Well this is awkward. Long time no see guys! I haven't written anything since about January and I'm so sorry about that! Here's a quick little life update with what's been going on which will hopefully explain this unintentional hiatus. Part-time jobs took up pretty much all of our time and energy throughout the summer and then when February rolled in, Justine was off on holiday around Europe and then an exchange in Spain while I spent an amazing holiday in the USA. Yes, this girl finally got to visit a Disney Park and it was amazing. And right as we got back it was time for university once again. This year I've started law school and I can rightfully say that it is hectic. So, in saying that, updates won't be coming as often. But I will try to write when I can.
Last week I found out that I won tickets to go see Cinderella and I finally got to see it today. So here I am, putting my thoughts down once again while Justine is off at a Ricky Martin concert. I'll see if I can convince her to write a little something about it. No promises. Today, with two of my Once Upon a Time watching sisters, a bottle of Mountain Dew, a bucket of popcorn and a bag of chocolate buttons, it was time to experience yet another Disney live-action remake. Fun fact, I was also sitting next to a teacher from my old high school. I can't say this is the first time this has happened.
Watch the trailer for Cinderella (2015)
This live-action adaptation of Cinderella is simply
beautiful, vibrant and refreshing. It’s a massive step up from Maleficent
(2014) who took creative liberties and almost made it an unrecognisable story.
I did initially enjoy Maleficent, but I took it in and realised that some
choices were questionable. Cinderella (2015) takes the classic tale and adds welcomed
embellishments here and there, rather than turning it on its head.
by Justine My very first venture into the world of Edward Norton was actually spurred by my dad when he suggested I watch Primal Fear. From that point on, I have consistently awed by his dedication to his roles, the vision he has for his character and, let's face it, he's got this whole duality thing sorted. I discovered the existence of American History X whilst exploring Mr. Norton's Wikipedia page and, seeing as I liked him so much in Primal Fear, I thought why not. I couldn't possibly have anticipated how much I would enjoy this film.
Derek Vinyard (Norton) is the young, skinhead protege of a white supremacist, neo-Nazi named Cameron. He leads a small group of angry, pissed off, white people in a modern day crusade to take back his neighbourhood from the "niggers" and "spics". His brother Danny follows close behind, idolising his brother and breathing in the propaganda. When a poor decision by Derek leads to his incarceration, Derek learns about the consequences of his life choices and sets out to save his brother from a similar fate.
Don't be misled by the title. This film has very little to do with American history in the strict sense of the term. In fact, I think the film makes a great comment about the nature of history itself. History doesn't necessarily have to mean Hitler and great wars, history can be personal too. The X in American History X represents an x-ing of conventional attitudes towards history instead encouraging people to look at their own histories and analyse the events that shaped their lives. This is a strong theme in the film. It is illustrated particularly by Sweeney's rejection of Danny's essay on Mein Kampf (for those of you who aren't history enthusiasts, that's a book written by Hitler during his prison sentence) instead encouraging him to write about his brother and how events surrounding him have come to shape Danny's own life.
This brings us to the theme of familial influence. The crux of this story is Derek's influence over his brother, which at first pulled him into a life of violence and extreme prejudice, but which he is now trying to use to undo the damage. We also see the influence that Cameron has initially over Derek and now over Danny as he assumes the father-figure role. Sweeney also takes on this paternal role and uses his influence to alter the trajectory of both boys' lives. This story is very much about family and how they can both save and destroy each other.
This film plays with linearity using black and white to distinguish events from the past from events in the present. It also does a great job of representing Derek's mindset in the past - black and white. I'm not sure if I'm being all english-teacher-y by reading into that but that's how I saw it. I do enjoy when films manipulate time. It sort of makes it feel like you're putting together a puzzle - when you start, there's no real systematic order in which you put the pieces together but maybe you'll find two pieces that fit together and then another two that fit together. The way that a film unravels which it plays around with time gives you that feeling of discovery which I love. These "flashbacks" also serve as a means of showing us critical events from Derek and Danny's pasts that have shaped who they have become - the basketball game, the murder, the uh prison shower bit. This all plays into the greater concept of history being personal events that mould us into who we are.
