Recent Posts
(500) Days of Summer is an exceptional movie in the notoriously weak genre known as the romantic comedy. It's a category defined by Matthew McConaughey's numerous back alley abortions. The movie starts with the stark proclamation "this is not a love story" and for once, it isn't. Ladies, don't worry however romance is the driving force and it's the most prominent feature. It's set in LA and makes the city look beautiful, no small feat, considering the geography of the city.
Joesph Gordon-Levitt shares an elevator with Zooey Deschanel
The storyline begins with Tom Hansen falling in love with Summer Finn and how the relationship progresses. It's told through a flashback / jump forward format which seemed a bit hectic at first. As the movie progresses however the anti-climatic nature of such an arrangement really adds to the interest in the events in between. This was a great call by rookie director Marc Webb and shows the depth of emotion he is capable of mining.
It's as much a coming of age story as it is a love story as Joseph Gordon-Levitt turns from a love-stoned boy into a cynical man. His performance throughout the transformation was remarkable which helped carry Zooey Deschanel's average performance as the distant Summer.
As, a straight male I wasn't overly excited to see this but was gently coerced, as is always the case, by my significant other. To my skepticism it was an enjoyable movie and notably complimented by the leading inclusion of the Smiths music. I found myself humming "There is a light that never goes out." by the Smiths as I left the theater, hand in hand.
A very strong showing from a series whose movies started weak and have gradually picked up steam. The fanfare may not have been as fanatical but the movie was defitely polished as well as enjoyable.
The film industry bandwagon has been applauding the restrained use of special effects and I'm jumping on. The fact the special effects took a back seat to the story and plot is a welcome improvement over the previous movies. The dependence on the effects is normally used as a crutch and sadly overshadows the characters and acting.
The acting is much improved; it seems the actors and
actresses are learning how to act. I would have preferred starting with actors who already knew how to act but learning on the job works too if your willing to wait a couple of movies to see the results. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Tom Felton had much an improved showing on screen as Harry, Hermione and Draco, respectively. Granted Tom Felton's past acting has been horrible an improvement to mediocre, while nice to see, is nothing to brag about.
Alas this movie falls into the familiar trap of trying to convert a mammoth book, filled with side plots and details that aren't crucial to the plot. It's always difficult to condense and one has no option but to gloss over certain things. This leads to many aspects of the story being left out in the screen adaption. One issue that pops up in this movie is how scenes which are relevant in the story lose their relevancy as you cut accompanying scenes out of the book rendering them less effective and a bit puzzling.
I vaguely remember reading the book yet even I was left with a slightly puzzled expression on my face during a couple of the scenes. Overall I give it a good score but It seems to give to much deference to the book in some of the items emphasized holding it back from being otherwise noteworthy.
Walt Kowalski, (Clint Eastwood) an unabashed racist, begins a journey
Walt drives home one of his Hmong neighbors, Sue
to a slightly softer viewpoint through his encounters with his Hmong neighbors. However, this in no way stops him from using a wide variety of racial slurs throughout the movie, even from the grave. The huge number as well as the diversity in names, spurned me to document them. I've listed the collection of racial epitaphs, in order of appearance, used by Walt in Gran Torino (2008).
1. Swamp Rats
2. Zipperhead
3. Chinks
4. Gooks
5. Gooks
6. Dago
7. Spooks
8. Fish Heads
9. Gooks
10. Gook
11. Egg Roll
12. Slopes
13. Swamp Rats
14. Dragon Lady
15. Zip
16. Gook
17. Zipperhead
18. Mick
19. Zips
20. Chink
21. Gook
22. Ginny
23. Swamp Rat
24. Gook
The final two are read from his will.
25. Beaner
26. Zipperhead
(I feel Jungle Bunny was in there some where but unfortunately it looks like I missed it.)
After watching this movie I was taken aback. It was a very good movie. It's not what I was expecting from Clint Eastwood but I can see why this received the reception it did. You can definitely tell this film has a director with a deft touch. It's definitely a true 'Auteur' film as you can feel Clint Eastwood's character.
