tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45231172955364961062024-02-06T22:07:27.830-08:00Big Screen BedlamAn asylum from mediocrity and haven for abnormality. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-57565387391302735522014-08-11T16:37:00.000-07:002014-08-11T16:37:48.703-07:00La Belle et la Bête (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">While looking into Disney’s
planned live-action adaptation of their take on the fairytale classic, </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Beauty and the Beast</i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> (a completely unnecessary
endeavor, as their film’s already a masterpiece), I came across another film
adaptation of the story that was released unbeknownst to me in France earlier
this year. Christophe Gans’ take on the tale is a more faithful take on the
source material, while still showing signs of influence from other iterations
of the story, such as the 1991 Disney film—with middling results.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The events of the story
are framed by an undisclosed woman reading a story aloud to two children. I won’t
reveal who this woman or the children are, but trust, it’s not exactly a twist
when it’s finally revealed. The woman tells the children the tale of a young
woman named Belle (</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9a_Seydoux" title="Léa Seydoux"><span style="background: white; color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Léa Seydoux</span></a>), the youngest of two sisters
and three brothers who are the children of a rich Merchant (played by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Dussollier" title="André Dussollier"><span style="background: white; color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">André Dussollier</span></a>).
Tragedy strikes when the Merchant’s ships sink, and due to some bad business
deals, the family loses its fortune. Laughed out of town, the family is forced
to settle for a provincial life in the countryside, much to the chagrin of all
but Belle, whose selflessness and courage prove to be her only real defining
traits. There’s not much to <i>any </i>the
characters here save for their cartoonishly bare attributes—which wouldn’t
really be much of an issue in, say, an actual cartoon—but even Disney’s take
manages to have more complex characterization.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On a trip to try and salvage the family fortune, the
Merchant, with his eldest son (whose name I cannot recall, and is of little
consequence), head to town, where the former finds that said son has somehow
gotten into debt with a group of dangerous rogues, including their leader of
which being the film’s primary (and extremely trite) antagonist, Louis (Dejan
Bucin), and his fortunetelling lover, who serves little purpose other than to
deliver obvious/unnecessary foreshadowing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While fleeing Louis’ gang, the Merchant loses his way
in the woods, accidentally coming across the castle of the titular Beast. For
unexplained reasons, the Beast supplies the Merchant with all of the desires of
he and his family, but when the Merchant attempts to claim a rose, the Beast
claims the Merchant as prisoner, giving him a short while to bid farewell to
his family. This raised the question of if Beast knew that Belle would
ultimately opt to take her father’s place (the only way to break his curse). If
so, how; and if not, why the drama over a single rose?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As previously mentioned, Belle relinquishes her freedom
to save her family, spending her days trapped in the Beast’s magical domain,
haunted by visions of the monster’s past. But can Belle endure the dangers that
lurk behind the doors of the monster’s enchanted domain, and unravel the
secrets behind the curse? Obviously so, but the answers don’t make as much
sense as you’d hope—even if they are unique ones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As the events are being told out of a storybook, the
film uses appropriate visuals. Transitions are occasionally conveyed through the
turn of a page, and the shots are often filled with colors, whimsical effects,
and extravagant clothing—even if said effects are obviously green-screen. That
being said, most of it is still pretty to look at…but those that aren’t really
take you out of the film. For some reason, the filmmakers decided that this adaptation,
like Disney’s, also needed cute enchanted companions for the Beast in his home.
This film’s companions are little CG dogs that totally standout from the look
of the rest of the movie. And as little as they contribute to the narrative,
they might as well have been excised from the final product completely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Gans’ version of the tale expands upon Beast’s
background as much as it establishes Belle’s. While I’ll choose not to spoil
it, suffice to say it raises more questions than it answers. One can appreciate
how the movie tried to separate itself from the flood of other takes on the
familiar story, but innovative writing isn’t much if it isn’t coupled with a
coherent, mature structure to match the “mature” rendition. The incoherence
only snowballs as the film rushes from the second act into the peculiarly
action-packed third, failing to establish vital elements such as character
motivation, why the magic in Beast’s castle works the way it does, or, say, <i>why the titular characters fall in love in
the first place.</i> Any <i>Beauty and the
Beast </i>story has one job, and that’s it. Believably have the main characters
fall in love; but alas, this movie can’t even do that right. You had one job,
movie. One job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">C</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-70094023941872693522014-08-11T14:07:00.000-07:002014-08-11T14:12:02.871-07:00Guardians of the Galaxy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">James Gunn’s </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Guardians of the Galaxy </i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">is one of those
movies that suffers from being overhyped. Call it “hype backlash” or whatever,
but for a film boasting a poster with a tagline reading “You’re Welcome”, and
the word of mouth currently circulating, I was hoping for something that broke
the mold more than it did. And what it did wasn’t exactly </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">breaking </i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">the mold, so much as…reshaping it? </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Iron Man 3 </i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">made a bigger impression. And that’s not to say the film
is bad—it isn’t. Nowhere near it. The movie was good, and a fun time. Heck, I
saw it twice and only got somewhat bored during the third act. But for what
many assumed (and claim) to be Marvel’s best, I was just let down, is all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Abducted from Earth as a
child in the 80’s, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) (also apparently known as “Star
Lord”) has grown into a womanizing vagabond of a man who comes across an ancient
artifact (this Marvel movie’s obligatory MacGuffin) we soon learn is an “Infinity
Stone”—a powerful gem capable of planetary destruction. After betraying some
old “friends” (led by Michael Rooker’s Yondu), a bounty is put on Quill’s head;
this making him the latest target of bounty hunters Rocket—a genetically-modified
raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper)—and Groot—a sentient tree whose vocabulary
is limited to, as Rocket puts it, “I. Am. And, Groot—exclusively in that order”
(suffice to say, voice actor Vin Diesel had it made). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Things are complicated
when Quill (who possesses the Infinity Stone) also becomes the target of
super-assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the seemingly loyal daughter of the titan,
Thanos (Josh Brolin). Gamora is on loan along with her sister, Nebula (Karen
Gillan) to a terrorist member of the Kree race, Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace)—a man
determined to exterminate the people of the planet Xandar after what he
perceives to be an unjust treaty with the Kree after years of conflict (he’s
pretty humorless and typical, but makes a good foil to the zany heroes). Finally
rounding out the crew is Drax (Dave Bautista), an extremely literal alien with
super strength who’s on an unyielding quest for vengeance against Ronan. Can
Quill, Rocket, Groot, Gamora, and Drax come together as one to defend the galaxy
as its guardians? Well, yes, albeit inexplicably.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As one could probably
gather by the plot and character summary alone, this movie is weird by
mainstream blockbuster standards. These unique oddities are part of why I was
more excited for this film as opposed to other standard Marvel fair; and in
quite a few prospects, it didn’t disappoint. The film is full of exotic alien
races (including those that are just discolored human actors, but there’s a
charm to that), and the world-building is done well, as we’re also exposed to
neat foreign environments and the barebones of the cultures therein. All of
this is done with notably pleasing visuals. The colors are vibrant and the
effects are great. While I didn’t see it so either of the times I saw the film,
I imagine this movie would be a blast in 3D—multiple scenes pop in ways that
make it evident that that’s how they were intended to be seen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Like every other Marvel
film thus far, this movie is full of comedic moments. This movie was promoted
as such, of course, and it never takes itself <i>too </i>seriously without breaking the tension with a funny quip or a
musical number. The tonal shifts rarely become too jarring since you can tell
what you’re in for (as opposed to previous movies like <i>Iron Man 2 </i>or <i>Thor 2</i>),
but there are occasional scenes where the shift is too abrupt for its own good—namely
in one scene vital to Rocket’s characterization; which brings me to another
point: the characters—more specifically, the main characters and their
relationships with one another: I don’t buy it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The film is pretty quickly
paced, taking you from venue to venue, from action set piece to piece, with the
gang cracking jokes along the way. The problem with that is that by the film’s
conclusion, when the gang is finally united and a family of sorts, you don’t
really feel it. One scene they’re at each others’ throats, the next, they’re a
family ready to lay their lives on the line for one another. And this is a
relatively big problem for a film where they’re ultimately the crux of the
story. The characters are defined enough to be fun and invoke empathy, but not
enough (for some of them) to be truly engaging and natural.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Guardians </span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">is
a fun time, and definitely a good movie. The characters, while, as I mentioned,
aren’t very fleshed out to their true potential, are entertaining. The score is
great with multiple classic hits; the action set pieces are neat, and they’re
great to look at; and the movie plays with many tropes popular in the genre—but
not enough. The movie wants to have its cake by subverting/mocking clichés, and
eat it too by indulging in them afterwards. This makes the movie a good
experience, but not one that <i>really</i>
stands out from the rest of Marvel’s filmography once the superficial stuff is
set aside. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-66510204542969918802013-12-31T20:55:00.001-08:002013-12-31T21:03:19.105-08:00The Wolf of Wall Street<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWBteZkODmjrSPbttHcenFd2N_zx-DYxVJLalQu0a9ow_mSWm4WaLsLEo18pFfgtKztGFYhufRsK28bdwCBynHKP0GqqLBqU23qKrBFaQlGOu6NZ84vNXG0G8IAcqL9kIDBkLx-Kzdh_n/s1600/Bedlam+Pic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWBteZkODmjrSPbttHcenFd2N_zx-DYxVJLalQu0a9ow_mSWm4WaLsLEo18pFfgtKztGFYhufRsK28bdwCBynHKP0GqqLBqU23qKrBFaQlGOu6NZ84vNXG0G8IAcqL9kIDBkLx-Kzdh_n/s1600/Bedlam+Pic.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In Martin Scorsese’s latest film, <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i>, the director reunites with frequent
collaborator, Leonardo DiCaprio, to tell the story of a wealthy, hedonistic
stockbroker who gets too in over his head as we watch his debauchery-filled
rise to power, as well as his pathetic fall from grace. Seem familiar?
Naturally it would, because it is. This is DiCaprio’s second film this year
where he portrays a young, opulent socialite (the other film being <i>The Great Gatsby</i>); but unlike <i>Gatsby </i>(or at least the source material
from which it was adapted)<i>, Wolf </i>fails
to provide much substance to the plethora of sex, drugs, and money that will be
shoved down your throat over the course of this long-winded affair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio) is a young aspiring
stockbroker in New York City in the late 80’s who is quickly taken under the
wing of a successful businessman (Matthew McConaughey). However, just as
quickly as he begins to make a name for himself, he loses his job after Black
Monday hits. Unshaken by recent failures, Belfort soon opens his own firm
alongside some seedy friends (played by Jonah Hill, Jon Bernthal, P.J. Byrne, Kenneth
Choi, and others), and after some time and shady deals, their business makes
them all filthy rich Wall Street big shots. However, their sordid practices and
epicurean lifestyles eventually catch up to them as FBI agent Patrick Denham
(Kyle Chandler) takes an interest in Belfort’s actions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The film is unashamedly irreverent and over-indulgent.
