well, well. Today was an interesting day. Most critics are of course refering to the shocking upset of no oscar nominations for Dreamgirls for best picture nor best director, a nice slap in the face to the Oscars. However, there are several other interesting picks that leave me to believe this is the year of the dark oscars. Now, the Oscars aren't exactly known to overly love comedies and romance films, but from looking at the picture of this years nominees, it seems that hollywood went out of its way to stick to more dramatic and artistic pieces.
For best actor the Oscar's removed DiCaprio's nomination for The Departed and added Ryan Gosling's depiction in the critically acclaimed indie film, Half Nelson. Whereas for best supporting actor, only Eddie Murphy and Mark Wahlberg's nominations carried over from the Golden Globes. New nominations include Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine, Jackie Earle Haley from Little Children and Djimon Hounsou for Blood Diamond. For best actor, it looks like the same game from the Golden Globes and the expectation is on Forest Whitaker to win again with Ryan Gosling as the dark horse. However, Half Nelson and Gosling's performance were very well praised when released to theaters, so maybe he could pull a Crash-Brokeback scenario for the win. Even though Eddie won in the globes, with the emphasis on darker characters, except alan arkin, I get the feeling that his run might be up in the air. Although Murphy is still in the lead for this, expect Jackie Earle Haley to have a strong possibility too. The underdog being Alan Arkin.
Next come the actresses. For best actress, four of the nominees are culled from the best actress in a drama globes and one is from the comedy section. In other words, even though Merryl Streep is in the running, I highly doubt that by adding her it would stop the train that The Queen is on. Expect Helen Mirren for best actress since Streep has plenty of flashy gold statues. Penelope Cruz is the underdog in this race. For best supporting actress, 4 of the same girls from the golden globes are included, the only exception is Abigail Breslin getting a nod for Little Miss Sunshine instead of Emily Blunt for The Devil Wears Prada. Maybe this was done because the Academy honestly felt that Abigail deserved it more, or maybe it was because they already knew that Merryl Streep would win for best actress...either way, it doesn't add or change much about the supporting actress category for which Jennifer Hudson will surely win. Even though I have yet to see Dreamgirls, I hold out hope that Rinko Kikuchi wins this for Babel, but I think that may be a lost cause. The underdogs for this category are Abigail Breslin and Adriana Barraza.
Next comes the Director category in which it is a really heated and tight race. Many critics choose either Martin Scorcese or Clint Eastwood to gain the win. Although I think Stephen Frears has a nice shot at winning and Inarritu could just as easily come out with it, since Martin and Clint are both well established and loved directors. Plus, in the past, Flags of our Fathers was less than inspiring and there is a history of little love for Scorcese at the Oscars. So why not take that into consideration and announce the coming of a new brilliant director such as Inarritu or Frears? Greenblass for United 93 is the underdog and has little to no chance since he replaced Bobby at the Globes and it might be nominated more as a nod to the great film it was and it's well done recreation of said events. A patriotic move by the Oscars but hardly statue worthy.
Best Picture nominations will prove very interesting and Babel's win at the Globes might actually hurt it here. Then again, Letters From Iwo Jima's small release might hurt it as well. I don't think whoever wins the picture this year will win the director spot and I have a feeling Clint or Martin will win in at least one of these two categories so let us say that this year, Clint is getting old and he is a beloved man. Oscar goes to him for Letters from Iwo Jima if Frears wins the best director. This makes sense, or the other way around, but The Queen will more than likely win in one of the two categories. Either way, Little Miss Sunshine is the darkhorse with no chance and the rest of the category is a guessing game, but a fun one!
Miscellaneous categories include Pan's Labryinth to wipe the foreign film category clean. Also, Cars for animated film. For costume design its a close call between Curse of the Golden Flower, Dreamgirls, and Marie Antoinette with my bet being on Marie Antoinette. Cinematography is a close close call with the strong forerunners being Pan's Labryinth, Children of Men, and The Prestige. The only one i wouldn't bet on would be Black Dahlia. Dreamgirls for art direction. Original song from Dreamgirls, probably 'Listen.' Best original screenplay will probably be The Queen again. Best adapted screenplay will probably go to either the Departed, Children of Men, or interestingly, Borat.
Some other little tidbits include that the globe winners for best original score and best song, were snubbed come oscar time. The Painted Veil is mentioned nowhere and Happy Feet is only included in the animated area. Hell, a song from the documentary An Inconvenient Truth replaced them! Click got nominated for best makeup...wtf? Also, the Pursuit of Happyness song listed in the Globes has been removed from the song category by the academy. See what I mean when I say no Happy? The giant flop Poseidon got nominated for best visual effects. Also, the short film awards are given to some really great films. I have watched a couple of past award winners and nominees and I was very impressed with the quality. More people should see quality short films. And with that, I'm out.
Wannabe
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
Pan's Labryinth
'Get Lost in the Labryinth'
One of the films recently gaining much acclaim and is now being included as a strong contender for best foreign film if nominated is Guillermo Del Toro's latest film, Pan's Labryinth. At one point, Del Toro described his film as a philosophical horror and at other times an adult fairy tale. Although the film does include fantastical elements, I think the film belongs more to the philosophical horror. This film is the second part of what will be Del Toro's Spanish Civil War trilogy and it takes place on a farm that has been turned into an outpost for the fascists in the Civil War. Since I have never seen the first film of the trilogy, The Devil's Backbone, I will not be able to speak on the thematic elements carried over nor be able to compare them. Instead, I will focus on trying to explain the magic of the film.