As in every one of his films, Norton absolutely kills it. Despite his age, he always seems to look very boyish. For this film he packed on the muscle, grew some manly facial hair and transformed himself from scared little Aaron in Primal Fear to this ruthless beast that just emanated hate and self-satisfaction. Norton returns to his roots of duality by contrasting this hardened white supremacist with his post-prison self who is more aware, accepting and rejecting of his past. Norton manages to aptly show both the hardness and harshness of pre-prison Derek with the softer, more family oriented and loving brother figure of post-prison Derek. The fact that the audience is able to feel strong emotions towards the same character but in two completely different ways is testament to Norton's brilliance as an actor.
This is an absolute must see film. Yes, the beginning is awkward to watch with your parents, yes there's a tonne of violence and yes, the director was a bit of a ... fill in the blank BUT this film also has some of the most amazing symbolism and imagery (e.g. the proud exposure of his swastika vs his desire to cover it post-prison, the pouring of milk onto the black woman's face at the grocery store, the taking down of Danny's Nazi paraphernalia in his bedroom). It is also filled with fantastic monologues that, though severely racist and prejudiced, ask the real questions and make you question what you believe and how you feel about certain situations (why IS it that Europeans can come to America and prosper while the hispanic and black population seem to be living in poverty?). It is controversial no doubt but it opens up a dialogue and it really makes you think.
"Derek says it's always good to end a paper with a quote. He says someone else has already said it best. So if you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong."
Edward Norton and Kevin Spacey are without a doubt two of my favourite actors. So, I thought it might be interesting to pit their films against each other and see who really is the king of the silver screen. I'll be doing a part by part series of either a Norton or Spacey film for the next few weeks starting this week with Academy Award winning American Beauty.
This film came out in 1999 when I was all of about five years old. I remember seeing it at the video store and in my little five year old brain thinking that it was some documentary about beauty pageants or something. Well...it wasn't. I watched it for the first time twelve years later in 2011 when I selected it to be one of my film studies for my English scholarship exam. Needless to say, I was completely blown away by the complexity of it, the social commentary, the phenomenal camera work and of course, the stellar performances by Annette Benning, Thora Birch, Meena Suvari, Wes Bentley and most of all, Kevin Spacey.
by Daniela Studio: Walt Disney Pictures Release Date: March 13 2015
Disney has started having a knack for taking their classic tales and creating live-action retellings. Earlier this year we had Maleficent, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the villain, and we also have future projects like The Jungle Book on the horizon. If we take Maleficent as an example, the main issue that a lot of Disney fans took from it was its disregard for a lot of the "source" material (the 1959 animated film) and completely rewriting a lot of what we already knew. So, is it a good idea for Disney to reimagine the story of one of the most iconic princesses?
It's really no surprise that Disney has decided to Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo around with the story of Cinderella. Aside from their animated film from 1950, there have been many adaptations of this Grimm tale. One that I hold close to my heart is the Rodgers and Hammerstein's versions, this includes the Broadway show and the Brandy TV special. I grew up with In My Own Little Corner and Ten Minutes Ago was one of the first songs I learned on the ukulele. With all these different adaptations of one classic fairytale, it does make me wonder how far away Disney is willing to veer away from their version of the story of which they established.
by Justine
As I delve deeper into the Tarantino sphere I find myself watching the strangest, craziest films in existence. One such film is vampire cult classic, From Dusk Till Dawn. While Mr. Quentin Tarantino both wrote the screenplay and starred in the film, he did not in fact direct it. It was directed by Robert Rodriguez. You may be wondering why the name of this film sounds familiar. It's probably because Robert Rodriguez has decided to remake the classic into a TV series by the same name which aired this year. Admittedly, that's how I heard about the film in the first place.