And you may find this charming in the beginning. The dialogue is pretty funny,
there’s a lot of sex and ridiculous parties… but like everything else in life,
you eventually become numb to it all. You start to feel like you’re caught in a
loop of coke and coitus, waiting for the film to hit you with the point of it
all. And though it takes it far too long to do so, it eventually does. But by
the time the movie starts to take itself seriously, you’re already done caring.
I know I was. At three hours, the film overstays its welcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The cast does well, the movie looks good, and there are
a number of timely pop hits thrown in the soundtrack, but honestly, there was
no point to this movie. It’s just an exercise in excess that’s akin to a guy
who gets drunk at a party, ruins it for everyone else, and then has the
audacity to fall asleep on the host’s couch until morning. We’ve all seen this
kind of story told before, and better, and from the same director. The ending
practically took notes from <i>GoodFellas. </i>Maybe
if an hour had been shaved off of the film, and there was more focus (as well
as a fresher presentation), this would have been much more effective as a
self-referential piece of satire. But as is, it’s basically an ode to hedonists
everywhere, with a slapped on note at the end to remind everyone that doing
drugs is bad, and not to let your money control you.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">D+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-31082535643741672192013-12-20T19:38:00.000-08:002013-12-20T19:38:13.620-08:00Saving Mr. Banks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvZk3oO4rBN7BQnyxUGxmwbJjLwDH4z9Qe9fL0bpv0LVnz80Ca2njSH3mEH1FFfo-RDb7DynECwaIyC_mWQ3jtaefQTj5vleB1Az__p4ES-VHo0rY4s9lQ0cRk9B8ThY-zoyxo0a3hlN7/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvZk3oO4rBN7BQnyxUGxmwbJjLwDH4z9Qe9fL0bpv0LVnz80Ca2njSH3mEH1FFfo-RDb7DynECwaIyC_mWQ3jtaefQTj5vleB1Az__p4ES-VHo0rY4s9lQ0cRk9B8ThY-zoyxo0a3hlN7/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I can confidently say that
not only is <i>Mary Poppins </i>one of my
favorite Disney films, but also one of my favorite movies, period. The
whimsical atmosphere, impressive blend of live and animated action, coupled
with an eternally memorable score supplemented by the amazing charm and talent
of Julie Andrews and others… it’s practically perfect in every way. How could <i>anyone </i>hate <i>Mary Poppins</i>? That is, anyone except for the author of the original
novels on which the film was adapted from, P.L. Travers. In <i>Saving Mr. Banks</i>, Disney attempts to
portray on-screen the struggle between Walt and Travers for the rights to the latter’s
works, while Travers also has to come to terms with her personal demons. Does
Disney sugarcoat the reality of the situation with various liberties…? Well,
yes. But despite doing so, the results are impressive all the same.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Emma Thompson plays author
P.L. Travers, who, due to her refusal to continue writing after the success of <i>Mary Poppins </i>(the book), is in need of
money. Despite her financial deficiencies, she has refused to sell the rights
to her stories to one Mr. Walt Disney (Tom Hanks), who has spent the last two
decades attempting to adapt said stories into a feature film, as promised to
his daughters. After wearing the indignant Travers down, Walt has her flown to
California in an attempt to finally win her over and warm her to the project.
All the while, Travers reflects on her own childhood—specifically her father
(Colin Farrell), who inspired her to write <i>Mary
Poppins</i>, and also molded her into the cold woman she has become.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Initially, as I was
watching <i>Banks</i>, I found my interest
waning during certain segments of the picture; those segments being the
flashback sequences showing Travers’ childhood. These scenes proved to be
pretty schmaltzy affairs that, while ultimately necessary as the film
progressively becomes darker, fail to really stimulate you outside of some foreboding
foreshadowing. This is not to say they’re bad, especially with an impressively
diverse performance from Farrell, but they did little for me in the first act.
On the other hand, the tale of Travers versus Disney definitely stood out as
strong. Again, to note the performances, this is in large part due to Thompson
and Hanks. While the latter does well showing both the shrewdness of the
businessman and the warmth of the father, the standout is Thompson. She
brilliantly brings a natural maternal spirit to a by all means unlikable
character, warming the audience to her by making her relatable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The liberties taken with
the true events on which the film is based on are wholly understandable, and
done in good taste. That is, nothing is <i>drastically
</i>altered, save for some story modifications for the sake of a satisfying
ending (an example being Travers relationship with her chauffeur, played by
Paul Giamatti). While a spoonful of sugar is added to the story for the sake of
audience good-feels, the film leaves off ambiguously enough to satisfy those
who want their happy ending (without betraying the previously established foundation),
and those who want to fill in the blanks with a dose of reality. <i>Saving Mr. Banks </i>may reek as a self-congratulating affair for the House of Mouse, but really, if it is... who cares? The story is well told and enough heart is endowed to genuinely touch your own.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">B+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-39539679692648819312013-12-13T22:12:00.000-08:002013-12-14T20:44:54.058-08:00The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofGYfi3Pow_c4-LQP6QniHneBRg4MsT39F0UwgvK4l1UmMVnkYdMkhQR6IwUDj3xcBa7phd24SwcWj_T7GGCY5kKXh-8Capl2jyaVTVYhLKRnxaSnlRfx1_t4kvMdWsqVcGvAKs1ZmnWU/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofGYfi3Pow_c4-LQP6QniHneBRg4MsT39F0UwgvK4l1UmMVnkYdMkhQR6IwUDj3xcBa7phd24SwcWj_T7GGCY5kKXh-8Capl2jyaVTVYhLKRnxaSnlRfx1_t4kvMdWsqVcGvAKs1ZmnWU/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Bard of Avon himself, William Shakespeare, wrote in <i>Hamlet </i>“Brevity is the soul of wit”. In other words, “Keep it simple,
stupid”. In <i>other </i>words<i>, </i>“Don’t waste our time”. Unfortunately,
it’s hard not to feel strung along when you’re watching the second installment
of a trilogy of film adapted from a novel that barely scrapes 300 pages. The
film, of course, is <i>The Desolation of
Smaug, </i>the second film in <i>The Hobbit </i>series.
Despite the unarguable passion that director Peter Jackson has for original
author J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, one might find himself wondering if there’s
truly any relevance to half of what he (or she) is watching in the film outside
of an equally unarguable and frivolous attempt by the studio to prolong their current
golden opportunity at a cash grab.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After
an inconsequential prologue, the movie picks up with the eponymous hobbit
(Martin Freeman’s Bilbo Baggins), company of dwarves (led by Richard Armitage’s
Thorin Oakenshield), and Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) as they continue their
quest to the Lonely Mountain to confront the powerful dragon, Smaug (voiced by
Benedict Cumberbatch), and reclaim the dwarves home. However, for the sake of
extending the movie (to the outrageously unnecessary length of two hours and
forty minutes), we are also introduced to Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), an elf
who partakes in a minor love triangle with Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and dwarf
Kili (Aidan Turner). Gandalf also begins an investigation alongside fellow
wizard Radagast (Sylvester McCoy) into the dark forces that threaten to consume
Middle-Earth, which are affiliated with a growing orc army. As one familiar
with the source material may ascertain, there is much deviation that occurs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">At
this point, let me clarify that deviating from an adaptation’s source (generally)
does not bother me. <i>Having said that</i>,
the changes made to the story here felt like little more than fluff to pad out
the film. The romantic subplot contributed nothing. Gandalf’s investigation
(which he spends just about the entire film conducting) results in nothing new
being discovered. The elves’ enlarged role in the film was more or less for the
sake of some extra (albeit exciting, though cartoonish) action set pieces. The political strife of
Lake-town ultimately proves to have no influence on <i>anything</i>; and when the heroes finally make it to the Lonely
Mountain, it all culminates in such an anticlimax that you’ll be left wondering
what it was all for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It’s
true that Jackson’s modifications increase the scope of the story and expounds
further upon the state of Middle-Earth at this time, but he wastes your time in
doing so. The performances are all solid and the movie looks good (if too
cartoony in comparison to the original trilogy), but to what extent? Let’s be
honest: <i>Desolation of Smaug </i>is
filler. It feels like filler when you’re watching it. There’s plenty spectacle
and drama to immerse you for the ride; however, it’s once you’re off and the
lights come back on that you realize that you just paid the price of admission
just to be in the same place you were before said lights dimmed.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">C</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-49660764401074861372013-11-26T19:26:00.001-08:002013-11-26T19:26:39.498-08:00Frozen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEianamX5dgbvqhyphenhyphenETJ6rN7KXWuCxMTXfvqrgTwX5Tx7bTKrMUWHwXvp4X1OTG35pMXNyRu-AJNm8MYejUyT8VC9-Z3xZFsnsCnwpQ0t_bcNcb8HXXUUl5wLZXCJ_3FvfptKUk2TlcB8O9xS/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEianamX5dgbvqhyphenhyphenETJ6rN7KXWuCxMTXfvqrgTwX5Tx7bTKrMUWHwXvp4X1OTG35pMXNyRu-AJNm8MYejUyT8VC9-Z3xZFsnsCnwpQ0t_bcNcb8HXXUUl5wLZXCJ_3FvfptKUk2TlcB8O9xS/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I’m a huge fan of Disney
films (and I’m also quite a critic of them), so when Disney announced their
next project way back when—<i>Frozen</i>—I immediately
found myself opposed to the movie. It struck me as uninspired (from the very
title. I mean, no one thought of anything more original than <i>Frozen? </i>That and it sounds too similar
to <i>Tangled</i>), and I scrutinized
everything about the production. And in retrospect, I did so unfairly. The
promotional material was juvenile, but so was <i>Tangled’s</i>. And I love that movie. After a while, I opened my heart
up to the film, and decided to see it. And I’m glad I did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The film begins with two
princesses—sisters Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel)—who spend their
youths playing and enjoying one another’s company. Specifically by utilizing
the latter’s magical ice powers, which she was born with. However, their lives
quickly become solemn and isolated when Elsa accidentally freezes Anna (the
injury is inflicted to her head, and notably not her heart—which would have
been a more grievous act), and consequently, is isolated from the world by her
parents until she learns to master her powers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The parents soon
thereafter die, and years later, Elsa is coroneted as queen… until her powers
resurface and in her fear, she flees the kingdom and triggers an eternal
winter. Anna takes it upon herself to embark on a quest to bring her sister back,
accompanied by ice harvester, Kristoff (Jonathan Groff).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Frozen </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">is
a movie that both struggles to find its own identity, and at the same time is
empowered by subverting the films one can’t help but compare it to. The dynamic
between Anna and Kristoff is one that people will find perhaps unimpressively similar
to that of Rapunzel and Flynn’s from <i>Tangled
</i>(I promise I don’t mean to bring this film up so much), but the film isn’t <i>truly</i> harmed by this because romance isn’t
the focus here. The film plays with common Disney tropes such the “true love’s
kiss”, and “marriage after one day”, and rather than simply poke fun at them,
they deconstruct them in ways that differ even from past Disney self-parodies. Heck,
even the comedic relief in the form of Olaf the Snowman (Josh Gad) is endearing
and handled appropriately as far as tone’s concerned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Without spoiling—Disney sets
up your expectations and then impressively undermines your preconceptions. Few characters are as predictable as they would seem. I can confidently say that for one, Elsa is easily one of my all time favorite Disney characters. Having
said this, the movie <i>is</i> hurt when it actually does fail to deviate too far from
the classic formula. A forgivable peccadillo, sure, but a notable one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The score here is a mixed
bag. It boasts some impressive pieces, such as <i>Do You Want to Build a Snowman</i>, <i>For
the First Time in Forever</i>, and <i>Let it
Go </i>(even if it does sound a little to “radio”), but it also has some more
forgettable (although not explicitly bad) pieces of little note. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Setting aside the shortcomings (a mixed score,
and just a bit too much familiarity), </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Frozen
</i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">is a beautiful movie, both in theme and visuals. The models are
delightfully expressive and the snowy white and icy scenery is breathtaking beautiful,
while also taciturnly threatening. But really, the beauty here is derived from
the themes of sisterly love and companionship vs. isolation. This is for girls what </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Brother Bear </i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">was for boys. Except, well, much better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>B+</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-53263085051954205512013-11-21T22:09:00.000-08:002013-11-21T22:09:28.030-08:00The Hunger Games: Catching Fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoj_SeBklLgMLfu2sAQoPm3NX0NrJ2ZdW4Ga_pyWfeFYCAoUrmAMYiCQ_VXAVXVPidov4uiJEPjqVIOweEbFOG7TNOx-Sz3p2cuP_M_STO0g_wwCjF7J6mFiAE4aOv7zOKnoH_YGm9Dpcj/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoj_SeBklLgMLfu2sAQoPm3NX0NrJ2ZdW4Ga_pyWfeFYCAoUrmAMYiCQ_VXAVXVPidov4uiJEPjqVIOweEbFOG7TNOx-Sz3p2cuP_M_STO0g_wwCjF7J6mFiAE4aOv7zOKnoH_YGm9Dpcj/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Hunger Games </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">is in many respects a series that deserves acknowledgment
for how it stands out within its Young Adult genre. The themes handled are mature
in comparison to those of its kin—even when the execution isn’t consistent as
such. Such themes are present in the second installment of the <i>Hunger Games </i>trilogy: <i>Catching Fire—</i>where we get to see the
consequences of Katniss and Peeta’s survival at the conclusion of the last film’s
games. Consequences which have set their world on the verge of a revolutionary rebellion—a
rebellion that can either be sparked or pacified seemingly only by Katniss. But
as we delve into the film, we learn, as Katniss does, that there are larger
puppeteers at hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After attempting double-suicide during last year’s
Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh
Hutcherson) have become icons all throughout the nation of Panem. To the
Capitol, their act was one of love—but to the oppressed districts, it has been
interpreted as one of rebellion. One that has incensed many into following suit—much
to the chagrin of President Snow (Donald Sutherland), who is determined to
squash the rising revolts by subverting the symbol that Katniss has become.