The main actors of the film are Ivana Baquero as Ofelia, Sergi Lopez as Captain Vidal, Maribel Verdu as Mercedes, and Doug Jones as the intimidating Pan. The only familiar actors from the cast seem to be Sergi Lopez and Doug Jones. I have seen Jones before in Del Toro's other well-known work, Hellboy, but I can't recall where I have seen Sergi Lopez before. With that said, these two men will turn your undies brown. Sergi Lopez plays the most crazed and conflicted leader short of the main character of Clockwork Orange. As for Doug Jones, well, he has proven once again that he has perfect acting chops to go head to head with Andy Serkis for best costumed actor. I'm also of the impression that he is ridiculously tall. No matter what, both of their characters seem very...sympathetic. Captain Vidal is a torturer and easy to hate, but his passion for his unborn son and for his wife are certainly commendable. His desire to die honorably and to have his legend spread is contemptuous at times and just pathetic at others. But they are never disappointing. In fact, none of the cast disappoints. The chemistry between Ivana Baquero and Maribel Verdu is palpable and the feeling of oppression and constantly being watched is nervewracking throughout mostly due to the actors. It's rare that a film comes when no character is a disappointment, automatically making this film a treasure.
As for direction, the film is about choice and might just be the best argument ever made for joining a psychiatric ward. Ivana has a choice to stay alive in the real world or to join the netherworld from which her essence came. Should she stay with her step-father and the constant danger of the war just to keep her brother and mother alive? Or should she forsake all she has known for a fantasy world? The contrast between the two dimensions is made evident by the amount of horror, magic, and sadness present in both worlds. In the end, the film is about making well informed moral choices and not following blindly as all of the captain's soldiers did when they let the captain brutally torture people. Shot on a budget around 5$ million, the film looks like it was made for 16$ million. The scenery is beautifully caught in various filters and brought to life. At night, the shadows touch every surface and add a bluish cold blue to the world. The pacing and storytelling are all top notch, although now I am curious about the other three key holes in the den of the Pale Man. All in all, for a low budget film, Del Toro proves why he is allowed to direct Hollywood features. Simply put, he is a man who understands characters, story, and the intertwining of all these with cinematography. The only part that revealed it's lack of budget are some of the special effects in the film.
Conclusion:
Del Toro's film is gorgeous, stirring, and brilliantly acted and made. It enslaves the audience to its hypnotic tale and does not disappoint. The only real questionable area is the violence and cruelty. Some of the violence is so abrupt and graphic that the film can be really hard to watch. I know that it is meant to emphasize the point of Ofelia choosing a side, but it can also make the audience decide to either leave early or be disgusted with the rest of the film. For a foreign film in Spanish, it is a shoe-in for an Oscar nomination, where hopefully it will be able to beat the next Letters From Iwo Jima (seriously, how the hell is that a foreign film?). But if you are faint of heart, stay away unless you decide for more adventurous fare.
4.7 out of 5
Wannabe
One of the films recently gaining much acclaim and is now being included as a strong contender for best foreign film if nominated is Guillermo Del Toro's latest film, Pan's Labryinth. At one point, Del Toro described his film as a philosophical horror and at other times an adult fairy tale. Although the film does include fantastical elements, I think the film belongs more to the philosophical horror. This film is the second part of what will be Del Toro's Spanish Civil War trilogy and it takes place on a farm that has been turned into an outpost for the fascists in the Civil War. Since I have never seen the first film of the trilogy, The Devil's Backbone, I will not be able to speak on the thematic elements carried over nor be able to compare them. Instead, I will focus on trying to explain the magic of the film.
The main actors of the film are Ivana Baquero as Ofelia, Sergi Lopez as Captain Vidal, Maribel Verdu as Mercedes, and Doug Jones as the intimidating Pan. The only familiar actors from the cast seem to be Sergi Lopez and Doug Jones. I have seen Jones before in Del Toro's other well-known work, Hellboy, but I can't recall where I have seen Sergi Lopez before. With that said, these two men will turn your undies brown. Sergi Lopez plays the most crazed and conflicted leader short of the main character of Clockwork Orange. As for Doug Jones, well, he has proven once again that he has perfect acting chops to go head to head with Andy Serkis for best costumed actor. I'm also of the impression that he is ridiculously tall. No matter what, both of their characters seem very...sympathetic. Captain Vidal is a torturer and easy to hate, but his passion for his unborn son and for his wife are certainly commendable. His desire to die honorably and to have his legend spread is contemptuous at times and just pathetic at others. But they are never disappointing. In fact, none of the cast disappoints. The chemistry between Ivana Baquero and Maribel Verdu is palpable and the feeling of oppression and constantly being watched is nervewracking throughout mostly due to the actors. It's rare that a film comes when no character is a disappointment, automatically making this film a treasure.
As for direction, the film is about choice and might just be the best argument ever made for joining a psychiatric ward. Ivana has a choice to stay alive in the real world or to join the netherworld from which her essence came. Should she stay with her step-father and the constant danger of the war just to keep her brother and mother alive? Or should she forsake all she has known for a fantasy world? The contrast between the two dimensions is made evident by the amount of horror, magic, and sadness present in both worlds. In the end, the film is about making well informed moral choices and not following blindly as all of the captain's soldiers did when they let the captain brutally torture people. Shot on a budget around 5$ million, the film looks like it was made for 16$ million. The scenery is beautifully caught in various filters and brought to life. At night, the shadows touch every surface and add a bluish cold blue to the world. The pacing and storytelling are all top notch, although now I am curious about the other three key holes in the den of the Pale Man. All in all, for a low budget film, Del Toro proves why he is allowed to direct Hollywood features. Simply put, he is a man who understands characters, story, and the intertwining of all these with cinematography. The only part that revealed it's lack of budget are some of the special effects in the film.
