The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Poster by Alternate Designs

The Grand Budapest Hotel was directed by Wes Anderson, with a script inspired by the writing of the Austrian author Stefan Zweig. The film can be considered a comdey-drama, as most of Anderson's films are. Anderson is known for his very peculiar and quirky film-making style. Some of his most popular works include Moonrise Kingdom (2012) and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001). The Grand Budapest Hotel has an extensive cast list, filled with some of the most prominent actors of the day, as well as some newcomers who showed exceeding potential. Some of the cast is as follows: Ralph Fiennes as M. Gustave H., Saoirse Ronan as Agatha, William Dafoe as J.G. Jopling, and newcomer Tony Revolori as Young Zero Moustafa. All in all, I believe this film relies heavily on the strong presence of the encore cast.

If I were to use one word to describe Anderson's style it would be quirky. Every aspect of the film is heavily detailed and stylized, to the point where one might reach so far as to call it campy. Nevertheless, the quirky, overly stylized final product isn't so much kitsch as it is enjoyably nostalgic. What one experiences when watching an Anderson film is a sense of extreme excitement and fun, that the director must have felt when creating his work. I think achieving this sense of enjoyment is certainly a challenge for directors in this day and age, considering a lot of films that are being churned out seem like factory productions rather than works of art. A viewer might miss that excitable feeling of the director when watching a Transformer film, but not when watching The Grand Budapest Hotel. Anderson succeeds in germinating his works with his passion and creativity to the point where the audience can actually feel his excitement for filmmaking.

As an aspiring director/writer, I am enamored by Anderson's talent and passion. Whereas I find that I enjoy my personal work to be less stylized and bent towards realism, I hope that one day I can create films that showcase my love for the craft as much as Anderson's do.

This leads me to the amount of time and preparation that goes into a Wes Anderson production. I was amazed at the amount of people listed in the credits after The Grand Budapest Hotel came to a close, although it made me realize how many people are actually involved in the Anderson film practice. A full list of cast and crew can be found here. The credits of his films have some of the most interesting crew positions imaginable, and this all plays back to Anderson's uniquely distinct style. He was quoted in The New York Times as preferring the old way of making movies, as opposed to relying on CGI. This lends itself to the fact that Anderson has multiple credits for model makers, drapesmen, sculptors, milliners, tailor, fabric painters, and balloon operators. He even credits every member of the orchestra, as opposed to crediting the orchestra singularly. The uniqueness of the positions on the crew shows you just how interesting his style is and how much attention to detail goes into making his productions.

I am going to leave you with a trailer for the film, which should give you a taste of this unique style I seem to be ranting about. I give this film an "A" and suggest it to everyone who wants to what a very fun and creative work of art.

Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013)

Poster courtesy of BLT Communications, LLC.

I saw this movie what seems like ages ago, but I absolutely cannot get away with not writing about it. Blue Is The Warmest Color (La vie d'Adele) is an epic romance adapted from the critically acclaimed graphic novel of the same name by Julia Maroh. The film was created in two chapters and directed and written by Abdellatif Kechiche. The main stars are Lea Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos. There is much controversy surrounding this film, which I believe might make for interesting conversation, but first I would like to discuss the plot.

Blue Is The Warmest Color is a romantic coming of age tale that focuses on a young high school girl, Adele, who slowly comes to terms with her sexuality through the help of a confident, older lesbian Emma. As Adele becomes more confident in her sexuality, she begins lacking confidence in her relationship, leading to jealousy and suspicion, eventually to a heart-wrenching climax and conclusion.

With no hesitation, I say that this film is my favorite from 2013. I tend to prefer movies that focus more on character development in comparison to films that seem overly saturated with plot. As such, Blue Is the Warmest Color is certainly a character study, with characters that I so deeply related to that I went to bed crying after viewing the film. I am so intensely passionate about this film that I even have a poster hanging in my room, expectant of the blu-ray to arrive in the mail any day, and own the English language version of the graphic novel. I don't want to give away any spoilers, although I wouldn't say there are many spoilers to give. As I said before, this film is not reliant on plot so much as it is reliant on characters. That being said, nothing truly happens in the movie so much as characters happen.And that is why I was drawn to this film; to me, the important facets of life are people and their lives.