With the aid of new head Gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour
Hoffman), a plot is concocted to make an example of Katniss: victors are reaped
from all twelve districts and thrown back into the arena for the 75<sup>th</sup>
Hunger Games anniversary—the “Quarter Quell”. This includes our heroes, as well
as some new faces played by Jena Malone, and Sam Claflin. However, as President
Snow tells Katniss, the Games are just that. Games. That is, in comparison to
the potential war that could destroy everything she holds dear. And
unfortunately, due to this, there’s a sense of levity here that leaves us feeling
underwhelmed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Catching
Fire </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">is a more mature tale than its predecessor. There’s
more focus on the politics and themes of characters’ actions this time around—even
though they are handled with the subtlety one could expect from a film with a target
demographic of adolescents. Nonetheless, there’s some quality material tossed
about here. However, it’s a lot of build up with little pay off. At least thus
far. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the stakes have profoundly increased
since the last movie, and the film dedicates a large amount of time
establishing this. So much so that by the time the characters finally reached
the arena, I felt a drained, and ultimately, apathetic. In the broad scope of
things, the game doesn’t mean much anymore. The film realizes this too, as
despite the cinematography being skips and bounds above the first movie’s, the
brutality from the last games is missing. Time is spent hyping up the fact that
the Quarter Quell’s participants are composed of veterans, but the intensity doesn’t
meet that of <i>The Hunger Games’</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And therein lays a problem with the film. There are a
lot of great ideas here, but they aren’t explored to their potential—at least
not yet. <i>Catching Fire </i>feels in some
ways like filler. It continues the story, and lays foundation for the next
installment, but by itself it leaves you wanting more. And this is in spite of
great turnouts from the cast, who manage to add some depth to characters that
are starting to wear out their welcome, and charm us to new characters that
make solid first impressions. The finale chapter of the story is <i>Mockingjay</i>, where we finally see the war
we’ve been promised. At least, we can hope—as the next episode has been divided
into two…</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">B-</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-85558468463042532452013-11-16T14:32:00.000-08:002013-11-17T06:47:55.621-08:0012 Years a Slave<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvcJFCpbNa2mqVg5gUvCVVSL_EE14c4rutsdZmmZOvSMx1vK_uOwrs3IwfxtTKKQR253dAiwqvTO_vKn3nZaaGnundR_YCWhYvJ2G28zcXpt100Sl1T4gybHqRKFugnjCkjQHNCluJxmi/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvcJFCpbNa2mqVg5gUvCVVSL_EE14c4rutsdZmmZOvSMx1vK_uOwrs3IwfxtTKKQR253dAiwqvTO_vKn3nZaaGnundR_YCWhYvJ2G28zcXpt100Sl1T4gybHqRKFugnjCkjQHNCluJxmi/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The topic of African slavery is one that Hollywood has
never shied away from, but has rarely executed in a wholly satisfactory manner.
And to be fair, this is a feat that would be daunting in the eyes of any writer—especially
with a work based on real events. How does one properly tell a story set in
unarguably the darkest era of America’s history, which continues to bare
negative repercussions on many of the country’s people to this very day? Especially
with the Political Correctness Brigade waiting round every corner, and every
individual just waiting to be offended by misrepresentation or unjust shaming.
In their latest film, <i>12 Years a Slave</i>,
director Steve McQueen and writer John Ridley successfully tell the engaging
story of a free man unjustly enslaved for over a decade, and his quest to
survive and reclaim freedom, without also losing his hope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The movie begins in media res so as to set the tone for
the events of the film before rewinding to the beginning with protagonist Solomon
Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free man residing in New York with his wife and
children in 1841. Renowned for his talents as a violinist, Northup is hired by
two men to perform, not realizing it’s a trap before it’s too late and he is
sold into slavery. For twelve years Northup lives in bondage, meeting various
characters along the way such as the benevolent slaver William Ford (Benedict
Cumberbatch); fellow slave, Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o); the sympathetic Samuel
Bass (Brad Pitt); and the villainous Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The film boats a talented cast also including Paul
Dano, Sarah Paulson, and Paul Giamatti, and everyone (sans remarkably a
somewhat distracting Brad Pitt) plays their roles excellently—standouts being
Ejiofor and Fassbender. The two absolutely dominate the screen with brilliant
performances. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The movie too boasts an unflinching harshness and
cruelty that, in light of the times portrayed, grabs you and refuses to let go.
The violence is not sensationalist—it’s natural. The lash of each whip will
induce a cringe; my theater was so silent that one could hear a mouse piss on
cotton. The pathos created by the film is punctuated by a wholly appropriate
score by Hans Zimmer. I personally find the composer a tad overrated and his
pieces too familiar. In a way, <i>12 Years </i>attests
to that criticism of his work. However, when the music intensifies it impresses
without becoming too bombastic. A reserved and operative outturning for Zimmer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">McQueen’s direction is without a peccadillo. His shots
speak volumes about the world revived on screen—one such example being a shot
held for a couple minutes where a nearly lynched slave swings back and forth
whilst his fellow toilers pace about their business, daring not to interfere with
their master’s judgment. More substantial commentary is provided without the
tried, simple “racism is bad”—and without a patronizing sentimentality,
sugarcoating, or sense of paternalism. This isn’t a feel good movie about a
quest for freedom. It’s a commentary on a dark era and the struggle of a man
constantly on the verge of submitting to the despair that he’d have every
justification to embrace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>A</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-24251991040671276962013-10-19T19:10:00.000-07:002013-11-17T06:53:42.908-08:00Gravity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90FfVnTIQMIGeuKYVFDEZTqriLaa0YEHI_6EBubyp4FxI4qWrt95CFtA82LXuV-LF-XkbhGcgFZCTC8OzhT-yNNXJEhgz3dLmy0vRYM_VgRLxyMHQ-64iDUWeECxdtoEBKcOF6pC39ANn/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90FfVnTIQMIGeuKYVFDEZTqriLaa0YEHI_6EBubyp4FxI4qWrt95CFtA82LXuV-LF-XkbhGcgFZCTC8OzhT-yNNXJEhgz3dLmy0vRYM_VgRLxyMHQ-64iDUWeECxdtoEBKcOF6pC39ANn/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“How could anyone make a
90-minute long movie just about someone getting lost in space?” was the first
thing that would come out of the mouths of my friends whenever Alfonso Cuarón’s
latest film, <i>Gravity, </i>would be
brought up. And I must confess I found myself asking the same question. I did this
in spite of my belief that a good movie can be made out of anything with a
proper vision and within the appropriate hands. Adding to my folly was the fact
that I did enjoy the trailers I’d seen for the film. They were intense yet
vague enough to pique my curiosity. And they did their jobs—they got us talking
about the movie. My incredulity was tamed by the high praise of James Cameron,
who called <i>Gravity </i>“the best space
film ever done” (whatever that vague praise means, it’s definitely <i>high</i> praise). Upon watching the movie,
the answer to the aforementioned question is simple: Cuarón did not make <i>a</i> movie <i>just </i>about someone getting lost in space. He made <i>the </i>movie about getting lost in space,
and it was so much more than just that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The film stars Sandra
Bullock as Dr. Ryan Stone, a medical engineer who has embarked on her first
mission into space. Her natural inhibitions in the situation don’t combine well
with hang ups she has over the abrupt death of her daughter years ago.
Accompanying her is George Clooney’s Lieutenant Matt Kowalski—foil to Stone in
his experience, composure, and levity despite the dangerous situations in which
the duo finds themselves. And find danger they do. After an immaculate uninterrupted
opening shot accompanied by no score, the plot is kick started when debris from
a satellite destroys their shuttle and sends the astronauts hurling into space.