Conclusion:
Del Toro's film is gorgeous, stirring, and brilliantly acted and made. It enslaves the audience to its hypnotic tale and does not disappoint. The only real questionable area is the violence and cruelty. Some of the violence is so abrupt and graphic that the film can be really hard to watch. I know that it is meant to emphasize the point of Ofelia choosing a side, but it can also make the audience decide to either leave early or be disgusted with the rest of the film. For a foreign film in Spanish, it is a shoe-in for an Oscar nomination, where hopefully it will be able to beat the next Letters From Iwo Jima (seriously, how the hell is that a foreign film?). But if you are faint of heart, stay away unless you decide for more adventurous fare.
4.7 out of 5
Wannabe
Children of Men
'The Bleakest Celebration of Life Ever'
Why Alfonso Cuaron's newest film, Children of Men, wasn't nominated for a Golden Globe is almost beyond my comprehension. I say almost because I quickly found out why from my uncle who has a less artistic palate. His response was that it was perhaps the most horrific future he'd ever seen and that it went so fast sometimes that he had no idea what was going on. Well, he's partially right. I would have to say that if you compare the three films by the Triumvirate (Guillermo Del Toro, Alejandro Inarritu, Alfonso Cuaron) from this year you will see the most horrifying films of the past, present, and future respectively. Although Cuaron's film is creepier than the bubonic plague, it's also strangely fascinating and beautiful. As for the hard to follow part, well...older people tend to have trouble following action scenes more so than the younger people.
The story is set in the year 2027 with the premise that mankind has become sterile. No babies have been born for many years, leaving no hope for a future legacy. It begins in England which is one of the last countries not to have fallen completely into ruins. Instead, it has enacted strict immigrant laws and a totalitarian government system to keep everyone and thing in check and functioning smoothly. In fact, the lead character works for the Ministry of Energy, a direct reference to 1984. Then comes along Clive Owen's character who is a burned out political activist and former father who agrees to help his ex in smuggling a young black girl out of the country. However, things go very wrong as his ex-wife dies and her own organization turns on him and he has to make sure the girl flees to a safe place called the Human Project since she is the only pregnant woman left. GRanted that was a really dumbed down version of the script, but the script is amazing. Although based on a book, Cuaron's direction is evident throughout and displays his ability to create beautiful images even in the darkest of times. He also does an excellent job of crafting the film to highlight the troubles of the new coming of the first baby born in so long since everyone wants to manipulate her. He also exhibits the inability of man to stop fighting, especially when Clive Owen's and the girl are walking out and every soldier stops and stares, surprised to see a baby while mood music plays slowly in the background...until somone shoots a rocket into the soldiers from above and destroys the peaceful possibility of hope. The only problem with the story is the idea that if man could have children things would be better, but it seems that even if man became fertile again, mankind has descended too far into darkness to turn back into a civilized society. I don't know if this is Cuaron's fault or not because the movie is based on a book, but if the Prisoner of Azkaban was any indication, Cuaron will cut and edit lots out of an adaptation to make the best visually imaginative movie he can.
But what about the actors? Surely they had some role to play in this film? The answer is yes. All of them. Even the crazy Scottish guy with dreadlocks. They are all significant and important to the story. Even their deaths, which it seems everyone does. Clive Owen's character is played very well and slightly different but on the whole he's a bit too laconic to empathize with, even after he undergoes a transformation and tries to help the girl. Julianne Moore has a short role, but an important one and then she's gone. The real star is Michael Caine. Seeing Michael Caine as the ultimate old hippie is really satisfying. Yes, he grows strawberry hash and such, but he's everyone's best old friend. Him and his lovely disabled wife Jan whom he poisons before he dies, which might just be the most heartbreaking scene in the movie. Michael Caine might be the best damn actor on earth and after watching him in this role, it makes you want to see him again or go and find another film with a similar character. Hats to you Caine for taking a small role and doing so much with it. Unfortunately, the only other major character was the previoously mentioned pregnant girl. Not impressed. She popped that baby right out and was able to get up and run away. A lot of her emotional characteristics fit the bill for the character but at no point in time does it seem realistic for her to be pregnant. Plus, she's kind of aggravating for constantly demanding things and then wandering off to be watched by Owen and her assistant. She doesn't seem to have enough life experiences and I think she needs some before attempting her next role. Although she shows promise, it needs polish first. But overall a great job by the cast.
Conclusion:
Cuaron uses this film and crafts a haunting nightmare of a world. And if you need proof that Cuaron is the real deal, just watch the ridiculously long one-take traveling shot toward the end. Through his storytelling craft, the message of the film comes through quite clear. Without children men revert to their sinful chaotic nature because they have lost their hope and it becomes everyone for themself. In this warring state, man has the capacity to destroy his own values and any hope of a brighter future. By making entire squads of toughmen go quiet when a baby enters the room, Cuaron is able to paint a picture of hope for the men. It also helps to accent the symbolic journey and birthing of Jesus. In the end, it is a sci-fi film stuffed to the gills with visual metaphors, themes, symbolism, and imagery.