This isn't your typical complex storyline, genius art that we normally see from Tarantino. In fact, it may be the complete opposite. While the dialogue certainly has that Tarantino-esque flavour to it the actual plot of the film is very much "let's slay some vampires". It's frequently labelled a B grade film and for good reason. It's sloppy in terms of storytelling. There's no character development (unless you count Kate becoming a badass) and there seems little purpose to it at all.
The film stars George Clooney (I know right...) as recent prison escapee Seth Gecko who along with his unnecessarily violent and rape-y brother Richie (played by Tarantino) robs a bank and tries to make it across the border into Mexico with the help of a travelling pastor (Harvey Keitel) and his two children. All appears to be going well until the Gecko brothers are instructed to meet drug lord Carlos with their money at a nude bar called "The Titty Twister", tasteful, I know. Unbeknownst to the brothers, the bar is actually a haven for endless blood-thirsty vampires who feast on the truckers and bikers that wander in. The second half of the film is predominantly staking and killing vampires. And no, not the sparkly, Edward Cullen kind, I'm talking grotesque, horrific THINGS. I don't know if it's just me but somehow I feel like that's how vampires are supposed to look.
The most iconic scene, and perhaps the films only redeeming quality, is Santánico's snake dance. She's played by a very scantily clad Salma Hayek who dances with a snake wrapped around her neck. She saunters over to an awestruck Richie Gecko and does the whole "I'm going to pour whiskey into your mouth using my foot" thing. Not quite sure what that's about but other than Clooney's "Be cool" line, it's probably the most memorable moment in the film. I'm not going to post a clip here but you'll find it on YouTube no doubt.
I have a few questions regarding this film:
1. Why, when writing the script for a character you are playing, would you make him a violent rapist? I know Tarantino's twisted and everything but yikes.
2. Why does no-one explain why Richie is so psychotic? Fortunately, this is something that is explored in the TV series so kudos to Mr. Rodriguez.
3. Why are the vampires so easy to kill? Now I'm not saying they didn't put up a fight but Seth pretty much dropped a chandelier on Santántico and boom, dead.
Rodriguez sort of has a second chance with the TV series. From what I've seen of it so far, it certainly takes its time around character development and backstory which I think is incredibly important. If drawn out and re-written properly plot-wise, I think this film could have some real, solid, material. However, as it stands, the film doesn't seem particularly impressive or special to me.
If you're not easily offended by violence and nudity then I'd check it out but it's definitely not a must-see. In fact, if you're going to watch anything, I'd watch the TV series. I've only seen two episodes thus far and it's already better than the film. No offence Tarantino! I still love you!
As the years go on, the quality of movies seem to decline. When we look at iconic years like 1994 that produced world renowned classics like The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction or even Forrest Gump, what we have begun to produce in the 20 years following seems trivial and completely unoriginal. I'm tired of being able to sit in a movie theatre and be able to predict the entire plot from start to finish based solely on the first five minutes (*cough cough* Pitch Perfect). We've all seen the oh-so-predictable girl meets boy, boy screws up, girl hates boy, boy redeems himself and boom, happily ever after. I am NOT a fan. I'm also not such a great believer in happy endings, somehow I feel that more realistic endings have a greater appeal.
Psychological thrillers are one of my favourite genres of film. Why? Because in order to totally mess with your mind, the writers actually have to sit and think of clever twists in the plot. They have to find a way to lure you into a false sense of security and then turn everything upside down. Admittedly, it has been a LONG time since Hollywood produced a good psychological thriller. Standouts for me have definitely been Primal Fear, Fight Club and of course the unforgettable Silence of the Lambs. It's pretty much impossible to dislike Anthony Hopkins. That being said, Hollywood finally decided to prove to itself, and the world, that they still have it in them to produce something original and hence, Gone Girl.
Now for those of you who are more sensitive viewers, there is a certain amount of nudity, sex and violence so be aware. If you're easily offended by this kind of thing, you're probably not going to want to watch this.