The film premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, unanimously clinching the prestigious and sought after Palme D'or award for Best Film. It was during it's premiere at the festival that multiple controversies surrounding the production came to surface. Director Kechiche was accused of harboring a harsh working environment, tampering with overtime pay, and avoidance of labor law requirements, which caused multiple crew members to quit while on set. In September of 2013, only 4 months after the premiere of the film, lead actresses Seydoux and Exarchopoulos went public with what they called a "horrible" experience on set with Kechiche. Kechiche's response to the negativity about production was that the film shouldn't be released at all, saying "I think this film should not go out; it was too sullied." The resistance Kechiche showed to releasing the film affected its distribution as a whole, resulting in the films inability to qualify for the 2014 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.

The controversies aside, Blue Is The Warmest Color is a masterpiece of a film. A recent re-watch only cemented my opinion that this movie will stand as an example for years to come. The naturalism of the acting, which was achieved by Kechiche through countless retaking of shots, marks an important departure from formalism, which is a new trend in the recent years. Kechiche, regardless of the negative press he has received, inspired me and invoked my passion for film once again. His techniques, such as only allowing the actors to read the script only once, and then demanding improvisation for each scene, creates an environment of real life where the actors are given free creative reign, allowing them to emerse themselves entirely in the experience of the film. And that's what it is all about, isn't it? Naturalism, realism, being true to the character, but evoking past experiences as source material.

I loved Blue Is The Warmest Color. I recommend this film to anyone and everyone. A++.

Sources:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/blue-is-warmest-color-shouldnt-635532?

Gravity (2013)

Poster design by The Refinery

Gravity is a film directed by Alfonso Cuarón, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Sandra Bullock plays Mission Specialist Ryan Stone and George Clooney plays veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski. The film is about a space mission, in which Stone and Kowalski are sent to the Hubble Space Station in order to service it. While Bullock is working on the station, they are informed by their Mission Control that a Russian mishap involving a missile strike on an obsolete space station caused a cloud of debris that is orbiting around the earth at their altitude. This event changes the entire course of the film, without giving away any spoilers.

I think it is important to note some interesting facts about this movie. It must be first stated that 80% of this film was CGed, which is comparative to James Cameron's 60% in Avatar. Gravity was awarded 7 Academy Awards at the 2014 ceremony, one specifically being awarded to its achievement in visual effects. Due to the heavy reliance on computer generated visuals, Sandra Bullock was often strapped into a rig for 10 hours at a time, a rig that was used to simulate her actions in space. This aspect of generated visuals only further insists that Cuarón was extremely dedicated to the idea of realism when depicting space travel.

There are some inaccuracies to be noted, however, inaccuracies that I would argue do not detract from the film as a whole. Some of these inaccuracies are as follows:

• Stone is never shown wearing ventilation garments

• Kowalski would only have had to have been tugged back in by Stone, instead of unclipping himself from Stone

• Stone's tears wouldn't have floated off of her face, but instead stuck due to surface tension

These are only a handful of the few inaccuracies that were noted about the film, those being noted by Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and astronomer Phil Plait.

I enjoyed this film immensely. I was initially hesitant due to my (questionably shallow) dislike of Sandra Bullock, but was pleasantly surprised with her performance, and the general master-fulness at which the film was shot. Overall, Cuaron created a masterful, realistic rendering of space travel, all the while grounding the film with worldly issues. As Gravity is a movie about rebirth, both Stone and Kowalski are faced with colossal danger in which they need to survive or overcome in order to overcome the chains and shackles of their past.

 As Stone is the main Character of this tale, her journey of rebirth is perhaps the most dominant storyline within the movie. The trials she is faced with directly correlate with the earthly problems that haunt her past. As she conquers each problem, she is one step closer to closure. As the film is a mere 91 minutes long, the audience is left begging the question whether or not Stone's ordeal in outer space is enough to help her through the reality that awaits her on earth. Without giving away any spoilers, I believe there are certain moments in a person's life that are so traumatic and life altering that the things they might have faced in the past are ultimately altered in their present mindset.