4.0 out of 5
Wannabe
Why Alfonso Cuaron's newest film, Children of Men, wasn't nominated for a Golden Globe is almost beyond my comprehension. I say almost because I quickly found out why from my uncle who has a less artistic palate. His response was that it was perhaps the most horrific future he'd ever seen and that it went so fast sometimes that he had no idea what was going on. Well, he's partially right. I would have to say that if you compare the three films by the Triumvirate (Guillermo Del Toro, Alejandro Inarritu, Alfonso Cuaron) from this year you will see the most horrifying films of the past, present, and future respectively. Although Cuaron's film is creepier than the bubonic plague, it's also strangely fascinating and beautiful. As for the hard to follow part, well...older people tend to have trouble following action scenes more so than the younger people.
The story is set in the year 2027 with the premise that mankind has become sterile. No babies have been born for many years, leaving no hope for a future legacy. It begins in England which is one of the last countries not to have fallen completely into ruins. Instead, it has enacted strict immigrant laws and a totalitarian government system to keep everyone and thing in check and functioning smoothly. In fact, the lead character works for the Ministry of Energy, a direct reference to 1984. Then comes along Clive Owen's character who is a burned out political activist and former father who agrees to help his ex in smuggling a young black girl out of the country. However, things go very wrong as his ex-wife dies and her own organization turns on him and he has to make sure the girl flees to a safe place called the Human Project since she is the only pregnant woman left. GRanted that was a really dumbed down version of the script, but the script is amazing. Although based on a book, Cuaron's direction is evident throughout and displays his ability to create beautiful images even in the darkest of times. He also does an excellent job of crafting the film to highlight the troubles of the new coming of the first baby born in so long since everyone wants to manipulate her. He also exhibits the inability of man to stop fighting, especially when Clive Owen's and the girl are walking out and every soldier stops and stares, surprised to see a baby while mood music plays slowly in the background...until somone shoots a rocket into the soldiers from above and destroys the peaceful possibility of hope. The only problem with the story is the idea that if man could have children things would be better, but it seems that even if man became fertile again, mankind has descended too far into darkness to turn back into a civilized society. I don't know if this is Cuaron's fault or not because the movie is based on a book, but if the Prisoner of Azkaban was any indication, Cuaron will cut and edit lots out of an adaptation to make the best visually imaginative movie he can.
But what about the actors? Surely they had some role to play in this film? The answer is yes. All of them. Even the crazy Scottish guy with dreadlocks. They are all significant and important to the story. Even their deaths, which it seems everyone does. Clive Owen's character is played very well and slightly different but on the whole he's a bit too laconic to empathize with, even after he undergoes a transformation and tries to help the girl. Julianne Moore has a short role, but an important one and then she's gone. The real star is Michael Caine. Seeing Michael Caine as the ultimate old hippie is really satisfying. Yes, he grows strawberry hash and such, but he's everyone's best old friend. Him and his lovely disabled wife Jan whom he poisons before he dies, which might just be the most heartbreaking scene in the movie. Michael Caine might be the best damn actor on earth and after watching him in this role, it makes you want to see him again or go and find another film with a similar character. Hats to you Caine for taking a small role and doing so much with it. Unfortunately, the only other major character was the previoously mentioned pregnant girl. Not impressed. She popped that baby right out and was able to get up and run away. A lot of her emotional characteristics fit the bill for the character but at no point in time does it seem realistic for her to be pregnant. Plus, she's kind of aggravating for constantly demanding things and then wandering off to be watched by Owen and her assistant. She doesn't seem to have enough life experiences and I think she needs some before attempting her next role. Although she shows promise, it needs polish first. But overall a great job by the cast.
Conclusion:
Cuaron uses this film and crafts a haunting nightmare of a world. And if you need proof that Cuaron is the real deal, just watch the ridiculously long one-take traveling shot toward the end. Through his storytelling craft, the message of the film comes through quite clear. Without children men revert to their sinful chaotic nature because they have lost their hope and it becomes everyone for themself. In this warring state, man has the capacity to destroy his own values and any hope of a brighter future. By making entire squads of toughmen go quiet when a baby enters the room, Cuaron is able to paint a picture of hope for the men. It also helps to accent the symbolic journey and birthing of Jesus. In the end, it is a sci-fi film stuffed to the gills with visual metaphors, themes, symbolism, and imagery.
4.0 out of 5
Wannabe
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Little Children
'It’s like the good guy kicked you in the pants'
When I sat down to watch Todd Field’s Little Children (based on the popular novel by Tom Perrotta), I noticed a good deal of older couples and a spattering of enticed faces waiting to see their favorite book and the Golden Globe nominee unveiled. I, however, was there for one reason, the director’s use of a train whistle. The trailer keyed me onto Field’s ability to create amazing amounts of tension through the prolonged use of this sound effect and these unexpected crowds made me wonder if I was in the wrong theatre (even though only one theatre would dare show something this independent). Within the first ten minutes of the film I understood that this movie would please both crowds. Not only did the beautiful photography stick out but also there was a group of gossipy mothers being mocked by a wonderfully smarmy Kate Winslett. The couples in the audience seemed comfortable, intrigued and ready for an all out tragic satire on the nice suburban neighborhood.