The next hour and a half’s dedicated to their attempts to survive whilst
overcoming any obstacles that endanger them—including themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As previously mentioned,
the film opens with the build of a loud whine, and then silence, accompanied by
the opening shot which is held uncut for several minutes as the camera pans
around the shuttle, introducing us to our protagonists. The long shots utilized,
plus close in, claustrophobic shots in the film draw you into the action,
adding a layer of verisimilitude already present in abundance due to the
masterful sound editing and usage of the score (or lack thereof). There’s nothing
quite like it when you witness an astronaut spiraling through space as machines
explode around her and yet nothing is audible sans her panicked gasps and cries
for help. When the characters are struggling to breathe, or fighting to hold
on, you’ll find yourself catching your own breath, and gripping the seat of
your chair for dear life. It’s a wholly engrossing experience further enhanced
by contrasting shots of the gorgeous planet Earth and the cold, condemning depths
of space.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The setting notwithstanding,
<i>Gravity </i>manages to avoid being a
sterile experience for the viewer. You will sympathize with the struggles of
Bullock’s Ryan further than simply her fight for survival in space, as she
subtly (in that it doesn’t take from the film’s focus) goes through a metamorphosis
of sorts throughout the movie. The film has deeper themes of the inevitability
of death and spirituality, and metaphysical shots of un-birth and evolution.
This plus the astounding soundtrack by Steven Price enhance the experience even
further. And that’s what <i>Gravity </i>is.
It’s a true space experience—a marvel of contemporary film technology and
technique that will have you glued to the screen and on the edge of your seat
from the beginning until your departure, astounded by what’s been seen and
longing for more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>A+</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-47017664740869833342013-07-12T13:46:00.000-07:002013-11-17T06:53:51.467-08:00Pacific Rim<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaQQmlC5AViFp0OrCdSu0mLLEjIMWFxS531djJzQfQSIbrzFw3Vcr5vxty_k9xhIX1SVlOXwKbalFQZAl6XrnB7fAIU1khKOSL5zYK948WBW2stmjvlPI8dUlVfcd0DSqXQ8WVEO5gPob/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaQQmlC5AViFp0OrCdSu0mLLEjIMWFxS531djJzQfQSIbrzFw3Vcr5vxty_k9xhIX1SVlOXwKbalFQZAl6XrnB7fAIU1khKOSL5zYK948WBW2stmjvlPI8dUlVfcd0DSqXQ8WVEO5gPob/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ever since I was in
elementary school I’ve watched mecha anime like <i>Dai-Guard, Full Metal Panic!, </i>and <i>The Big O</i>; and I’ve grown to love more series as I’ve grown up such
as <i>Neon Genesis Evangelion</i> and <i>Gurren Lagann</i>. I’ve also had an affinity
for giant monsters, or Kaiju, such as Godzilla (I’ve reviewed <i>Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster</i>).
Guillermo Del Toro’s new film, <i>Pacific
Rim</i>, is a love letter to the giant robot and monster genres—packed full of
action, heroes, carnage, and beasts. However, what separates this project from
other blockbuster fair (such as Michael Bay’s <i>Transformers</i>, a film that regrettably has been compared to this
one) is the passion and creativity imbedded in its design.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As exposited via narration
by protagonist Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam), Earth has been caught in a war
against Kaiju, giant beasts, which have risen from a dimensional rift beneath
the sea. With humanity brought to its knees in combat against these titans,
mankind unites its forces to create “Jaegers”—giant robots piloted by two
humans who share a mental link and shared consciousness that operates the
Jaegers. The stronger the link, the more efficient the performance. When
Raleigh’s brother and co-pilot is killed in battle, he retires until dragged
out by Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), the Jaeger forces commander. Pentecost
ultimately pairs up Raleigh with rookie and prodigy Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi),
who also has her own baggage. Nonetheless, the two grow to become partners and
join the war in its final days against the Kaiju threat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Pacific Rim </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">wastes
no time in delivering what its audience has come to see—gargantuan combat. It
doesn’t force the audience to sit through an hour of obnoxious and uninteresting
characters who hog the film’s focus. It sets the foundation for the movie,
establishes the characters and their motivations just enough to get you to care
and establish tension, all whilst seamlessly constructing the world that they
encompass. The lack of depth to the characters and story may bother some
viewers (presumably those outside of the target demographic), but then, why are
you watching this film for those things anyway?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The movie never goes too
long without showing a thrilling action scene, whether it be a brawl, a martial
arts duel, or the Jaegers and Kaiju duking it out. And when they duke it out
they <i>duke it out. </i>The CGI here is
astounding, giving both the monsters and machines a weight to their movements
and actions. You feel the impact of their blows as you revel in the violence.
Both Jaegers and Kaiju have original designs with sensible and well-utilized
aesthetics. The scale is huge and is enhanced by the bright colors and
lighting. There’s a fight scene in Hong Kong at night (as most of the fights
are), with the city’s neon lights, that ranks among my favorite moments in the
film. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ultimately, Del Toro’s
creation both targets a niche audience and casual viewers, all while bringing
forth a refreshing passion and ingenuity that has been missing from Hollywood.
It’s an example of how to make a simple (almost Saturday morning cartoon-like),
fun blockbuster, without the dumb.</span></div>
<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-14476892919779559692013-07-07T10:52:00.000-07:002013-11-17T06:54:10.121-08:00Trance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkx0Huclu6R8_kN-Cn_Wws76xsp_zAE0_IuO_Q-C7_PdsB3a8S4gtnUNXEi8MCMioeg6Y6tWI_13Gq18Yf9kw4L3Scyin9W4szlzdDFi6B8Hsb1pg4QyOIYZBVUKyKOCM4pjwp5er7xTB/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkx0Huclu6R8_kN-Cn_Wws76xsp_zAE0_IuO_Q-C7_PdsB3a8S4gtnUNXEi8MCMioeg6Y6tWI_13Gq18Yf9kw4L3Scyin9W4szlzdDFi6B8Hsb1pg4QyOIYZBVUKyKOCM4pjwp5er7xTB/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Trance</span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">,
latest film from Danny Boyle of <i>Trainspotting
</i>and <i>Slumdog Millionaire </i>fame, is
a movie I find comparable to Christopher Nolan’s <i>Inception </i>in a couple of ways. Both use interesting visuals in stories
about a group of criminals utilizing mind-delving techniques that play with
both the conceptions of both the characters and the audience. However, they are
also similar in that these premises are made needlessly convoluted and once you
look past the interesting idea; there isn’t a lot of character depth or writing
to really carry it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The movie begins with
central character Simon (James McAvoy) working at an art auction where he’s tasked
with preserving the most valuable works in worst case scenarios. Whilst we see
this, we are aided with narration from McAvoy that ultimately proves pointless
in the overall scope of the film.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It is soon thereafter
revealed that McAvoy is part of a group of art thieves, and while he was
supposed to hand the art off to an accomplice, Franck (Vincent Cassel), he hid
it, and after a blow to the head, cannot recall where he did so, nor why.
Forced to see a hypnotist, Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson), to seep into his subconscious
and find the painting’s location, the trio find themselves caught in a triangle
of double-crossings, love, and vengeance, all taking place within one another’s
psyches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">There is a sense of unease
that the movie creates due to commendable cinematography and tricks of the
camera. The utilization of negative space, Dutch angles, mirror/reflection
usage, and creative shot transitions all make the experience feel off—in a good
way. This is complimented by the score, done by longtime partner of Boyle, Rick
Smith. The usage of techno and electric music makes the experience all the more
stylistic. Unfortunately, there isn’t much substance beneath the style.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The characters have little
characterization or complexities to them, though the leads do commendable jobs in portraying the weak material (especially Dawson). What we do learn about them is fed to
use through expositional dialogue rather than allowing them to be fleshed out
naturally. Furthermore, the movie feels needlessly complex. Similar to <i>Inception</i>, Elizabeth’s use of hypnotism
takes the characters into different layers so that the audience isn’t quite
sure whether what we’re watching is reality or not. It’s confusing for the sake
of it, doesn’t try to meet you half way, and makes the middle to ending acts
feel meandering. Admittedly I may have missed details in all that transpired,
but then my question still stands: why did it have to be so hard to follow in
the first place?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ultimately, the movie
grows tiring as it piles on unnecessary nudity, violence, and confusing plot
threads that end up tangling everything up and making a confusing mess. The
saving grace is the style—the music and visuals. But there isn’t enough to
really engross you in the trance.</span></div>
<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">C+<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-77128981656706133482013-06-29T15:51:00.000-07:002013-11-17T06:54:18.346-08:00Monsters University <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWYv68ZicvAhTpHdpcXKo5LSakefcUbzWDjvwQZzeR1KrHa9Q_PHnVuV3N0NKisfP5NvVfeYrpHeaiECapFqe9eEixqJfk6rECGmk73Mw25NATS3ZuruzWbSHVdW7Hs0VUgaR_wmOf7wr/s480/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWYv68ZicvAhTpHdpcXKo5LSakefcUbzWDjvwQZzeR1KrHa9Q_PHnVuV3N0NKisfP5NvVfeYrpHeaiECapFqe9eEixqJfk6rECGmk73Mw25NATS3ZuruzWbSHVdW7Hs0VUgaR_wmOf7wr/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It’s no secret amongst those who know me that I’m a
huge lover of the works of Disney and Pixar. This also makes me a vocal critic
of their lesser efforts. I’ve no
hesitance in saying that both companies have had their share of duds—Pixar with
two in a row as of late with the disappointing <i>Brave </i>and the soulless <i>Cars
2. </i> When a prequel was announced to <i>Monsters Inc. </i>in the form of <i>Monsters University</i>, I found myself
disappointed due to Pixar’s apparently failing once again to strive for the original
storytelling they’re known for, and instead relying on a popular property to
make bank off of, similarly to what they did with <i>Cars 2.</i> Now I’m glad to report that <i>University </i>is a follow-up closer to <i>Toy Story 2 </i>in quality after all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The film places Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James
“Sully” Sullivan (John Goodman) back into the spotlight—this time as students
at the titular Monsters University. Mike lacks the physical attributes to be a
frightening creature, and has compensated by studying the notably intricate
techniques that go into a successful scaring. Sully, on the other hand, comes
from a legacy of renowned scarers, and was blessed with an intimidating
demeanor that he has failed to back up with the proper skill. Jealous of one
another’s talents, the two immediately bash heads, leading them to suspension
from their scare class. Forced into a fraternity of losers, the two have to compensate
for what they lack whilst becoming the friends we know from the sequel to make
the grade.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Monsters University
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">has the great animation you’d come to
expect from a Pixar film, and some of the humor too (especially visual comedy).