Photo thanks to IndieWire

 The photo above demonstrates a pivotal scene. Bullock here is depicted as a small child within the womb of a mother. What could be more symbolic of rebirth than Stone curled like a baby in a womb?

I give this film an A rating and suggest it to anyone who might be interested in themes of rebirth and identity, or even those who might be curious about outer space.

EDIT: I recently received a comment where a reader showed interest in the reaction to the 3D version. As I haven't seen the 3D version, I did some quick research to find out all I could about the films release in 3D. 

All that I found showed that Gravity was always intended to be shot in 3D and IMAX and that the reception was almost entirely positive, aside from a few outliers. Gravity is currently the third film worldwide in terms of revenue grossed from IMAX 3D showings, third only to The Dark Knight Rises and Avatar. It was released in 330 IMAX 3D theaters in North America alone. Gravity has been lauded as a film made specifically for the IMAX experience, with "the crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio creat[ing] a unique environment that make audiences feel as if they are in the move." Basically, Gravity's images and audio effects work in perfect sync with the IMAX technology. With the money grossed in IMAX showings alone, it can be seen that audiences went specifically for what the film was made for, the IMAX 3D experience.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2014/02/07/gravity-passes-100m-worldwide-in-imax/

A little update

I know I am been missing for about half a year. There aren't any excuses I can come up with other than things just go ahold of me and I didn't have much time to upkeep this little blog here. But today I had the realization that I needed to turn a new leaf. It's been hard for me to write regularly, so I decided that this blog need revamping in order to keep me on track.

I used to use this blog for mainly movie reviews, and while that aspect will stay the same, I plan on added some other points of interest as well, such as my personal ventures into the film/production work with jobs and internships, as well as my own personal projects, whether they be productions, writing, or anything creative like that. So stay tuned! There are fun things in store!

Detachment (2011)

Promotional still from the movie

Over the holiday weekend, I had the pleasure of seeing "Detachment." The film is directed by Tony Kaye, who is best know for his Oscar nominated film "American History X." This film stars Adrian Brody, Christina Hendricks, Lucy Liu, James Caan, and newcomer Sami Gayle.

The story is that of a long term substitute teacher, Henry Barthes, portrayed by Brody. Henry is a very disconnected person who seems like he has little to no feelings for those around him. He is the lone caretaker of his ailing grandfather, and experiences flashes back into his traumatic past. Somehow he ends up taking in a young girl who was prostituting herself near his apartment building, his aim to help get her back on her feet and off to a youth rehabilitation center. Henry's personal story is the main focus of the film, although it was marketed as a feel good story about a high school substitute that makes a difference in a failing school. His experiences in the high school where he subs is the backdrop for the rest of the issues his character faces. A good portion of his realizations occur while at school, although they focus mainly on his own personal endeavors.

I had been very eager to see this film for a long time and I really enjoyed it. I found that it took an interesting approach to what could otherwise be skewed as a feel good high school film. It presented real life issues in a very bleak light and expected the audience to be able to handle what they saw. Because the directed took this approach, it became apparent that the director was trying to bring a realistic feeling to the film. The realism did not feel forced, but natural. I believed that the issues covered in the film were issues that teenagers and adults face on a regular basis. It also intrigued me how the characters took each issue and personally dealt with it.

One example is one of the girls in Henry's English 10A class. Meredith is a girl who was bullied constantly, an artistic girl who liked taking photos, but was a disappointment to her parents. She wished to go to art school but her parents dashed her dreams, instead continuously berating her for being different. She turned to Henry, who felt burdened by her and unsure if he could help because he felt very similar feelings of emptiness, and so when she felt she had no one else to turn to, she killed herself.

This movie did not play with the emotions of the audience. It gave to viewers exactly what it promised; a bleak vision of a lower middle class high school and the children and adults whose lives center around the school. I give this film an A-.

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Promotional still from the movie

"Midnight Cowboy" is a film directed by John Schlesigner in 1969. It stars Dustin Hoffman as Ratso and Jon Voight as Joe Buck. I entered the viewing of this film with absolutely no information on it. I was aware that Dustin Hoffman acted in it, but the plot eluded me, so upon my viewing I was pleasantly surprised at what I found.