Truth be told, the performances really brought all the hard work of the design crew into fruition. The acting was so fitting and believable from Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson and Jennifer Connelly that everything became that much more satirical and shocking. Wilson played the whipped, stay at home dad, Brad who is married to the protective career woman, Kathy Adamson (played by Connelly). Wilson’s natural good charm and good looks made his gradual fall into infidelity with Winslet’s Sarah Pierce seem like a frighteningly normal process. Each character goes through a phase of restlessness and desperation, curiosity and overwhelming passion that drives the movie from satire to poignant action. Jackie Earle Haley plays the released sex offender Ronnie J. McGorvey and offers a wonderful sense of ambiguity to his character’s rehabilitation. The only one who is left behind is Richard Pierce (played by Gregg Edelman) but the cut of his screen time was forgivable. Winslet takes hold of a very complicated and passionate character with awe-inspiring ease and beauty. I watched as her character gained ounce after ounce of maddening, conflicting emotions and then saw them drained from at a moments notice.
The society of a “perfect” middle class neighborhood is unraveled better through Little Children’s concepts in a way that touched me more than American Beauty. There are narrations and satire that start out as distracting but give the needed pacing and break from watching the intensity of the childlike adults. The cinematography and lighting ROCKED: enticing warm glows and intriguing angles were used in the pool scenes that were rife with impure thoughts. The close up of the porcelain children add a very eerie meaning to the story. Even the glory moment for Brad at a night football game is hilarious thanks to the lighting and inspirational background music. And towering over all the sound effects, the screams of the train envelope the movie in a sense of tension, passion and painful silence that said “here comes the train wreck” and when it came the crowd only sat, shocked and awed at what they were feeling.
Conclusion:
Todd Fields made an amazing blend of artistic imagery and juicy satire of the typical parents. In the end Little Children gives the audience a ride through middle class suburbia that has laughter, sexual tension and though provoking dialogue but ends in a crash of meaning. The young adults who create such gossip and remorse for their less than perfect life are acting worse than innocent children in their care. Grow up and live for the actual children. 4.75 out of 5
Castlemyking
When I sat down to watch Todd Field’s Little Children (based on the popular novel by Tom Perrotta), I noticed a good deal of older couples and a spattering of enticed faces waiting to see their favorite book and the Golden Globe nominee unveiled. I, however, was there for one reason, the director’s use of a train whistle. The trailer keyed me onto Field’s ability to create amazing amounts of tension through the prolonged use of this sound effect and these unexpected crowds made me wonder if I was in the wrong theatre (even though only one theatre would dare show something this independent). Within the first ten minutes of the film I understood that this movie would please both crowds. Not only did the beautiful photography stick out but also there was a group of gossipy mothers being mocked by a wonderfully smarmy Kate Winslett. The couples in the audience seemed comfortable, intrigued and ready for an all out tragic satire on the nice suburban neighborhood.
Truth be told, the performances really brought all the hard work of the design crew into fruition. The acting was so fitting and believable from Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson and Jennifer Connelly that everything became that much more satirical and shocking. Wilson played the whipped, stay at home dad, Brad who is married to the protective career woman, Kathy Adamson (played by Connelly). Wilson’s natural good charm and good looks made his gradual fall into infidelity with Winslet’s Sarah Pierce seem like a frighteningly normal process. Each character goes through a phase of restlessness and desperation, curiosity and overwhelming passion that drives the movie from satire to poignant action. Jackie Earle Haley plays the released sex offender Ronnie J. McGorvey and offers a wonderful sense of ambiguity to his character’s rehabilitation. The only one who is left behind is Richard Pierce (played by Gregg Edelman) but the cut of his screen time was forgivable. Winslet takes hold of a very complicated and passionate character with awe-inspiring ease and beauty. I watched as her character gained ounce after ounce of maddening, conflicting emotions and then saw them drained from at a moments notice.
The society of a “perfect” middle class neighborhood is unraveled better through Little Children’s concepts in a way that touched me more than American Beauty. There are narrations and satire that start out as distracting but give the needed pacing and break from watching the intensity of the childlike adults. The cinematography and lighting ROCKED: enticing warm glows and intriguing angles were used in the pool scenes that were rife with impure thoughts. The close up of the porcelain children add a very eerie meaning to the story. Even the glory moment for Brad at a night football game is hilarious thanks to the lighting and inspirational background music. And towering over all the sound effects, the screams of the train envelope the movie in a sense of tension, passion and painful silence that said “here comes the train wreck” and when it came the crowd only sat, shocked and awed at what they were feeling.
Conclusion:
Todd Fields made an amazing blend of artistic imagery and juicy satire of the typical parents. In the end Little Children gives the audience a ride through middle class suburbia that has laughter, sexual tension and though provoking dialogue but ends in a crash of meaning. The young adults who create such gossip and remorse for their less than perfect life are acting worse than innocent children in their care. Grow up and live for the actual children. 4.75 out of 5
Castlemyking
An Update
Hmm, I can't review everything and I am getting back into that nasty habit of writing fiction that I hope someday will either be published or that I can use to create my next directorial piece, for whatever good thats worth. Because of these problems, I have asked any and all friends to send me pieces or reviews that they like. I will edit them as I see fit, but for the most part, I'm interested in seeing other people's opinions. So don't be surprised to see more reviews, just check the signature for my name if you like my reviews. They will be labeled my friends and can be given a title if they like, but for the sake of protection and anonymity from the evil Hollywood system of knowing everyone, they will always have an alias, even if its just Wannabe's Friend.
Also, I recently discovered a fascinating site called fantasymoguls.com. It's a fantasy game akin to fantasy football except free, fun, and about movies. You are your own studio and must choose six movies for your studio that are being released in the next 4 months. The scoring is based on things like money brought in and such. It is a fun guessing game and I highly recommend it. As for everything else, well, my last update was a bit faulty. Too much time has passed for me to give a good review of the Painted Veil or The World is Not Enough. The recent essay on film criticism spun out of ideas for a Truman Show review, which I didn't do. However, I can say that the future looks bright since I am currently writing a review of two other films that should complete the Mexican Triumvirate as I call it. They should be up soon, but until then, here's something a friend has to say.
