Movies

In “Anatomy of a Scene,” we ask directors to reveal the secrets that go into making key scenes in their movies. See new episodes in the series each Friday. You can also watch our collection of more than 150 videos on YouTube and subscribe to our YouTube channel.This is not your typical domestic fight.In “The Invisible Man,” the writer and director Leigh Whannell wanted a visceral way to represent the physical yet invisible threat to the film’s lead, Cecilia, played by Elisabeth Moss. It all comes together in this kitchen scene, where Cecilia is lifted into the air by her unseen tormentor, then flung around the room. It took a team of stunt performers, visual effects artists and a committed star to make it happen.Moss, who has dance training, did some of the physical work in the scene, with her stunt double taking on the most intense elements. Moss was assisted by wires, while also tussling with a stunt performer in a green body suit who would later be erased by visual effects.To get the elements of the shot right, Whannell said the team used a motion-control camera, a robotic rig that is capable of executing the same move from take to take with expert precision. They first shot the scene without performers, then shot it again with the actors in place.Because much of the action is meant to look as if it’s been captured in one continuous shot, the filmmakers had to figure out a way to cut to Moss’s stunt double for a moment she gets thrown across a table. Because of the motion control, they could match up the frames in different takes and stitch them together. The Sydney company Cutting Edge worked to bring the invisibility effects to life.Read the “Invisible Man” review.Sign up for the Movies Update newsletter and get a roundup of reviews, news, Critics’ Picks and more. More

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In the Netflix movie “All the Bright Places,” based on Jennifer Niven’s 2015 novel and directed by Brett Haley, audiences are introduced to the high school student Violet Markey (Elle Fanning) just as she’s staring down at the edge of a bridge, contemplating the value of her life. It is at that moment when Theodore Fitch (Justice Smith), a stranger who happens to be jogging along that same overpass, encourages her to step back.[embedded content]As much as Violet tries to push him away at the beginning of their relationship, Theodore’s determination to get her to see all the positive things about life — including lakes and the healing power of love — reinvigorates her. But as that happens, his own trauma and mental illness bubble to the service. Smith and Fanning bring thoughtful performances to this delicate tale.Even in today’s era when mental health is finally receiving the attention it deserves, black people are often left out of the conversation. So, it’s refreshing, and even cathartic, to see a young adult narrative explore how that affects black teens like Theodore who are struggling.But as progressive as “All the Bright Places” is in that respect, Theodore’s story line is not always handled with the depth it should receive. It’s an unfortunate flaw in a film that impressively balances moments of joy with equally resonating despair.All the Bright PlacesNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 47 minutes. More

Steven Seagal, the actor best known for playing hard-bitten cops and commandos in action movies, has agreed to settle charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to disclose that he was being paid to promote a cryptocurrency investment on his social media accounts.The S.E.C. said on Thursday that Mr. Seagal, who lives in Moscow and holds both Russian and American citizenship, was promised $250,000 in cash and $750,000 worth of cryptocurrency from the company Bitcoiin2Gen in exchange for endorsing its initial coin offering, a crowdfunding strategy that involves creating and selling the virtual currency.In 2018, Facebook and Twitter accounts belonging to Mr. Seagal posted several times about the coin offering, calling him the “worldwide ambassador” for the company, the S.E.C. said. The posts did not disclose that Mr. Seagal, 67, was being paid for the promotions. The S.E.C. said that Mr. Seagal, who is also a trained martial artist, had 6.7 million Facebook followers during the time that he posted about the cryptocurrency company.The S.E.C. noted that Mr. Seagal’s posts about the coin offering came more than six months after the commission announced its decision that initial coin offerings — like initial public offerings of stocks — may be considered sales of securities and are subject to federal securities laws. Anti-touting provisions in those laws require individuals to disclose the amount of compensation they will receive in exchange for promoting a security.In a February 2018 news release, Bitcoiin2Gen called Mr. Seagal a “Zen Master” and said that the actor’s personal mission to lead people “into contemplation” and “enlighten them in some manner” aligned with the company’s objectives of creating a decentralized payment system.A spokesman for Mr. Seagal, Christopher Nassif, said in a statement on Thursday that the actor entered into an agreement allowing people associated with Bitcoiin2Gen to post on his social media accounts about the cryptocurrency, but that Mr. Seagal eventually became “concerned with the bona fides of the product” and terminated his relationship with the company. He was only paid part of the agreed-upon fee.Mr. Seagal agreed to settle the charges by paying back that part of the fee, $157,000, as well as a civil penalty in the same amount, the commission said. He also agreed to refrain from promoting any securities for three years.Mr. Nassif said that Mr. Seagal saw the agreement as “simply a case of someone paying a celebrity for the use of his image to promote a product,” and that he had fully cooperated with the S.E.C.’s investigation.Over the course of his acting career, Mr. Seagal’s parts have often highlighted his physical prowess, such as a firefighting specialist for an oil company in “On Deadly Ground” (1994), and a former C.I.A. operative-turned-police officer in “The Glimmer Man” (1996). In 2018, however, before he started promoting the cryptocurrency, Mr. Seagal accepted a very different role, this time from the Russian government: special representative to improve relations with the United States. (Russian officials said that the position was unpaid.)With the S.E.C. agreement in place, Mr. Nassif said that Mr. Seagal “looks forward to continuing his life’s work as an actor, musician, martial artist and diplomat.” More