I went to see this film in the theatre with my family. I had high expectations given the hype surrounding it and the fact that David Fincher was the director, myself being an unaware fan of his work (Fight Club (duh!), Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - all of which I only recently discovered her directed). Given my experience with Fight Club I was expecting some kind of crazy twist and the film did not disappoint. I'm going to try my very best here not to give away any spoilers!
First of all, I'm so sorry that we didn't post anything new at all last week. University is starting to wind down for the year which means due dates, due dates, due dates (say that ten times fast)! I'd hate for that to be a regular excuse that we use but that's the harsh reality of that university student life. But let's move on, shall we?
Since the first The Hunger Games (2012) movie was released, I've not only been a fan of the books and movies but also the companion soundtracks! Safe and Sound, Elastic Heart and Shooting Arrows In The Sky are still probably my favourite tracks from the first two albums.for Mockingjay - Part 1, things have started to take a different turn. Lorde is at the helm of the album and has been assigned the task of selecting the songs she thinks fit the theme of the film. It's a huge step in her career especially since she's arguably one of the newcomers taking the world by storm. She did appear on the Catching Fire soundtrack with a dark and broody cover of Everybody Wants to Rule the World. So how does Yellow Flicker Beat match-up to its predecessors?
Over the last few years I've started to pay attention to animated short films. It's probably the perfect thing for a lazy person like me who can't seem to sit through a whole movie at home. For some reason a 90 minute movie can weirdly become a 3 hour chore.
For any Disney and/or Pixar fan you'll know that their shorts premiere before their feature films. Get a Horse played before Frozen, Paperman before Wreck-it Ralph, The Blue Umbrella before Monsters University etc. It's no different when it comes to Pixar's Lava (2015) and Walt Disney Animation's Feast (2014). Disney and Pixar shorts are known for their memorable characters and beautiful scores. I sometimes wonder how in the world they made me care so much for an umbrella of all things! Don't even get me started on how much I love the music in Paperman! Although these Feast and Lava are still relatively unknown and some time away, slowly and surely Disney and Pixar have been releasing little glimpses to tease us for what's to come.
An "I Want" song is a monologue of sorts that defines what the character uhhh wants. For protagonists it's usually the start of the hero's journey and shows us what their main goal for the movie will be. Villains can have "I Want" songs too ahem HELLFIRE. But since I've already made a post about villain songs, we'll be focusing on our beloved heroes! As always, this is all my own opinion and just the order of songs that I prefer. Also, I had a hard time narrowing these down so I'm going to cheat a little bit and have my honourable mentions at the end.
10. One Jump Ahead (Reprise) - Aladdin
Aladdin wants people to find out that there's so much more to him! Unlike it's original, it's much slower and shorter. Part of me wishes it was a bit longer but I even though it's only a few lines long, it's incredibly effective and one of the most memorable scenes in the film. Fun fact, a song called Proud of Your Boy was deleted early on in the development of the movie and it would have made an amazing addition to this list. Fortunately, it made it into the Broadway production and it's pretty much amazing. You can check out Adam Jacobs (Aladdin on Broadway) singing Proud of Your Boy with the legendary Alan Menken on the piano HERE. (Prepare your tissues!)
It's no secret that I'm a HUGE Tarantino fan. The man knows how to make a good movie! After years of working as a clerk in a video rental store he certainly picked up a few things about what people like to see in cinema. I tend to see him as the informally educated version of Martin Scorsese. Thus far, Tarantino has yet to make movie I don't like. Admittedly, I was less impressed with Django Unchained than I had been with his other great works like Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. That being said, you can imagine I was pretty excited when news came out of a possible new film, The Hateful Eight. Now, Tarantino has said that he plans to retire after 60 and for me this is absolutely daunting as he's 51 right now! He better step on that moviemaking lest he deprive us all of his genius.