Also, I recently discovered a fascinating site called fantasymoguls.com. It's a fantasy game akin to fantasy football except free, fun, and about movies. You are your own studio and must choose six movies for your studio that are being released in the next 4 months. The scoring is based on things like money brought in and such. It is a fun guessing game and I highly recommend it. As for everything else, well, my last update was a bit faulty. Too much time has passed for me to give a good review of the Painted Veil or The World is Not Enough. The recent essay on film criticism spun out of ideas for a Truman Show review, which I didn't do. However, I can say that the future looks bright since I am currently writing a review of two other films that should complete the Mexican Triumvirate as I call it. They should be up soon, but until then, here's something a friend has to say.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Hyper-Realism vs. Cartoons
I would like to take a second to discuss artistic aesthetics. I realize that at the end it discusses "good film vs bad film" which is of course pointless since it is an endless debate. However, I am trying to make a point of the critic's tool of realism and its ramifications in a film. If you think this will be a discussion about animation versus live-action, I'm afraid you may want to come back later. Instead, think of this as reality television versus comic book movies. Still a bad analogy, but oh well.
In the world, each medium has its own distinctive artistic flavor. The flavor of each medium is usually a direct reflection of its capabilities. A cartoon tends to use a lot of schtick because it allows for very interesting physical movements and literally stretched characters. Whereas films tend to have rules based on logic and be expansive in sets and locations. Theater on the other hand should be more abstract and very surreal. Some of these tendencies are spurred by monetary considerations, others simply by the nature of the medium. In all cases though, the rules of that medium can be changed and made to imitate or mock other mediums. They can also be manipulated and misused to suit the purposes of the artist. With that being said, certain stories and ideas seem to fit better on certain mediums. Lord of the Rings the 9 hour long play might be cool, but it is also ridiculously expensive. a pain in the ass for the performers and audience members who might have places to be. In other words, a show that would never last long and would be produced rarely. The first and best piece of advice in writing I ever received was, when you write a screenplay, make sure that it is a screenplay and not a play, not a novel, and not a short-story dressed as a screenplay. Many people can't recognize the medium they write in which is why translators and adaptors have good creative jobs.
Film is traditionally known for being realistic. It is a medium in which a great amount of detail is captured and has potential for holding the perfect performance forever and can be distributed far and wide in a short amount of time. A opening performance of a play in 200 theaters in America simultaneously is next to impossible and making sure that all of those productions are of high quality is impossible. Since film was developed as a medium long after theater, there was a natural competition between the mediums for storytelling in which the performance capturing effect of the film was pitted against the live performance with the audiences to decide. History shows that the rise of film and decline of theater audiences over time would show that film won in that regard. While plays tried to recreate Haiti, Cuba, Yonkers, and other locations, film took audiences there. You want to see a real drug deal? Watch some documentaries about drug dealing. Critics have, in the past, lauded the "realistic" assets of a production. Only recently has that concept been critically challenged.
I believe each film can be categorized somewhere along the spectrum between hyper-realism and cartoon. In the past, a "serious" film that might be categorized as a "masterpiece" was always more "realistic" than other films of that year. Whereas comic-booky and cartoonish films were either for children and therefore below the notice of adults or just bad films. While Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was a great movie according to most critics and involved a message of tolerance and cooperation over hatred and bigotry, it was a film categorized as being meant mostly for children. Thankfully, a new generation of critics and filmmakers have entered the arena. A generation that understands the implications and importance of film that is not constantly and boringly realistic. Now, many comic books are getting well-made films, several of which are critically acclaimed. Whereas there are also films that are too "realistic" for the common palate such as Jackass or the movie based on the partyers in Cancun. While many old-fashioned critics may decry these recent changes, here's the truth that they don't want to realize and the secret behind brilliant film work. NO FILM IS TRULY REALISTIC.
What I mean by that is a film is usually based on a story with dramatic elements, or its edited to emphasize pacing, tempo, a certain movement, etc. Perhaps the only realistic film I can think of is the one by Andy Warhol about a man sleeping for six hours. Even films that are accredited with tons of historical accuracy such as Pearl Harbor and Gone With the Wind tend to manipulate dramatic devices and cinematography to their own advantage. How many people can say they have seen a man who was playing with a snow globe right before he passed away during the middle of a rainstorm? Exactly. Film is not about realism, it's about capturing the essence of realism and manipulating that essence to reveal a story that is above the norm. It is meant to delight in the realistic absurd. If I rambled to you for an hour and lied every 3 seconds, you would probably ignore me after 30 seconds. However, a film could take that story and make it seem plausible to a massive audience. Every film creates its own laws which will then govern the movie. If the film is set in space, then no one has gravity and they can float. Ahh, but wait! Maybe they land on a planet that naturally has gravity and aliens that can pick up languages at light speed! Well, that last bit might be a bit harder to swallow, it can still be logically explained away in some other scene or flashback. The recent film Babel is a good example of the absurd of the everyday. The film gives the feeling that everyone is connected and it holds messages that can relate to our reality and political situations. Babel is a great film because it really is a film showing the connections and links of humanity and mankind to others. How those connections are established, damaged, destroyed, and fixed. The story and the "reality", which is supposed to be the world of the audience, are merely vehicles for the director and writer to explore this complex issue of humanity. Children of Men, however, is set in the future and creates its own rules about that future which will let the director and writer explore the meaning of life and the wonder of birth. Now the film feels logical, because the laws on which the film works stem from and are built upon the current reality of the audience of today, making it "our world" in the future. M. Night Shyamalan has a made a living off of creating these absurd ideas into logical ones. The ending of Signs and the reason why the aliens were killed made complete sense, but only in the context of the movie. In reality there are no aliens (yet!) and I highly doubt that preacher's wives often have premonitions of the future of their families right before they die. It is all "willing suspension of disbelief" as they say.