It’s entertaining and there are some great moments, but overall, it’s a weaker
effort compared to its predecessors. All of your obligatory college jokes are
here, but it did spare us egregious references to <i>Animal House, </i>so there’s that. However, having said this, the
feature deserves praise for actually being a strong prequel. Instead of diminishing
its predecessor, it actually enriches the original film the way this one fleshes
out the universe. This, as well as twists in the narrative, makes up for the
moments of running through the motions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Due to the premise of the film, there’s a level of
predictability you expect going into it. And in a lot of ways, as I’ve pointed
out, you’d be right. Maybe it’s due to lowered expectations, but I found myself
respecting the movie for the turns it took with the story. <i>University </i>delivers with a strong message for kids: You can’t
always be what you want to be, no matter how bad you want it. Some people are
born with opportunities that we can’t hope to attain, but we all have something
unique that we <i>can </i>contribute with,
albeit with a lot of hard work. While the movie delivers its theme with a
subtlety you’d expect from a kids’ product, it’s still very well. Despite
shortcomings and moments that don’t hit the mark, <i>Monsters University </i>passes with flying colors when it comes to
delivering the heart you’d hope for in a Pixar film.</span></div>
<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">B<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-60743428661115371472013-06-27T13:09:00.000-07:002013-11-17T06:54:27.792-08:00Now You See Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEbWN0rtrtaNqsavkc7Odj8tmJt_k4EXY9-QPUj0oPVvxMKsPZscJPIggUJp-4dH5lX4aeL7hblX6PoFUtErqNy7HGo_pGcnzXcvlXsiQgWPtUY1Zupi0cGCOJUcWdkvS27V7kGRL6_Ag/s480/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEbWN0rtrtaNqsavkc7Odj8tmJt_k4EXY9-QPUj0oPVvxMKsPZscJPIggUJp-4dH5lX4aeL7hblX6PoFUtErqNy7HGo_pGcnzXcvlXsiQgWPtUY1Zupi0cGCOJUcWdkvS27V7kGRL6_Ag/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Director of <i>Now
You See Me, </i>Louis Leterrier, embarked on a task to create a heist film
with a twist—the thieves are stage magicians. And it’s a solid premise. <i>Inception’s </i>shtick was dreams, here it’s
magic. However, herein lays a dilemma. Do you focus on wizardry and
shoot for the supernatural, or do you try and root the story in a realism that
challenges the audience and also adds verisimilitude to the universe? The
latter is unarguably the more difficult of the two, but also the more
rewarding. Leterrier shot for both without a consistency to make either
exceedingly effective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a name='more'></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The movie has three focal groups. The first is the Four
Horsemen—a band of stage magicians comprised of Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg),
Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), and Merritt McKinney
(Woody Harrelson). For reasons unknown, these four have joined acts and began a
spree of heists utilizing their powers of illusion. The second is the FBI, who
has assigned Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and his partner Alma Dray (Mélanie
Laurent) to track the Horsemen down. Finally there’s Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan
Freeman), an ex-magician who’s dedicated his life to exposing fraudulent
performers. This trio tries to
outmaneuver one another as the Horsemen’s mysterious ambitions and plot
unfolds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">There is a lot of talent in the aforementioned cast.
However, the problem lies in the fact that four of the leads—the Horsemen—are underdeveloped
to a fault. Their characters are single noted and their relationship
underexposed. Whenever the movie shows their ventures it’s a hollow display, and to make matters worse, the plot is as thin as its antiheroes. The story moves about at an admittedly brisk pace sans its habit of dropping exposition bombs, but it fails to really go deep enough to be
satisfactory. The film attempts to distract you from this with tricks,
illusions, and neat special effects—much akin to the stage performers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Now You See Me </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">cheats
with its universe’s rules for cheap amusement. It’s the equivalent of rattling
keys in the face of an infant. As previously noted, Leterrier attempts to
utilize both logical illusions and the supernatural, but it comes off as a
sloppy affair. The supernatural is implemented only when it is convenient to
the script (McKinney’s hypnosis and mind reading’s inexplicable), and though
the film establishes that real magic exists unbeknownst to most of the world,
the fact that the Horsemen utilize it throughout the film undermines much of
the established efforts. It feels like a copout.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The movie’s failures prove as disappointing as they are
because there are genuine sparks of intelligence. There’s a fight scene where a
character has to utilize illusions and tricks to outdo his opponent. It was
honestly exciting, but it and a few other scenes were far too rare. Daniel
Atlas had a catchphrase of sorts in the film that he’d preface before a trick: “The
closer you look, the less you’ll see.” I feel like this was a warning from the
writer to the audience, because those words ring all to true when it comes to
thinking about this movie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">C-<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-35078712280779526982013-06-14T07:27:00.002-07:002013-11-17T06:54:35.455-08:00Man of Steel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2eJkwmlFUdxLdqHypnZf4TR91NXZDY7QRnQaBLvlb1YVt2_P6bwR81L31bvXP9SgOu79TSk2T21zdlm6kcHXso4usjAbcMgK30iY-vKM-sRXMUQU7V8YCOi8ZiGwTr5jKm-Our-hkiWu/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2eJkwmlFUdxLdqHypnZf4TR91NXZDY7QRnQaBLvlb1YVt2_P6bwR81L31bvXP9SgOu79TSk2T21zdlm6kcHXso4usjAbcMgK30iY-vKM-sRXMUQU7V8YCOi8ZiGwTr5jKm-Our-hkiWu/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Despite being one of, and arguably <i>the </i>most iconic superhero of all-time,
Superman’s track record in the world of film hasn’t been one to brag about. The
first two films in the series of films that debuted in 1978 are enjoyed (though
I myself am not a huge fan), but the last two are unanimously ridiculed. The
reboot/retcon/sequel <i>Superman Returns </i>released
in 2006 has also endured its fair share of criticism. Despite this, Zack Snyder’s
reboot<i>, Man of Steel</i>, received
incredible hype to be the first great Superman film. And to be honest, I bought
into the hype. The film had some great promotional material, including an
awesome trailer or two. However, I’m disappointed to report that Superman’s
return to the silver screen wasn’t so super after all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Krypton is dying and as if that were not
enough to deal with, General Zod (Michael Shannon) is leading a coup, and
wishes for Jor-El (Russel Crowe) to join him. Poor time to choose to overthrow
your government, but whatever. El refuses and sends his newborn into space to
find a new home, along with a codex containing all of Kryptonian DNA so that
their race may once again live. Zod and his followers are eventually
apprehended and banished to the “Phantom Zone”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Jor’s son sent into space was Kal-El—raised
on Earth as Clark Kent (Henry Cavill). Clark’s childhood experiences are told
via flashback, alternating between his ventures as a young man attempting to “find
his place” in the world. The decision to tell his story this way was a poor
one. Instead of watching him grow as a character, we receive information out of
order for no real reason. Here lies a big part of the movie’s problem as well—Clark’s
character arc never serves to challenge him as a person as an adult. Throughout
his youth he is told that he’ll have to decide what kind of man he wishes to
become, but <i>as </i>a man, he displays
little depth or conflict outside of physical confrontations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Man
of Steel</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> moves quickly, introducing characters such
as Lois Lane (Amy Adams)—his love interest—and others without much
characterization or character interactions to make you empathize. The film is
focused more so on rushing to the reintroduction of Zod and his followers, who,
after escaping the Phantom Zone, have come to Earth to obtain the codex and
turn Earth into a new Krypton. What follows is a nonstop barrage of action
scenes, shaking cameras, and special effects—albeit nice ones. However, after
the action begins, it’s like a roller coaster that never gives you a chance to
breathe. It becomes tiring, and you become dull to the escalation. The film
seriously struggled with pacing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Despite a capable performance from Cavill
as the titular Man of Steel, he failed to compensate for the blandness of his
character. There was a strong foundation to really test Superman’s morals and
allegiance, but the first half of the film is rendered pointless by the unfulfilled
potential. It merely served to fill time until the senseless carnage could
begin, where characters the film never took the time to invest us in are
endangered, and we honestly couldn’t care less. It just dragged and dragged
without any of the joy, fun, or heart present in the Donner films to balance out
the body count. It never convinces you that a <i>man </i>can fly.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">D+<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-46741061896221331342013-06-11T06:04:00.000-07:002013-11-17T06:54:45.594-08:00Stoker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI97QrPkDOfuUnaa3AJmhkKOY5yedqvKtoBvIaibQqj8Q09Lyf4ReGSOKHyKm65-B37J4H_BN3AkMLuClI7OI9z84KOjY4mwdh-GUxgHmXehyphenhyphenHLU5HX1MgQvWsBIs9ROgmGAeJTL6qMZKr/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI97QrPkDOfuUnaa3AJmhkKOY5yedqvKtoBvIaibQqj8Q09Lyf4ReGSOKHyKm65-B37J4H_BN3AkMLuClI7OI9z84KOjY4mwdh-GUxgHmXehyphenhyphenHLU5HX1MgQvWsBIs9ROgmGAeJTL6qMZKr/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">One of my favorite movies is <i>Old Boy</i>, and its director, Park
Chan-wook, is a talented filmmaker. There’s a bite to the stories he’s told,
and they’re punctuated with tight cinematography and visuals. For the longest
time I anticipated the debut of his first American film, <i>Stoker</i>, but it’s taken me over three months to get around to seeing
it due to its limited release. Now that I have, I can confidently report that in
most respects, <i>Stoker </i>met my
expectations—such as in the visual department. However, it’s also an imperfect
affair—specifically in the narrative.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The movie begins at the funeral of Richard
Stoker, father of the central character, India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska), and
husband to her mother, Evelyn (Nicole Kidman). Their mourning doesn’t last
long, as soon thereafter Richard’s brother, Charlie (Mathew Goode) moves in
with the two. Charlie appears to be a jack-of-all-trades, quickly making a good
impression on everyone save for India, whom he has taken a particular interest
in. As time goes on, India begins to mature and form a relationship with
Charlie in ways that she’d never expected before, putting her at odds with her
mother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Stoker
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">is one of those films where next to no one within its
universe behaves like a completely normal human being. Each primary character
has their own issues that influence how they behave, but they aren’t exactly
the most exhilarating to watch. The movie moves at a patient pace without
feeling too long—but that’s only if <i>you </i>have
patience and an appreciation for the movie’s visual storytelling. It wouldn’t
be held against you if you didn’t find the characters too engaging—despite the
capable performances from the cast. In spite of their subdued mannerisms and
behaviors, the actors—especially Wasikowska and Goode—manage to compliment the
film’s often unnerving atmosphere. Admittedly, this makes it all the more