There is no doubt that Tarantino makes a unique film. He's infamous for the violence and gore but he does so with a sufficient dose of irony to soften the blow (think Mr. Blonde cutting the policeman's ear off while dancing to the "sound of the seventies" on the radio). He also puts great twist on clichéd film plots. If we look at Pulp Fiction, it is completely a mish-mash of stereotypical mafia based story lines. The amazing thing is that even when playing to the stereotype, Tarantino still manages to make it different. I have to say though, one of my favourite things about Tarantino's work is his tendency to play to a non-linear storyline . Both Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs played around with the concept of time which I found very unique and interesting.
Now, onto The Hateful Eight. Much to Tarantino's dismay, an unauthorised copy of his script was published online in January this year. Disappointed and quite angry, it seemed he was scrapping the film for good. Fortunately for avid fans like myself, Tarantino recovered and decided he would make The Hateful Eight after all. So far, it appears the film will be about bounty hunters transporting prisoners in 19th century Wyoming. While I wasn't overly keen on his last western, I have a feeling Mr. Tarantino has something excellent in store for us. Already it has been likened to Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.
Movie poster for "The Hateful Eight"
Always the showman, Tarantino organised a live read of the leaked script at the United Arts Theatre. He warned that this was only a first draft and was likely to be subject to change. Nonetheless, the audience was thrilled by a cast including Tarantino veteran Samuel L Jackson, Kurt Russel, Walton Goggins, James Remar, another veteran Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Amber Tamblyn and Bruce Dern. According to a review by The Guardian, the reading was something spectacular and with any luck the film would follow suit.
Late last month, the teaser trailer for the film leaked onto the internet. There is no footage as of yet as shooting has yet to commence but the film is set to be released in December of next year. From the trailer, the names of the 8 have been revealed:
1. Major Marquis Warren - "The Bounty Hunter"
2. John Ruth - "The Hangman"
3. Daisy Domergue - "The Prisoner"
4. Chris Mannix - "The Sheriff"
5. Bob - "The Mexican"
6. Oswald Mobray - "The Little Man"
7. Joe Gage - "The Cow Puncher"
8. General Sandy Smithers - "The Confederate"
Tarantino has also announced that the film will be shot in 70mm Super Cinemascope. In all honesty, this doesn't surprise me. Tarantino seems to have a deep distrust of the digital world instead embracing the old filmmaking technologies. I suppose it's an art.
So there we have it! I shall be awaiting December 2015 with great anticipation!
For a taste of something a bit different, I thought my second review would be on something that I've been rather obsessed with for the last week. If you've read our "About" page you probably already know that two of my majors are Spanish and History hence it should come as no surprise that one of my favourite TV shows at the moment is a combination of both. Now, if you're not a native Spanish speaker or the extent of your Spanish is ¡Hola! and ¡Gracias!, fear not! This show has started to air in the US so English subtitles are readily available.
I discovered this little gem as I was scrolling through page after page of Spanish TV shows in an attempt to find something I could use to get more exposure to the language. It struck me immediately as it didn't seem to be one of those typical telenovelas with the exaggerated love stories and dramatic acting. I struggled to find a website that would let me view the show in NZ (as it doesn't air here) but eventually, through some internet magic, managed to get a good stream. If you're in the US, you'll find it on Hulu.
Sira Quiroga played by Adriana Ugarte
The story follows a young girl named Sira Quiroga (Adriana Ugarte) who grows up in Madrid with her seamstress mother and through her childhood learns how to sew and make garments. A romance with a dashing typewriter salesman, Ramiro, played by Rubén Cortada (who, holy crap, is GORGEOUS) leads her from Madrid to Tangier, Morocco where her life changes forever. The time period crosses over with the Spanish Civil War though is set mostly in Morocco where we hear only bits and pieces of the horror of what is happening in Spain. Sira takes up her trade as a dressmaker and makes a powerful friend in Rosalinda Fox and of course, Félix, the next door neighbour.