So what makes a good film? A good film is made when not only are the rules and laws of a film understood and made clear to an audience and followed throughout a movie, but when through these laws and world, the film is able to explore something outside of itself, something that might be more immediate or of more importance to the general public than tying your shoes. When a film fails to follow its own rules, then it is called "unrealistic" because it is. It is unable to follow the reality it has given itself. Also, when films are considered bizarre it is usually because those films do not do a good enough job of explaining their reality and the rules in it, so the audience tends to substitute their own rules for the film's laws of reality. Good films walk the line between cartoon and hyper-realism so that they can create their own insulated and perfect world or vision. I give this example because I feel that Alfonso Cuaron is especially good at this type of dramatic device. Cuaron in his new movie has a scene where the only pregnant girl in the world reveals herself to a man in the back of a barn while standing amidst a bunch of cows. This is an inevitable and requisite part of the plot, but the positioning and framing of this shot is perfect. The barn atmosphere with animals brings out the symbol of the coming of Jesus in the child while the use of that particular animal, the cow is brilliant since throughout the movie there have been several shots already of fields of burnt and dead cows, maimed and mutilated. It creates a striking image of hope that without help could be killed like cattle. A hope in danger. All of that, from a pregnant woman showing a man her pregnant belly. It is from visionaries that understand the significance of story and vision that great movies are made. Not whether the film is "realistic" or not and I look forward to the first fully animated adult film that is critically praised as I know it one day will be. Cheers to those who can find the correct placement of realism or cartoon to accurately emphasize and create films worth watching.
(Oh, and one more thing, please don't confuse realism with gritty violence. It hurts me inside)
Wannabe
In the world, each medium has its own distinctive artistic flavor. The flavor of each medium is usually a direct reflection of its capabilities. A cartoon tends to use a lot of schtick because it allows for very interesting physical movements and literally stretched characters. Whereas films tend to have rules based on logic and be expansive in sets and locations. Theater on the other hand should be more abstract and very surreal. Some of these tendencies are spurred by monetary considerations, others simply by the nature of the medium. In all cases though, the rules of that medium can be changed and made to imitate or mock other mediums. They can also be manipulated and misused to suit the purposes of the artist. With that being said, certain stories and ideas seem to fit better on certain mediums. Lord of the Rings the 9 hour long play might be cool, but it is also ridiculously expensive. a pain in the ass for the performers and audience members who might have places to be. In other words, a show that would never last long and would be produced rarely. The first and best piece of advice in writing I ever received was, when you write a screenplay, make sure that it is a screenplay and not a play, not a novel, and not a short-story dressed as a screenplay. Many people can't recognize the medium they write in which is why translators and adaptors have good creative jobs.
Film is traditionally known for being realistic. It is a medium in which a great amount of detail is captured and has potential for holding the perfect performance forever and can be distributed far and wide in a short amount of time. A opening performance of a play in 200 theaters in America simultaneously is next to impossible and making sure that all of those productions are of high quality is impossible. Since film was developed as a medium long after theater, there was a natural competition between the mediums for storytelling in which the performance capturing effect of the film was pitted against the live performance with the audiences to decide. History shows that the rise of film and decline of theater audiences over time would show that film won in that regard. While plays tried to recreate Haiti, Cuba, Yonkers, and other locations, film took audiences there. You want to see a real drug deal? Watch some documentaries about drug dealing. Critics have, in the past, lauded the "realistic" assets of a production. Only recently has that concept been critically challenged.
I believe each film can be categorized somewhere along the spectrum between hyper-realism and cartoon. In the past, a "serious" film that might be categorized as a "masterpiece" was always more "realistic" than other films of that year. Whereas comic-booky and cartoonish films were either for children and therefore below the notice of adults or just bad films. While Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was a great movie according to most critics and involved a message of tolerance and cooperation over hatred and bigotry, it was a film categorized as being meant mostly for children. Thankfully, a new generation of critics and filmmakers have entered the arena. A generation that understands the implications and importance of film that is not constantly and boringly realistic. Now, many comic books are getting well-made films, several of which are critically acclaimed. Whereas there are also films that are too "realistic" for the common palate such as Jackass or the movie based on the partyers in Cancun. While many old-fashioned critics may decry these recent changes, here's the truth that they don't want to realize and the secret behind brilliant film work. NO FILM IS TRULY REALISTIC.