impactful whenever a shocking scene occurs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">What really stands out in the film are the
visuals. Lots of negative space, symbolism, original transitions, and clever
imagery are present, and much of the story is told through them. The abstractness
and uniqueness utilized in many of the movie’s shots and conversions add to the
creepiness value of the overall picture. There’s also an anachronistic appeal
derived from the setting of the movie and the costumes worn by the characters;
almost as if this was a story displaced in time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The film’s themes of maturity and
corruption are touched upon in different ways—one of which unsurprisingly being
sexual. However, much akin to the film that partially influenced it, <i>Lolita</i>, the movie doesn’t quite reach that
point to which it seemingly is escalating to truly shake you. I admit this may
just be me, but maybe it would have been more effective had the characters (India,
precisely) not been so blasé from the beginning of the movie. This would have
made her development more impactful and organic. Nonetheless, <i>Stoker </i>is a success in spite of some
narrative issues due to its eerie atmosphere and immaculate imagery—which in
their own ways tell the story better than the characters and their dialogue
ever could.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>A-</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-41158048435249114012013-06-05T07:39:00.001-07:002013-11-17T06:54:57.494-08:00Kotonoha no Niwa (The Garden of Words) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgooCwbtCtuk76T7BeOTuy2CQ_zMs_Q9beeVp9OYOn5h3jtJ-rP-T0dulh7dY5IEOu0jeYbihz-orR4FqX_NdXE8fTowA47inxog-XB99vVuABMKLh-zxki0tPptTUq5gY-x6iMg4bI93lu/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgooCwbtCtuk76T7BeOTuy2CQ_zMs_Q9beeVp9OYOn5h3jtJ-rP-T0dulh7dY5IEOu0jeYbihz-orR4FqX_NdXE8fTowA47inxog-XB99vVuABMKLh-zxki0tPptTUq5gY-x6iMg4bI93lu/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I
happened to discover <i>Kotonoha no Niwa </i>while
I was on Tumblr. While scrolling I came across a couple of gifs portraying
visuals from the film, and I almost immediately disregarded them as just some
neat shots of nature. Then as I continued to scroll my eye happened to catch
the word “anime”. Immediately I viewed the images again and I was taken aback
to realize that the imagery I was watching was in fact animated. Straightaway I
looked up the source of these beautiful graphics and watched the movie. I knew
that even if the film was to fail on a narrative level in my eyes, I’d at least
be pleased based off of the imagery alone. As it turns out, I was immersed into
both.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
film focuses on two protagonists: Takao, a fifteen-year-old high school student
who struggles between childish delights and a desire to grow up so as to
achieve his dream of becoming a shoemaker; and Yukino, a twenty-seven-year-old
woman who shares Takao’s aspirations to mature and progress, but lacks his
ambition and confidence to do so. The two meet on a rainy day (the first of
many in the Kanto region’s rainy season) and over the course of the film a
romance of sorts buds between them as they learn more about each other and
themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Kotonoha no Niwa </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">is
a short movie at only forty-six minutes long, but it manages to flesh out its
characters and their relationships notably well in its timespan. The character’s
dilemmas are ones that are easily emphasized with—making their relationship
believable despite the age difference between the two. Their manners of
thinking and behavior are testaments to their true ages, but how they view and
react to their situations also reveals their maturities and immaturities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
“romance” between the two is the secondary focal point of the movie, and it’s
handled with finesse—as a relationship of this type must be. There’s a level of
sensuality that’s established without becoming creepy, and the ramifications of
their relationship going too far is a plot point also handled with tact, never
tarnishing the innocence the movie airs, nor overshadowing the main themes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
primary focal point, however, are the visuals. <i>Kotonoha no Niwa </i>is one of the most gorgeous animated films I can
recall seeing. While I don’t claim to know how it was animated, there appears
to be a blend of computer generated imagery and hand-drawn that creates visuals
that blur the line between the surreal and the real. Throughout the film are
various unique shots that show off the amazing artistic design with imagery of
nature. Most of the environment almost becomes characters in itself—especially the
rain. With its beauty and relevance in the story, I’d argue it <i>is </i>a character. This is without even mentioning the beautiful score by Daisuke Kashiwa.</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.265625px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The movie proved itself
to be one of both visceral and visual depth, and with such a brief running
time, it lends itself to be viewed again and again without oversaturating the
audience.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A-<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-64576542074524820902013-05-31T16:51:00.000-07:002013-11-17T06:55:10.646-08:00The Great Gatsby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uiwbiZFp0WpRvrgMtHv1Wsj9smXeKQQYGayAhCJaIyrczhQmTzRDEChDFY1o3t7Uy3kpdXXisROxAPhoVbG28FBwrtNOelqPpTBFXJ1c98P5wpslWCxY34pSXG-UsOq8RCrNUzbBSNIP/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uiwbiZFp0WpRvrgMtHv1Wsj9smXeKQQYGayAhCJaIyrczhQmTzRDEChDFY1o3t7Uy3kpdXXisROxAPhoVbG28FBwrtNOelqPpTBFXJ1c98P5wpslWCxY34pSXG-UsOq8RCrNUzbBSNIP/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">F.
Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel <i>The Great Gatsby</i> is my
favorite book, so my love for the source material did not increase my anticipation
for Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation. As evident from the director’s prior works, <i>Romeo + Juliet, </i>and <i>Moulin Rouge, </i>Luhrmann is a filmmaker with more of an appreciation
for visual congruence than narrative congruence. My feelings were not eased by
the fact that Jay Z produced the soundtrack with such contemporary artists such
as Gotye (despite my appreciation for his music), Lana Del Rey, Fergie,
will.i.am, and more—none of which being appropriate for a film taking place in
the 1920’s jazz era. Despite all the red flags, I ended up seeing the film
against my better judgment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">The
plot for the film more or less faithfully follows that of the original novel.
Nick Caraway (Tobey Maguire), young Yale graduate and aspiring bond salesman
moves to Long Island in the village of West Egg, where he finds himself
residing next to Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio)—the richest man around and host
to weekly lavish parties. Nonetheless, Gatsby has remained anonymous—that is
until he approaches Nick, using him to get close to his cousin Daisy Buchannan
(Carey Mulligan)—Gatsby’s old flame and inspiration for his riches. As the two
rekindle their old relationship, Nick finds himself learning more about those
he deemed his friends and the corruption that lives in 1920’s New York, all
whilst exploring the spirit of the times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">The Great Gatsby </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">lacks
the subtleties, depth, and characterization of the source novel, but this was
to be expected. The beginning of the film operates on a break-neck pace,
dishing out exposition and character introductions. As the movie progresses,
the pace slows down and the movie takes its time where it counts—making for
surprisingly impactful and well executed scenes. These are accentuated by an
impressive performance from DiCaprio as the titular Gatsby. He delivers one of
the more impressive efforts of his career. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Luhrmann
compensates for the lack of narrative strength with <i>gorgeous</i> visuals. The movie is an absolute joy to look at—especially
in the party scenes taking place at Gatsby’s mansion. Vibrant colors and
choreography make you feel engrossed—though there are rare moments when it
feels too cartoony. The aforementioned soundtrack that I so loathed turned out
to be better than I expected. Instead of disdain, it was more hit-or-miss.
While some pieces like the rap songs and whatnot definitely took me out of the
movie, there were instrumentals (such as Gotye’s “Heart’s a Mess”) that worked exquisitely,
and jazz renditions of contemporary songs that also worked well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Ultimately,
Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of <i>The Great Gatsby</i> was anything but, and
utterly paled in comparison to the source material. However, for an attempted
modernization of the novel, it turned out much better than it could have. The
second half of the movie had some strong scenes, and there were strong
performances to compliment them. Add excellent imagery and the occasional
strong music piece, and you have a film that is at least half as fun as it
wanted to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">B-<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-53103213760405299062013-05-04T07:57:00.000-07:002013-11-17T06:55:25.640-08:00Iron Man 3<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdjKhs_jRR9LahHGH0idAAiV1MPGOuKAYD1L8pRnpO-mpCd_fqVfxVqdmW8AypJ_0vv6s8uRq0sgP0OHmQh-uzo5oXZcVijz-bSHfF2ccF0FwkrtSTNijsXC1btn5ZpOgB7m2cBAN7vL5/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdjKhs_jRR9LahHGH0idAAiV1MPGOuKAYD1L8pRnpO-mpCd_fqVfxVqdmW8AypJ_0vv6s8uRq0sgP0OHmQh-uzo5oXZcVijz-bSHfF2ccF0FwkrtSTNijsXC1btn5ZpOgB7m2cBAN7vL5/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This isn’t what I wanted, and this wasn’t
what I was promised. Allow me to begin by telling you that this film is an
elaborate troll. Ever since the promotional campaign for this film began, it
has all been culminating to the biggest troll moment in the Marvel Cinematic
Universe thus far. We were promised the darkest, grandiose installment to the <i>Iron Man </i>series thus far to conclude the
trilogy with a bang. Most trilogies do promise this, and even if the films
themselves aren’t good (<i>Spider-Man 3, The
Dark Knight Rises</i>), they at least knew <i>not
</i>to go out on a whimper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Iron
Man 3 </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">begins in 1999 with a flashback
establishing the theme of “creating our own demons” in a silly attempt to connect
with the themes of the prior two films. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) does
this by brushing off a disabled scientist named Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) for
a one-night-stand with scientist Maya Henson (Rebecca Hall), inventor of a
regenerative treatment known as “Extremis”. The film then fast-forwards to sometime
after the events of <i>The Avengers</i>. Since
then, Tony has been suffering from anxiety attacks that have cost him his
sleep. Out of fear of losing the one thing he can’t live without, Pepper Potts
(Gwyneth Paltrow), he has dedicated all of his time to the creation of dozens
of new armors in case alien forces ever return. While this could have been an
effective obstacle for Tony’s character, his anxiety is mostly played for
laughs, and his relationship with Pepper rarely feels sincere. And what it all
culminates to is laughably horrendous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Meanwhile, a terrorist under the alias of “Mandarin”
(Ben Kingsley) is terrorizing the globe, raising global tensions and confusion
at the lack of forensic evidence. When Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) is seriously
injured in one of the Mandarin’s attacks, Tony openly challenges the madman,
going so far as to give him his home address (yes, he tells a terrorist where
to find him, his armors, and his beloved girlfriend). As you’d expect, his home
is decimated, and Tony is forced to flee, believed to be dead by the world.