Sira Quiroga and Rosalinda Fox
This show has a distinctly historical feel with a touch of glamour, espionage and just the right amount of drama. I was surprised at how fast the show moved. Within the first episode we see her grow from child to adult, fall in and out, and in love again and move from Madrid to Tangier...in the first episode! They seem to have cut out all the unnecessary bits making each episode like it's own mini movie. The characters are delightful. Sira is an excellent protagonist that grows from a naïve and frail young girl to a powerful, independent woman with only success in her future. She doesn't beg your pity and neither is she reduced to just the subject of someone's affections. Rosalinda and Félix are both incredibly likeable characters that move the plot forward and also create a sense of family for Sira in Morocco. Candelaria takes on the mother figure shape when Sira first comes to Tetouan and remains an influence in her life. I may possibly have been biased in my adoration of Ramiro. It's those eyes! And of course there's Jamila, Sira's ever loyal housemaid that you can't help but love.
Rubén Cortada as Ramiro *sigh*
Thus far the series has been absolutely excellent and I simply can't wait to watch on! In fact there's a high chance I'll be watching at least one episode tonight. If you're up for something a little different definitely give this show a watch. The first episode will have you hooked!
As part of celebrating 20 years of great films and as a follow up to my review of Best Picture Winner, Forrest Gump, I thought I would discuss Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption. It was a fellow nominee for Best Picture.
The film boasts a great cast with Tim Robbins as the lead, Andy Dufresne, and the legendary Morgan Freeman as the narrator and best friend to Andy, Red. It was nominated for numerous other awards at the 1994 Oscars including Best Actor (for Morgan Freeman), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Song. It was unsuccessful in all these categories.
The Shawshank Redemption revolves around a timid Andy Dufresne who is sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife and her lover. During his time at Shawshank he befriends Red, a man famed for being able to get his hands on anything, even Rita Hayworth. The film is basically his life at the prison and his encounters with fellow inmates, new meat and the establishment. Despite the slow moving pace, the film ends on a high leaving you wondering what the hell just happened.
The first time I watched this film was on recommendation from my dad who, thus far, has yet to recommend a bad movie. It is his all time favourite and I can certainly see why. The screenplay is actually adapted from a Stephen King short story but no, this has very little to do with horror - at least in the traditional sense. I have since watch this multiple time and it has yet to get old. Personally, I feel that this is one of those timeless films.
One of the main themes is freedom and lack thereof. It questions the nature of freedom and the idea of being free within an establishment designed to rob one of freedom. It begs the question of what it really means to be free and illustrates the idea that freedom exists in the mind rather than in one's situation. It also looks at the absence of freedom in the real world and the idea of institutionalisation. This is particularly evident through the character of Brooks. There is also the pervading theme of innocence vs. guilt and the role reversal provided by the corruptness of the establishment and the purity of Andy's character and other inmates. These themes are still as relevant today as they were twenty years ago.
I liked that this film was not full of the conventional Hollywood story lines we have come to expect. The theme of love in this film is about brotherly love and camaraderie rather than romantic love. There are messages about self betterment and the preservation of innocence. There is also the all important idea of perseverance. Needless to say, I always think Morgan Freeman is perfect casting. Despite the fact that Stephen King initially wrote Red as an Irishman, Freeman embodies everything necessary to successfully communicate this character to the audience. He allows us to relate to and sympathise with a convicted criminal and appeals to our sense of humanity. Tim Robbins also does an excellent job of convincing us of his purity and innocence but also that he knows things he doesn't always articulate. He makes a complex character seem very simple. I also loved that this film tied up all the loose ends in a very satisfactory way.
What I didn't quite like about this film was the pace. In modern times we're used to films getting to the point very quickly and it becomes tedious for us to keep up with a lot of development and little action so to speak. While the slow pace is a necessity, as it is intended to reflect a period of 20 years and it allows us to get to know the characters fully, it still feels stretched out. If we are able to put our need for immediacy aside there is no doubt that this film is thoroughly enjoyable.
All in all I think this film was much more deserving of the Best Picture award than Forrest Gump. I feel it explores ideas and themes that were very different and unique, even in today's terms. It also revolves around very original protagonist. It appeals to our sense of humanity and questions our understanding of the world. Definitely go ahead and watch it and let us know in the comments what you thought!