What I mean by that is a film is usually based on a story with dramatic elements, or its edited to emphasize pacing, tempo, a certain movement, etc. Perhaps the only realistic film I can think of is the one by Andy Warhol about a man sleeping for six hours. Even films that are accredited with tons of historical accuracy such as Pearl Harbor and Gone With the Wind tend to manipulate dramatic devices and cinematography to their own advantage. How many people can say they have seen a man who was playing with a snow globe right before he passed away during the middle of a rainstorm? Exactly. Film is not about realism, it's about capturing the essence of realism and manipulating that essence to reveal a story that is above the norm. It is meant to delight in the realistic absurd. If I rambled to you for an hour and lied every 3 seconds, you would probably ignore me after 30 seconds. However, a film could take that story and make it seem plausible to a massive audience. Every film creates its own laws which will then govern the movie. If the film is set in space, then no one has gravity and they can float. Ahh, but wait! Maybe they land on a planet that naturally has gravity and aliens that can pick up languages at light speed! Well, that last bit might be a bit harder to swallow, it can still be logically explained away in some other scene or flashback. The recent film Babel is a good example of the absurd of the everyday. The film gives the feeling that everyone is connected and it holds messages that can relate to our reality and political situations. Babel is a great film because it really is a film showing the connections and links of humanity and mankind to others. How those connections are established, damaged, destroyed, and fixed. The story and the "reality", which is supposed to be the world of the audience, are merely vehicles for the director and writer to explore this complex issue of humanity. Children of Men, however, is set in the future and creates its own rules about that future which will let the director and writer explore the meaning of life and the wonder of birth. Now the film feels logical, because the laws on which the film works stem from and are built upon the current reality of the audience of today, making it "our world" in the future. M. Night Shyamalan has a made a living off of creating these absurd ideas into logical ones. The ending of Signs and the reason why the aliens were killed made complete sense, but only in the context of the movie. In reality there are no aliens (yet!) and I highly doubt that preacher's wives often have premonitions of the future of their families right before they die. It is all "willing suspension of disbelief" as they say.
So what makes a good film? A good film is made when not only are the rules and laws of a film understood and made clear to an audience and followed throughout a movie, but when through these laws and world, the film is able to explore something outside of itself, something that might be more immediate or of more importance to the general public than tying your shoes. When a film fails to follow its own rules, then it is called "unrealistic" because it is. It is unable to follow the reality it has given itself. Also, when films are considered bizarre it is usually because those films do not do a good enough job of explaining their reality and the rules in it, so the audience tends to substitute their own rules for the film's laws of reality. Good films walk the line between cartoon and hyper-realism so that they can create their own insulated and perfect world or vision. I give this example because I feel that Alfonso Cuaron is especially good at this type of dramatic device. Cuaron in his new movie has a scene where the only pregnant girl in the world reveals herself to a man in the back of a barn while standing amidst a bunch of cows. This is an inevitable and requisite part of the plot, but the positioning and framing of this shot is perfect. The barn atmosphere with animals brings out the symbol of the coming of Jesus in the child while the use of that particular animal, the cow is brilliant since throughout the movie there have been several shots already of fields of burnt and dead cows, maimed and mutilated. It creates a striking image of hope that without help could be killed like cattle. A hope in danger. All of that, from a pregnant woman showing a man her pregnant belly. It is from visionaries that understand the significance of story and vision that great movies are made. Not whether the film is "realistic" or not and I look forward to the first fully animated adult film that is critically praised as I know it one day will be. Cheers to those who can find the correct placement of realism or cartoon to accurately emphasize and create films worth watching.
(Oh, and one more thing, please don't confuse realism with gritty violence. It hurts me inside)
Wannabe
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Quick comment on Golden Globes
I'm at work, so here's a quick rundown of how it all played out.
Dreamgirls(haven't seen it yet) and Babel(have) run away with the prizes.
Painted Veil won best Original Score which is slightly amusing. Helen Mirren gets way too much loving for The Queen and her made for TV movie. Martin Scorcese wins a Golden Globe for best director and is now assured a kiss of death come Oscar time. Sacha Cohen won best comedic actor for Borat, thus confirming the belief among thousands of conservative Republicans that Hollywood is too liberal and that censor chips should be planted in everyone's brains to ascertain good taste. Heroes is overshadowed and wins nothing, but it gets a better showing than Lost. Hugh Laurie proves himself to be a genius at being a jerk doctor. Jennifer Hudson lets the world know that thye can soon be expecting her to show up and possibly win the Oscars and a real career in Hollywood. Eddie Murphy wins a Globe and finds out how easy it is to be overshadowed. Also, apparently Hollywood can now create and make Foreign Films(From America people!!!) like Letter From Iwo Jima and Apocalypto and win in that category. And a bunch of other people and shows win awards, but no one really remembers or cares. My predictions, we will see more of Babel and Dreamgirls and The Queen come Oscar time.
Dreamgirls(haven't seen it yet) and Babel(have) run away with the prizes.
Painted Veil won best Original Score which is slightly amusing. Helen Mirren gets way too much loving for The Queen and her made for TV movie. Martin Scorcese wins a Golden Globe for best director and is now assured a kiss of death come Oscar time. Sacha Cohen won best comedic actor for Borat, thus confirming the belief among thousands of conservative Republicans that Hollywood is too liberal and that censor chips should be planted in everyone's brains to ascertain good taste. Heroes is overshadowed and wins nothing, but it gets a better showing than Lost. Hugh Laurie proves himself to be a genius at being a jerk doctor. Jennifer Hudson lets the world know that thye can soon be expecting her to show up and possibly win the Oscars and a real career in Hollywood. Eddie Murphy wins a Globe and finds out how easy it is to be overshadowed. Also, apparently Hollywood can now create and make Foreign Films(From America people!!!) like Letter From Iwo Jima and Apocalypto and win in that category. And a bunch of other people and shows win awards, but no one really remembers or cares. My predictions, we will see more of Babel and Dreamgirls and The Queen come Oscar time.
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