When Colonel Rhodes (Don Cheadle) also finds himself entangled in the hunt for
the Mandarin, it’s up to Iron Man and the newly named Iron Patriot to stop this
ominous threat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I’m just going to come out and warn you—the
Mandarin is a dividing character. You will either loathe him, or hate what the
film does with him. That’s all I’ve to say on his character. Our other villain,
Aldrich Killian, is quite bad, with motivations that are as superfluous as his
aspirations. He’s not a strong enough character to compensate for what I
believe to be a terrible representation of the Mandarin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The film is also crippled by an embarrassingly
inconsistent tone. Everything, no matter how dramatic it may be for the
characters, is played for laughs. It’s ironic how dramatic this movie was
promoted to be, and yet every time there’s a chance for some really strong
pathos, the movie shoehorns in some witty dialogue. There really is no other
way to explain what this is, save for a big troll. Everything about it. The
villain isn’t take seriously, the hero is never tried by fire (he’s a quitter),
there’s no gravitas… it’s just a mess. Almost a subversion of what you’d expect
from a film like this. If that’s what you want, you’ll enjoy this movie. But if
you go in wanting and expecting what you’ve been promised? I’m sorry. This is worse than <i>Iron Man 2</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>D-</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-24165276328261340002013-04-23T13:28:00.000-07:002013-11-17T06:55:33.898-08:00The Place Beyond the Pines<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83hq3YNwin8FNSm0Y8TYIM61V4vSo3F6GLQaO1eOT1oyoxmNk5frz3lb0rFU1NEDmf4PuB1zh5ON1ZfcVjdMaog1at2suDxC9tfK827_K6eSC3M112by2FywnCv0MQy-GrQ7Q-KKrRo6W/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83hq3YNwin8FNSm0Y8TYIM61V4vSo3F6GLQaO1eOT1oyoxmNk5frz3lb0rFU1NEDmf4PuB1zh5ON1ZfcVjdMaog1at2suDxC9tfK827_K6eSC3M112by2FywnCv0MQy-GrQ7Q-KKrRo6W/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Derek
Cianfrance’s (director of <i>Blue Valentine</i>)
latest film, <i>The Place Beyond the Pines</i>,
is a tale of two men, and how their personally vices intertwine their families
and affect them for years to come. Like <i>Blue
Valentine, </i>the story is grounded in a verisimilitude that makes it
engaging, from the very first shot of the film which follows Ryan Gosling’s
Luke from his trailer, through a carnival, and to his motorcycle, where he and
three other bikers proceed to perform their stunts in a confined cage—all in a
single shot. There are various strong shots like this throughout the film,
thanks to cinematographer Sean Bobbitt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
story is broken up into three segments—each focusing on different characters as
the plot progresses over the course of some sixteen years or so. As previously
mentioned, the first arc of the film focuses on Luke, a biker who travels with
a carnival performing stunts for a living. Returning to a town where he had a
one-night stand, he reunites with his old flame (Eva Mendes) only to find that he
has a one-year-old son. Determined to be there for his child like his father
never was, Luke abandons the carnival, and eventually takes up bank robbing to
support his kid. In this we see one of the film’s strengths—the character’s
complexities. Gosling gives an underplayed performance as Luke (much akin to
his role in <i>Drive</i>). His character
doesn’t have much depth, per say, but there is a duality to him, as there is
most of the characters. While he is a selfless man, willing to do what is
necessary for those he cares about, and avoiding harming others in the process,
there’s a reckless, violent, dark side to his personality that he struggles
with (again like <i>Drive)</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">After
about an hour, the film transitions to Bradley Cooper’s Avery, a young,
ambitious cop who finds himself thrown into the spotlight and hailed as a hero
for a success that Avery dramatized to attain. After this success, he finds
himself caught in a web of corruption within the NYPD, and he’s conflicted on
how to handle the situation. Cooper gives a serious, good performance, and his
character serves as a foil to Gosling’s—whereas the latter is selfless and
cares deeply for those around him, the former is more self-motivated, using
those around him and a false sense of morality to get ahead. Like Luke, Avery
too has a son. I mention him after the fact because the film also underplays
their relationship, expositing it in a single scene. This is of importance
because it is vital to the very theme of the movie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Once
more, the third act (after a fifteen year time skip) focuses on Avery and Luke’s
sons in high school (Jason, Luke’s son, played by Dane DeHaan; and AJ, Avery’s
son, played by Emory Cohen). Oblivious to their father’s past relationship
(which I’ve intentionally kept vague), the two form a venomous friendship. The
both of them are affected and share their father’s sins. This is where the
flaws of the film become more evident. Though the performances here are strong
as well, this is definitely the weakest part of the movie. The theme (which
seems to be one of a father’s roles in a boy’s life and generational sin) isn’t
executed as strongly as it should be, because the film doesn’t focus enough on
it. At least after Gosling’s act concludes. In that sense it feels meandering,
and the length at over two hours is definitely felt. The design is strong, the
performances on point, and the cinematography immaculate, but there is a lack
of focus that is detrimental.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>B+</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-31122311426022877382013-04-03T12:46:00.000-07:002013-11-17T06:55:46.509-08:00G.I. Joe: Retaliation<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJLcS2ZczE3mOe_uU45A5jmOzNkwtoByQbmBmdgkmG-AJOBfcZEVl6zkuGtjDXFi818CW-hqtoPYFPW_PYg7k4izXI44_NDUWuJi44tzzfOGBUfL0FV4GfXzY-DndScmfTfNscl7cMMpa/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJLcS2ZczE3mOe_uU45A5jmOzNkwtoByQbmBmdgkmG-AJOBfcZEVl6zkuGtjDXFi818CW-hqtoPYFPW_PYg7k4izXI44_NDUWuJi44tzzfOGBUfL0FV4GfXzY-DndScmfTfNscl7cMMpa/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">I was naturally hesitant to watch this
movie, and for self-explanatory reasons. The original film in this series, <i>G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra </i>was pretty bad,
and nothing from this film’s promotional material made it seem like this was
going to be anything better than your run-of-the mill action blockbuster. It
didn’t help that the movie was delayed nearly an entire year. This is never a
good sign. For all of my reservations though, this movie was better than it
should have been. This does not mean that it was good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">Retaliation </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">picks up some time
after the events of the first film. Duke (Channing Tatum) has risen through the
ranks, leading his own squad of Joes, including Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson),
Flint (D.J. Cotrona), and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki). These characters are
the replacements for the last movie’s heroes, who are left out with no
explanation whatsoever. Even Duke is <b><span style="color: red;">*SPOILER ALERT* </span></b>unceremoniously killed off within
the first twenty minutes (at Tatum’s request). The rest of the movie follows
suit by retconning established continuity of the last movie and characters for
the sake of convenience. It’s not like I was so in love with the status quo
from the last film, but consistency is appreciated it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">The Joes are attacked and seemingly
eradicated by Special Forces on orders from the president (who you may recall
is Zartan (Arnold Vosloo) in disguise) all part of Cobra’s secret plot to force
the world’s nations into submission to their military might. I’d be tempted to
go into detail on their means of doing so, but honestly, for this type of film,
the story is just too convoluted, meandering (the events in Japan) and hard to follow. You wouldn’t think the
writers of this movie would have such difficulty following the classic mantra:
Keep It Simple Stupid. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">Of course, what everyone came here for was
the action, and the movie doesn’t really disappoint in this regard. The fight
scenes are often silly, yes, but they also manage to be pretty suspenseful and exciting
if you’re willing to suspend your disbelief (which I admit, may be quite hard
to do). That doesn’t apply for all action pieces, though. The fights are filmed
tightly in close-quarters. It’s a bit claustrophobic, but you’re capable of at
least following what’s going on (as opposed to, say, <i>Batman Begins</i>). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">In ultimate execution here, everything is
pretty by the books. As in, the book as written (or at least codified) by
Michael Bay. Plenty of explosions, un-engaging characters, obnoxious sound
effects, and unnecessary sex appeal are here to be “enjoyed”, but the movie is
superior at least to films such as <i>Transformers.
</i>The comedy works better here, and it is generally better made. However,
that isn’t really saying much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">At this point I was going to come up with
some kind of witty way to end the review by quoting the TV show, but… Yeah.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";"><b>C-</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-38884605826400855092013-03-22T20:36:00.003-07:002014-08-11T17:33:27.351-07:00Oz the Great and Powerful<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkagTtsMYiRx9oSGd5nN-1YW86w6rqcJeMyFs-xJ6mLDmf0cwq-mzG2oN0-wx-Hm470C2mgRqt6df8PKcWCN89PJMe_6bet4X5soHrpBorCGDclj0USISikfWvS2kznAcN1NdzEEMbVds/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkagTtsMYiRx9oSGd5nN-1YW86w6rqcJeMyFs-xJ6mLDmf0cwq-mzG2oN0-wx-Hm470C2mgRqt6df8PKcWCN89PJMe_6bet4X5soHrpBorCGDclj0USISikfWvS2kznAcN1NdzEEMbVds/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There is a reason that
everyone (or, as I have been horrified to recently discover, <i>almost </i>everyone) loves the classic film,
<i>The Wizard of Oz. </i>The timeless
themes, memorable characters, archetypical journey, and its classic
representation of movie magic. While <i>Oz the
Great and Powerful </i>is enjoyable in some regards, and is in nearly every
regard better than I expected it to be, it fails to live up to the standard set
by its predecessor. This is by new means a surprise, but what I did personally
find shocking was how close it was to at least being close.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The movie opens in
black-and-white in 4:3 Academy ratio (later transitioning into color upon
entering Oz, in homage to the original film). Coincidentally, the transition
from reality into Oz also marks the progressive decline of the film’s quality.
The initial scenes in Kansas where our protagonist, Oscar "Oz" Diggs
(James Franco) is introduced, along with other characters who later appear in
Oz incarnations (Zach Braff, later as a flying monkey, and Michelle Williams,
as Glenda) were entertaining. The humor worked, and a particular scene where Oz
is exposed as a fraud was also effectively depressing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Upon finding himself in
the Land of Oz, Oz meets Theodora, a witch (played by Mila Kunis), who believes
he is the prophesized savior of the land. She almost immediately falls in love
with Oz, setting her up for a disappointing character arc that (SPOILER ALERT –
culminates in the worst villain origin story since Darth Vader’s).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Oz decides to play the
role of the messiah, destined to defeat the Wicked Witch and save the world.
Alongside a couple friends made along the way, he has to keep up his façade,
while fulfilling his destiny. The story is nothing to brag about, with obvious
twists, and silly plot points, but there are cool scenes, usually involving Oz’s
use of practical effects against the Wicked Witch’s forces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unfortunately, the movie
as a whole lacks said practical effects. The movie is heavy on CGI, and Oz is
visually stunning. It’s vibrant and colorful, but it’s also sterile and detached.
There are a few good shots (the movie is obviously meant to be watched in 3D),
but the green screen is evident and there’s never a real feeling of tension and
engrossment because nothing feels real. This wasn’t helped by the inconsistent
tone of the movie. Scenes that should have been intense or suspenseful had the
tension drained from them due to inappropriately timed comedic relief.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ultimately, the movie
failed due to a sloppy script, overreliance on computer effects, and an
inconsistent tone. There were small gems that showed that there was potential
to really make a movie that deserved to share the same name as the classic <i>Wizard of Oz </i>and the cult classic <i>Return to Oz</i>, such as some pretty good
humor, winks and nods, charming scenes, and abstaining from a lot of reimagined
fairy tale clichés, but above all else, it failed to truly capture the magic
that touched so many long ago.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>D+</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-82970137539810118932013-02-24T13:04:00.000-08:002013-11-17T06:56:02.481-08:00Beasts of the Southern Wild<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3pmTBZrbdzFbn6wx_mi6qtW_cxyvH7QAkrZmz9qbwK9NXDYM3oHgDEcjBK65G43124Ka-8R2YJXONf1DOD6v7F5-yeJ9RYB1Kl4E63Kq3_Au7eWeu85Uua1nGZHS41nOCk7G2YUWZyzq/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3pmTBZrbdzFbn6wx_mi6qtW_cxyvH7QAkrZmz9qbwK9NXDYM3oHgDEcjBK65G43124Ka-8R2YJXONf1DOD6v7F5-yeJ9RYB1Kl4E63Kq3_Au7eWeu85Uua1nGZHS41nOCk7G2YUWZyzq/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Beasts of the Southern Wild </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">from director Benh Zeitlin is a highly
visceral film in many regards. From its characters, their questionable actions,
the evocative score, and the worthy direction – the movie is vibrant with passion
and pronouncement without being pretentious or manipulative. The atmosphere
created is akin to that of a fantastic poem, punctuated by the harsh realities
that its characters try to avoid, but nonetheless prepare for. The world of the
Southern Wild is both rife with magic and tragedy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Six-year-old
Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis) is a strong but quizzical young girl who lives
with her father, Wink (Dwight Henry) in a southern Louisiana bayou cut off from
the rest of civilization by a levee (thus earning the bayou its name, the “bathtub”).