KEEP
8/10
(If you weren't convinced, IMDb rates it #2 on it's list of the Top 100 movies of all time!)
WARNING! This film contains bad language, violence (duh) and nudity. If this isn't for you then you probably shouldn't watch this film. ...you should still read the review though.
The first rule of Fight Club is....damn I just broke the first rule of Fight Club! I mean, there is no Fight Club...crap.
For those of you who have yet to see the cult classic (also known as the people who only know the "The first rule of Fight Club..." line), the story follows a man in his thirties (played by the amazing Edward Norton) with the characteristics of the average everyday man. He works a dead-end job for a "major" car company and lives in a IKEA laden condo with only condiments in his fridge. He suffers from unrelenting insomnia and as a result begins to attend support groups for a range of different illnesses that he does not have: bowel cancer, testicular cancer, tuberculosis and numerous others. That's how he meets Marla (Helena Bonham Carter). During one of his work trips he meets "single serving friend" Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), a soap salesman who sees through the pleasantries of small talk.
Despite the film being called Fight Club, it has surprisingly little to do with actual fighting. If you were expecting some higher budget reworking of WWE or UFC, look elsewhere. I mean don't get me wrong, there's a lot of fighting but just not as much as you'd expect. Instead, this film has one of the most amazing plot lines. I love being surprised. Hollywood has become so predictable that I find I immediately fall in love with anything that breaks the stereotype. David Fincher does an absolutely superb job both leading you towards and pulling you away from the twist. Brad Pitt does a phenomenal job with Tyler. My only criticism is that maybe a lesser known actor would have been more convincing as an anti-consumerist. After all Brad Pitt is the personification of consumer society. Every magazine has his face on it, every label wants him to be the poster boy. But if we disregard this fact he actually plays the character incredibly well. Also, it is quite possible that his casting was for the sake of irony. If this was the case then kudos Mr. Fincher. As for Edward Norton, well, I sort of have a soft spot for him. After watching him in Primal Fear and American History X he is close to overtaking Kevin Spacey as one of my favourite actors. He manages to execute timidness and frailty with such conviction and then completely turns it around. I personally think he's an extremely underrated actor. Then there's Helena Bonham Carter. Admittedly, I was incredibly startled when she turned up in the film. I'm so used to seeing her in Tim Burton films that Marla came as a surprise. Of course she assumed the role well. Her natural strangeness and darkness was perfect for the role and after seeing the other potential candidates for Marla (like Reese Witherspoon...what?), HBC was perfect casting.
Fight Club covers a range of excellent themes that act as a social commentary. One of the most pervading themes is consumerism. At the beginning of the film, Norton's character is the picture of American consumer society. It takes the removal of himself from that so-called idealistic life to realise that there was no real need for that "strine green" sofa or the "glass dishes with tiny bubbles and imperfections, proof that they were crafted by the honest, simple, hard-working indigenous peoples of...wherever". A defining scene is the wrecking of the VW Beetle - a symbol of the 60s youth that became the corporate owners of the 90s. The next big theme is masculinity vs. emasculation. Norton's character is largely emasculated by his job and his lack of success in life. Emasculation reaches it's climax in Bob (Robert Paulsen played by Meat Loaf) who has testicular cancer and "bitch tits". Tyler, however, is the epitome of masculinity. Norton's character progresses from the comfort of Bob's man breasts to release of Fight Club and his sense of masculinity grows. Tyler is the goal. Finally, there's the theme of self-destruction. This takes two forms: self-destruction for the purpose of rebuilding one's self and self-destruction for the purpose of destroying oneself. We can see Norton's character's self-destruction via the initial Fight Club as a sort of death of his old self and a rebirthing of a new, strong self. At the same time, as Fight Club grows, Tyler's dominance runs parallel with Norton's character's ruination.
