) The Opening of The Nimoy Theater in Westwood

September 18, 2023

September 18, 2023

Just a few glimpses of the celebration today of this new CAP UCLA venue for the performing arts. @culvercitywlanews The...