It is a story of a over eager "cowboy," Joe Buck, who desperately wants to make money. He abandons him job in Texas and moves to New York City to become a male hustler. Joe is naive and unexperienced in the field he wishes to enter, so once he arrives in the Big Apple, he is in for a rude awakening. He is easily taken advantage of by his first customer, and then a slimy Ratso cons him out of $20. He is left penniless and on the streets, resorting to desperate measures to earn any sort of money. Eventually Joe and Ratso reunite and plan to make Joe into an irresistible male companion for all the lonely New York women. The duo never seem to have any success, and them film ends with Ratso's tragic death, leaving the viewer feeling unfulfilled. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I was very excited when it turned out not being about a cowboy on a horse in the middle of the desert. Instead it tackled some very serious topics, such as the modern condition of a society and how difficult it is to become successful in the wake of the late 60's with all the forces of nature pushing you towards failure. Joe Buck is fighting against an infrastructure that has been in place for decades and it is entirely impossible for him to break in to. There is also the fact of repression and how Joe is not only escaping Texas to find a new job, but because of a past that is so traumatic that is sits in his subconscious, subtly eating away at his sanity. 

Stylistically, what made the film unique was it's editing. It used a form of montage in which images and frames were spliced together to create a dramatic and unsettling feeling. This montage style of editing was most effective during moments when Joe was unwillingly coming face to face with his past. Joe, in his shocked and unhinged state, would retreat back into his mind and the images that flashed upon the screen were from the event from his past that changed his life. As the film progresses, Joe has more and more of these visions in which he must face his past. Each time, the audience is given a little bit more information to go on, until finally realizing just what happened to Joe that made him so desperate to become a prostitute. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would suggest it to any one who is interested in a unique look into the time of the late 60's. I give this film a A. 

Cloud Atlas (2012)

Poster byWORKS ADV

"Cloud Atlas" is a science fiction film directed by Lana and Andy Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer. The film takes places over generations and ages and realities and dreams and fantasies. The film stars Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Ben Whishaw, and Xun Zhou.

"Cloud Atlas" does not follow a linear story line in that it recounts the tale of a main character in straightforward fashion. Instead it cuts back and forth between characters and these characters individual tales. The film has many main characters across various eras and times. The stories of these characters at first seem to be standalone stories, but by the end of the film it becomes apparent that all the stories are somehow connected in one way or another. Something interesting about the film: the actors did not only play one role, but played many roles over all the different narratives.

What I found most intriguing about this film was it's use of storytelling. Each character passed through their story as if they singlehandedly controlled their own destiny. As the narrative progressed, however, it became apparent to the viewer, as well as the character, how very untrue this mentality was. The characters were no more in control of their own life as they could be in control of another humans life. The film was more about the codependency of a race, of a group of people, of a couple than anything else. It became clear that each character and their existence was only made possible by the reliance on others. The message of the film, often repeated by the characters across story lines, was that everyone is connected. Characters who lived in a Neo Soeul in 2114 were dependent on those characters who lived in Victorian England, and so on and so forth.

If I were to have a complaint about this film, however, it would be directly related to one of the story lines followed. Tom Hanks and Halle Berry both star in in one tale titled "The Hawaiian Islands on post apocalyptic earth (dated 2321)." My largest complaint was primarily the dialogue and how it was spoken. The lines given to the actors was written in a severe reconstruction of the English language, a new vernacular of sorts for those on earth who survived the apocalypse. Whenever this story was on screen, I had a hard time paying attention due to the fact that I couldn't understand a word that was being spoken. This drew me out of the film experience, which is one of my greatest pet peeves. If it were to eliminate this story entirely from the film, I would have had a much more pleasant time watching the film.

I enjoyed "Cloud Atlas" overall. I found it entertaining, and at some parts even moving. I will rate it a C+ only because at times I felt the message of the film was being continuously repeated as if I was unable to understand it. I also thought "Cloud Atlas" was trying to desperately to be what "Tree of Life" (directed by Terrence Malick) was two summers ago.