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| Scene from A Prayer Before Dawn |
In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for years to come.
Released: August 10, 2018
Release Number: 72
Directed By: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Vithaya Pansringarm, Pornchanok Mabklang
Plot: The true story of an English boxer incarcerated in one of Thailand's most notorious prisons as he fights in Muay Thai tournaments to earn his freedom.
The previous A24 film, Never Goin' Back, told a story about two misfit girls performing acts that should've gotten them arrested. It was also based on the director's youth and inspired some of the film's more ribald moments. Similarly, director Jean-Stephane Sauvaire's A Prayer Before Dawn focused on real-life criminals in another framework. The story of Billy Moore is one that finds him stuck in a Thai prison as a drug addict who also gets lobbied into boxing matches as the only way to communicate with those around him. The film is far more intense and brutal than the previous, finding shocking imagery informing some of the most visceral, uncomfortable moments in the film. It was a prison movie unlike any other, in part because of how far its authenticity planned to go, and the results are a testament to those pushing themselves into their full potential.
The story begins with the real Billy Moore, whose story was later published into a memoir called "A Prayer Before Dawn." His time in a Thai prison lead to an international best-seller that interested Sauvaire, believing that it was a powerful story of overcoming weaknesses. Sauvaire is, in fact, a filmmaker who is unafraid to push boundaries. This includes asking people to shoot in locations that are considered restricted or getting access to information that isn't readily available. Moore's story was in the right hands, as Sauvaire promised to make it into a story that felt like a documentary. Every aspect of the film would hold some authenticity, including casting the real-life Moore in a supporting role as the fictional Moore's father.
Sauvaire also teamed up with actor Joe Cole, who was known for his work on TV series like Skins and Black Mirror. The most appealing part of him was that he had a boyish face, but was built like a boxer. He was ripped with muscles, and that attracted the director to hire him. While preparing for the role, Cole became personal friends with Moore and his family, learning a lot of personal stories that informed his character in the film. Cole would also watch old interviews and footage of Moore fighting in order to gain an understanding of the physicality. However, the most important part of his training was to become a boxer with actual talent. Sauvaire's goal was to shoot the boxing sequences in long takes, meaning that each sequence would be time-consuming and screwing up would cause hours of refilming. Cole did everything to prepare for the role, believing that he needed to be fully committed to the part. The final results would feature the make-up crew applying more work to Cole's face to hide bruises instead of adding them, largely thanks to how authentic the fighting was.
Sauvaire would go even further for authenticity. The location for filming was a Bangkok prison that had shut down within the previous few months. Similarly, the supporting cast is predominantly made up of actual former prisoners from Thai prisons. Because of their lack of acting capabilities, Sauvaire allowed them to speak in their natural language, which would help put the viewer into Moore's perspective. Even when the actors didn't speak English, the subtitles weren't often there to guide viewers. There was a script for the actors, but that was the extent of guidance. The real-life Moore was offered to come to set but revealed that he was blacklisted from certain areas of East Asia, meaning that he could only show up towards the end when they shifted locations.
The film would eventually make its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 2017. The film would continue to appear at various film festivals, including South By Southwest the following year. With buzz building, it was ready for a release through DirecTV and A24. It started with an on-demand release in July 2018 before getting a minor release in August. Internationally, it would receive some criticism for being too violent. In order to coup any loss, Sauvaire suggested releasing it until any major complaints from audiences would appear. By some luck, nobody did and the film became a minor success along the way.
The effort to be authentic paid off. A Prayer Before Dawn resulted in a 92% on critics aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the most critically acclaimed movies that A24 released in 2018. David Edelstein of New York Magazine and Vulture lead the rallying cry when suggesting that "Once the audience adjusts to its rhythms, it exerts a powerful fascination." Leslie Feperin of Hollywood Reporter would even complement it by comparing it to "Midnight Express meets Ong-Bak, and that's a good thing." Even those who liked it were cautious, such as Glenn Kenny of RobertEbert . com when noting "A remarkable feat that requires a strong stomach to sit through." The few that disagreed with the praise tended to side with Jake Wilson of The Age, who noted that "Ultimately, there is something distasteful about this approach ― especially as the stylistic bravura seems calculated to leave minimal room for thought." Whatever the case may be, it was another one-of-a-kind release from A24 that proved their gifts for challenging indie films.
A Prayer Before Dawn is a film that showed what putting every possible effort into making an authentic movie would look like. The results are visceral and sometimes uncomfortable, but that's the point. It creates a unique experience that cinema can provide better than most media. Still, whether it's considered a masterpiece or not is dependent on how comfortable the audience is spending time with criminals and a masculine world of violence and brutality. Up next is a different kind of brutality, and it's one that is a bit more comical. Slice was supposed to be the launching ground for Chance the Rapper's acting career, though, with a botched release schedule and middling reviews, it's hard to see things continuing down this path. Still, could it be the surprise Fall release that A24 needed? It's one pizza delivery away from being answered.