Walt (Clint Eastwood) Confronts a gang member attempting to steal his car
This creates a bit of an issue as Clint Eastwood outshines all of his costars. Therein lies the only problem with the movie and that there's just something off about the other actors. Their lines seem slightly forced and lacking sincerity. It's unfortunate as this is a good movie but this holds it back from becoming a classic
[ Click here to read more ]
Plot Overview and Commentary, Trailer and Poster
I saw this movie a long way off and realized something; I'm excited to see this movie. Rarely do I see trailers and get interested, I keep a more stony wait-and-see approach. This film struck me as a great casting of Johnny Depp as Joan Dillinger, a Robin Hood type bank robber. This should really fit his beautiful portrayal of odd characters. It's on this sort of premise that he has given some of his better performances; i.e. Pirates of the Caribbean, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico
[ Click here to read more ]
This is a continuation from Part 1, please read it first if you haven't already.
The filmmakers employed some of the more fanciful lighting effects used in the movie in Ricks café, in particular the setting up of lights at low angles. Edeson lit his scenes upward from the floor or across from sidelights, casting shadows of people high on walls that would be physically impossible in real life (Lebo 142).
Odd Background Lighting in Rick's Cafe
Long shadows appear high on the cafés wall in most scenes even though it would be awkward, if not impossible, to light a café that way in real life. This effect was created using cross backlights also known as kickers (Alton 54). John Alton actually refers to it as Criminal Lighting (Alton 54), as it is often used to light and demonize people, but this might be too strong of a characterization, as it also can be used to create an odd, or mysterious feel . The effect in Ricks Café was that it helped create a feeling of distress that many patrons feel due to their desperation in their attempts to leave Casablanca. Rick transcends these issues and he himself is never lit in this manner. This kind of fanciful lighting creates a very interesting and sketchy atmosphere that allows Rick to operate freely. The café is also where we first develop an opinion of Ricks character, which starts out slightly unsavory and who projects a cold persona
[ Click here to read more ]
The Lights of Casablanca
-An indepth look into the lighting techniques employed and the context in which they were used, caught between film noir and the classic Hollywood style.
[ Click here to read more ]
The movie, while hyped, fell off the radar soon after its release; I blame the poor acting and weak plotline. Tom Cruise does a disappointing job considering everyones expectation of him; he just seems too much of a wimp to actually fight in a real war. Some of his co-stars steal the show at certain critical points further lessening his impact. The cinematography is absolutely beautiful with rich vibrant colors pervasive throughout the entire film. The colors scheme is an odd one with brown, greens and a subdued red. It works out beautifully with the colors contrasting without harming one another or the piece as a whole.
Valkyrie (2008) Movie Poster
Tom Cruise seems to get into the role as the movie goes on but I still feel he has too much Jerry Maguire to pull it off, too much swagger. As a kernel constantly in the presence of generals and even the furor himself, his self righteous whining bitching would hardly be tolerated. Beyond that however, I think there are some great performances particularly by Bill Nightly in the role of General Olbricht. You could see the worry and indecision on his face. He seems to be genuinely worried about the possible ramifications of their actions and the best course of action
[ Click here to read more ]
Up (2009) is the newest film coming out of Pixar, (Disney owned). The animation studio is aiming for it's typical family audience and the hype has been positive so far. It seems like this movie showcases the knack Pixar has of tapping a wide audience with what appears to be a childrens' movie.
They have done extraordinarily well with this in the past, my personal favorite was the Shrek series with all the double entendres and dark humor.
The plot of Up, an elderly man who sets out in a hot air balloon to achieve some of his life goals. He unwittingly has a stowaway, an eight-year old boy. This is setting the conflict and despair of life and has the potential to set up an interesting movie. I look forward to watching the release on Friday, May 29, 2009. Unfortunately, my technology savvy is lacking and I am unable to get the theatrical trailer to play. Regardless here's the link to the trailer.
Hi, I'm Rojo and I just got promoted to this blog. I just wanted to introduce myself and give you a heads up on what's coming. I'm currently working on an analysis of Casablanca (1942). I'm hoping to have that posted by Monday, or at least the first part.
Also i was thinking about altering the theme a little bit maybe go for something that doesn't contrast as much. Any opinions?
|
|
|
Add Comments
Comments (1)
Read More
Comment by Rojo
on List Of Racial Slurs In Gran Torino (2008)
Guru of FIlm