Wink is an ill-tempered man with an equally ill body. As a storm approaches the
bathtub, a handful of the devoted community decides to stand their ground
against the elements against all odds, and also against the authorities who
threaten their way of life (regardless of their intentions).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Wallis
gives an amazing performance as Hushpuppy. She perfectly portrays the
characters strong will, but also her natural fears and curiosities. Henry’s
Wink is also a good performance. The character is a divisive one. His treatment
of Hushpuppy is cruel, and to many, perhaps inexcusable. But his motivations
are pure, even if his methods may not be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
movie is punctuated by Hushpuppy’s narration, where she exposits her worldview
and perception of the events that transpire in her life through it
(imaginatively through the physical representation of prehistoric aurochs).
Honed by her father to be strong enough to endure the harshness of the bathtub
since birth, Hushpuppy’s comprehension of the world and how it truly operates
is initially skewed, and the movie is really about her journey, as well as the
journey of her fellow bathtub residents, to come to terms with the reality of
accepting change, and moving on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-16675291503192400392013-02-08T19:53:00.000-08:002013-11-17T06:56:12.251-08:00Side Effects<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLBw0Dp476X-q1wDZ4RWTEDJWL_6rdbjH2uXchgESFpEk_zOZFPiV-z5zGH3Jl3avIm78AMWl_YCZoUmzC1DcAbzl1WSb-REFqqrsaT86yWCoJ0jzrLL5OHJElTC2ZxGSoQq0xuKyc-cr/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLBw0Dp476X-q1wDZ4RWTEDJWL_6rdbjH2uXchgESFpEk_zOZFPiV-z5zGH3Jl3avIm78AMWl_YCZoUmzC1DcAbzl1WSb-REFqqrsaT86yWCoJ0jzrLL5OHJElTC2ZxGSoQq0xuKyc-cr/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Sitting down to watch <i>Side Effects, </i>I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting into. Based
off of the premise I had a vague idea of what to expect, and in some ways, my
expectations were fulfilled. However, there is more to the film than what it
initially gives off, and after the ball begins rolling, I was kept on the edge
of my seat constantly attempting to pinpoint where the movie was taking me, and
how we would get there. The path taken was a tight one, albeit bumpy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) is an apparently
devoted wife to Martin Taylor (Channing Tatum), who is returning home after
years in prison. Martin hits the ground running in an attempt to maintain his
marriage and pick up where he left off, but Emily has found herself returning
to a deep depression in his absence – one that forces her to turn to Jonathon
Banks (Jude Law), a well-meaning man with a family he cares for who attempts to
aid Emily with various medications. When all else fails, Emily tries Ablixa, a
pill suggested by former psychiatrist Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones) –
one with side effects that will send Emily even deeper down the rabbit hole,
dragging everyone along with her for the ride.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Director Steven Soderbergh meticulously
crafted the film, with strong cinematography that adds to the movie’s
atmosphere and tone. Low angle shots are utilized to create a feeling of
anxiousness and anxiety. The score also helps, with a minimalist soundtrack
that creates a surreal feeling throughout the film. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Rooney Mara gives a great performance as
the fragile and despairing Emily, and compliments the deeper layers that the
film adds to her character. Tatum and Zeta-Jones also give competent
performances, but Jude Law stands above both. His portrayal of Jonathon Banks
is a strong one – making us sympathetic, even when his character is thrown into
doubt and criticism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As aforementioned, the movie begins slowly
enough, without dragging, but it’s not long before the first turn jerks you out
of your ease and starts you on an engaging second half full of equally
interesting twists and turns that are guaranteed to arouse your interests.
While many of these are clever, and I was very much entertained by the film’s
climax, there will still be a feeling of incredulity at some of the transpired
events. Your suspension of disbelief is somewhat tested, but not enough to
break it. It’s funny, because as the movie grows more and more exciting and
intricate, the more flawed you may feel it becomes. But by that point, you’ll
be numbed by the intrigue. Like a side effect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>B</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-89978210822361836062013-02-03T14:24:00.000-08:002013-11-17T06:56:22.461-08:00The Master<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnksxE3HejUOQN_wNiG42svUYvWLotLuXlDY64byLSAg73o4gVtjpxglAEzNp8CY7bw9NBKJPqSFktkmxHu9NyFeurX6tjj50AZqgPoP3T3QH1fOIAkAAVOpfG2PT4Yo-4QaPDKu6-9i5t/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnksxE3HejUOQN_wNiG42svUYvWLotLuXlDY64byLSAg73o4gVtjpxglAEzNp8CY7bw9NBKJPqSFktkmxHu9NyFeurX6tjj50AZqgPoP3T3QH1fOIAkAAVOpfG2PT4Yo-4QaPDKu6-9i5t/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The long-awaited sixth film from director
Paul Thomas Anderson, <i>The Master </i>is a
movie that I’ve been meaning to get around to viewing for months, and was only
able to do so only recently. Much to my pleasure, it was well worth the wait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a
veteran from World War II, whose previous personal demons and mental
instabilities were intensified by his time in combat, including alcoholism,
sexual deviancy, and an unruly temper. When these issues keep him from integrating
into a post-war America, Quell stows away on a ship captained by the
charismatic Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), who takes Quell under his
wing as he introduces him to his family, all of which adhere to Dodd’s
teachings of a new cult called “The Cause”. The Cause requires of its followers
to look into their past lives, cleanse themselves of faults, and analyze their
self-identities to find personal peace. And so begins the engrossing
relationship between student and Master.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The performances in <i>The Master </i>are splendid, especially the chemistry between Phoenix
and Hoffman, both of which give an exemplary show. Freddie is a
detestable character whose behavior is a detriment to not only himself, but
others. Dodd is likable and gentlemanly, but his blatant manipulation of people
(however genuine the intentions of The Cause may be) is apprehensible, as is
his own personal temper when confronted over his beliefs. This is something
that is not aided by the encouragement of his equally dedicated, but much
colder wife, Peggy (Amy Adams). Both of these engaging characters are played
well, and their destructive, yet almost obsessive relationship between one
another is engrossing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">On a technical level, the film is also a
marvel. The camerawork is good, the direction is great, and the music is perfectly
unnerving. The standout is the pacing – slow and deliberate, and eerily calm.
Even when the characters’ passions reach a boil, the movie never flows over –
it always keeps its cool. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The cult that Dodd leads, The Cause, is
obviously similar to the Church of Scientology, but save for evident
similarities, nothing more is made of it. Save for a single scene, the movie
doesn’t criticize the cultic lifestyle or teachings, or comment much on it save
for using it as a device in which to service a character study. The
codependency between these obviously broken people – from Quell, to Dodd, to
Peggy, to others – is truly an interesting sight, and one that I feel I failed
to truly comprehend or grasp the entirety of in a single viewing. Like the
seemingly possessed pupils to The Cause, I can see myself returning to <i>The Master </i>in future attempts to
comprehend all of its lessons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>A</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17897172076433900118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523117295536496106.post-14812123771603026782013-02-02T19:00:00.000-08:002013-11-17T06:56:32.388-08:00Warm Bodies<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nWRkj7hT5nXmAx8fYa1n2Y9J0_M4vnE1MGdsR8GlN4y-OnW-B7iBvF8Gokmhyphenhyphenn3iOFK2X_ORMqIEkyHhm1v9QeYd4VUV4H5TcLI8w-bIsu4GQ_0r8-xoKzRunadvnmcSyHA316lXTgRO/s1600/Chihiro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nWRkj7hT5nXmAx8fYa1n2Y9J0_M4vnE1MGdsR8GlN4y-OnW-B7iBvF8Gokmhyphenhyphenn3iOFK2X_ORMqIEkyHhm1v9QeYd4VUV4H5TcLI8w-bIsu4GQ_0r8-xoKzRunadvnmcSyHA316lXTgRO/s1600/Chihiro.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When <i>Warm
Bodies </i>was announced (adapted from Isaac Marion’s novel of the same name) I
originally thought it was supposed to be some kind of <i>Twilight </i>rip-off, except, you know, replacing vampires with
zombies. Genius. However, as time went by, it turned out to be some kind of
romantic-comedy. This didn’t sound any better to me, and so it really fell off
my radar for a while. I had no intention of seeing it, but boredom is a
dangerous thing, and so I reconsidered, and with absolutely zero preconceptions
saved for the bare minimum of information on its premise I’d learned months
ago, I went to see it. And I was pleasantly surprised, as <i>Warm Bodies </i>turned out to be a zombie movie with quite a bit of
heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">R (Nicholas Hoult) is a peculiar zombie who
has grown tired of his monotonous “life” and longs for the humanity that he
lost long ago, along with his memories. The world has descended into a hellish
world where zombies trawl the streets and the remnants of humanity take hold in
a heavily protected bastion, and the daughter of the stronghold’s leader
(played by John Malkovich) is Julie (Teresa Palmer), a young woman who detests
the world’s current militaristic mindset. When her scavenger party is wiped out
by a zombie attack, Julie finds herself rescued by the infatuated R, who finds
that he may somehow be in love with her – feelings that are intensified when he
consumes the brain of her ex-boyfriend, allowing him to experience the closest
thing that a zombie can come to dreaming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As Julie warms up to R, the zombie slowly
becomes more and more human, forming words, losing his stench, and becoming
susceptible to pain, both physically and emotionally. The same phenomenon
begins to affect the other zombies as well, much to the chagrin of creatures
called “Bonies”, skeletal creatures who were formally zombies who gave up hope (for a somewhat ill-defined reason).
Hope for what? For their humanity, and for love, apparently. It's cheesy, but it works. R and Julie have to
work together to show both the humans and the zombies what this unconventional
cure is, before they destroy one another.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Warm
Bodies </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">is a movie that worked more as a drama than
it did as a comedy. As a comedy, it left quite a bit to be desired. The jokes
are never cringe-worthy, but they’ll either leave you unaffected or quietly chuckling.
And it may have only been me, but I often couldn’t tell if something was
supposed to be humorous or not. It’s admitted that this may be a personal flaw,
but some tension was dissolved from the movie because the mere absurdity of
some situations felt like it was attempting forced humor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">For what was expected though (which was
admittedly little), the film was actually quite poignant and, although not immensely
so, profound. The characters aren’t complex, but they’re sympathetic enough,
and the zombies, even empathetic. Their plight for acceptance and the using of
them as allegories for common human desires and issues is what the zombie genre
has always been about. The performances were effective, the pacing was good,
and while the humor was hit and miss, <i>Warm
Bodies </i>compensated by returning a pulse to the genre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>B-</b></span></div>
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