Up Next: Slice (2018)
The previous A24 film, Never Goin' Back, told a story about two misfit girls performing acts that should've gotten them arrested. It was also based on the director's youth and inspired some of the film's more ribald moments. Similarly, director Jean-Stephane Sauvaire's A Prayer Before Dawn focused on real-life criminals in another framework. The story of Billy Moore is one that finds him stuck in a Thai prison as a drug addict who also gets lobbied into boxing matches as the only way to communicate with those around him. The film is far more intense and brutal than the previous, finding shocking imagery informing some of the most visceral, uncomfortable moments in the film. It was a prison movie unlike any other, in part because of how far its authenticity planned to go, and the results are a testament to those pushing themselves into their full potential.
The story begins with the real Billy Moore, whose story was later published into a memoir called "A Prayer Before Dawn." His time in a Thai prison lead to an international best-seller that interested Sauvaire, believing that it was a powerful story of overcoming weaknesses. Sauvaire is, in fact, a filmmaker who is unafraid to push boundaries. This includes asking people to shoot in locations that are considered restricted or getting access to information that isn't readily available. Moore's story was in the right hands, as Sauvaire promised to make it into a story that felt like a documentary. Every aspect of the film would hold some authenticity, including casting the real-life Moore in a supporting role as the fictional Moore's father.
Sauvaire also teamed up with actor Joe Cole, who was known for his work on TV series like Skins and Black Mirror. The most appealing part of him was that he had a boyish face, but was built like a boxer. He was ripped with muscles, and that attracted the director to hire him. While preparing for the role, Cole became personal friends with Moore and his family, learning a lot of personal stories that informed his character in the film. Cole would also watch old interviews and footage of Moore fighting in order to gain an understanding of the physicality. However, the most important part of his training was to become a boxer with actual talent. Sauvaire's goal was to shoot the boxing sequences in long takes, meaning that each sequence would be time-consuming and screwing up would cause hours of refilming. Cole did everything to prepare for the role, believing that he needed to be fully committed to the part. The final results would feature the make-up crew applying more work to Cole's face to hide bruises instead of adding them, largely thanks to how authentic the fighting was.
Sauvaire would go even further for authenticity. The location for filming was a Bangkok prison that had shut down within the previous few months. Similarly, the supporting cast is predominantly made up of actual former prisoners from Thai prisons. Because of their lack of acting capabilities, Sauvaire allowed them to speak in their natural language, which would help put the viewer into Moore's perspective. Even when the actors didn't speak English, the subtitles weren't often there to guide viewers. There was a script for the actors, but that was the extent of guidance. The real-life Moore was offered to come to set but revealed that he was blacklisted from certain areas of East Asia, meaning that he could only show up towards the end when they shifted locations.
The film would eventually make its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 2017. The film would continue to appear at various film festivals, including South By Southwest the following year. With buzz building, it was ready for a release through DirecTV and A24. It started with an on-demand release in July 2018 before getting a minor release in August. Internationally, it would receive some criticism for being too violent. In order to coup any loss, Sauvaire suggested releasing it until any major complaints from audiences would appear. By some luck, nobody did and the film became a minor success along the way.
The effort to be authentic paid off. A Prayer Before Dawn resulted in a 92% on critics aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the most critically acclaimed movies that A24 released in 2018. David Edelstein of New York Magazine and Vulture lead the rallying cry when suggesting that "Once the audience adjusts to its rhythms, it exerts a powerful fascination." Leslie Feperin of Hollywood Reporter would even complement it by comparing it to "Midnight Express meets Ong-Bak, and that's a good thing." Even those who liked it were cautious, such as Glenn Kenny of RobertEbert . com when noting "A remarkable feat that requires a strong stomach to sit through." The few that disagreed with the praise tended to side with Jake Wilson of The Age, who noted that "Ultimately, there is something distasteful about this approach ― especially as the stylistic bravura seems calculated to leave minimal room for thought." Whatever the case may be, it was another one-of-a-kind release from A24 that proved their gifts for challenging indie films.
A Prayer Before Dawn is a film that showed what putting every possible effort into making an authentic movie would look like. The results are visceral and sometimes uncomfortable, but that's the point. It creates a unique experience that cinema can provide better than most media. Still, whether it's considered a masterpiece or not is dependent on how comfortable the audience is spending time with criminals and a masculine world of violence and brutality. Up next is a different kind of brutality, and it's one that is a bit more comical. Slice was supposed to be the launching ground for Chance the Rapper's acting career, though, with a botched release schedule and middling reviews, it's hard to see things continuing down this path. Still, could it be the surprise Fall release that A24 needed? It's one pizza delivery away from being answered.
Up Next: Slice (2018)
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