Fight Club itself is a symbol of rebellion. It takes men away from the humdrum, monotony of daily life and puts them back into a state of primal instinct. The film makes the comment that in our society we are so far removed from our origins as a hunter-gather society. We have become consumers and as a result we have "evolved" to avoid conflict and to bottle contempt. We have fashioned ourselves to exercise restraint and this leads to a huge build up of frustration and tension. Fight Club is a way to let go of those tensions. The members of Fight Club are your average Joes - "we cook your meals, we haul your trash, we connect your calls, we drive your ambulances. We guard you while you sleep." This shows that it is not the extremities of society that are driven to this kind of violence. It is the everyman. This film makes one of my favourite social commentaries, that situation drives people to do extreme things and that everyone is capable of destruction whether they believe it or not.
This is one of the best films I have seen in a long time. If you are not easily offended by excessive violence, foul language, nudity and...uh...anatomy, you simply MUST watch this film. I am completely baffled by it's lack of Academy Award nominations (sound effects? Really?) but I think in the following years it has emerged as a film defining of the decade. Watch it and watch it again. Believe me, you're going to want to.
KEEP
10/10 (100% deserved!)
And just a little extra for those interested, here are some of my favourite quotes!
"Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off."
"You're the all singing, all dancing, crap of the world."
"The things you own end up owning you."
"I'd like to thank the Academy..."
"I am Jack's inflamed sense of rejection."
"His name is Robert Paulsen"
"We have front row seats for this theatre of mass destruction."
"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."
"We were selling rich women their own fat asses back to them."
"If I did have a tumour, I'd name it Marla."
"Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken."
If you've read our "About" section you'll probably know that Christopher Nolan is one of my favourite directors. His films are generally very thought provoking and coupled with an excellent plot. His screenplays are top notch and I appreciate the inventiveness and originality that he produces without fail. If you've never heard of Nolan (you poor, sad soul), here's a few things you should know:
He's only 43!: Ok, so to us that probably doesn't sound that young but in terms of his filmmaking success that's pretty damn good. He was only 29 when he made the iconic Memento and a mere 34 when he started The Dark Knight trilogy.
He's a Brit: London born, Nolan attended University College London where he started making films alongside his future wife.
He's a triple threat: Well, in filmmaking terms anyway. Nolan writes, produces AND directs. Sometimes he manages to do all three in the space of one film! Busy, busy man.
He likes Michael Caine: You know how Tim Burton ALWAYS has Johnny Depp in his films? Well for Nolan it seems his go-to is Michael Caine. Caine appeared in all three Batman films (as Alfred), Inception (as Cobb's father) and is set to play a role in Nolan's upcoming film Interstellar.
He only knows one Asian guy: If you've watched Batman Begins and Inception you'll notice that "Ra's al Ghul" (if you've seen Batman Begins you'll know what that's in inverted commas) and Mr Saito are the same guy. Yeah.
He certainly paid attention in psychology class: Nolan seems to have a keen interest in the mind whether it's the concept of fear as exemplified through The Scarecrow, the idea of insanity displayed by The Joker, or whether he's looking at mental conditions like anterograde amnesia in Memento. He of course then goes on to delve into the dream sphere with Inception.
Ok, so let's get down to my top 3 Christopher Nolan films.
3. Inception
Admittedly I had to watch this movie at least twice before I fully understood the whole thing. It's definitely one of those thinking movies and I would advise you to pay attention while watching. It's not one of those films where you can text and watch at the same time. The concept was excellent. I alway feel that movies/books that can develop a whole other world are the most successful. The dreamscape is intriguing and makes sense in the nonsensical sort of way (e.g. ever had that dream where you're falling and then you wake up? Yeah, that's kind of important here). Unfortunately, this film seemed to have the DiCaprio curse in that it seems to have been largely snubbed by the almighty Academy. Personally, I felt this film integrated the three most important devices in filmmaking: good plot, effective use of special effects that don't dominate the storyline, and good script. This also had the added bonus of "novel idea" so props to Mr. Nolan for this.
2. The Dark Knight
I should probably mention here that I'm generally more of a Marvel fan as opposed to DC but Nolan definitely sold me Batman. Aside from Christian Bale's stupid Batman voice ("I'm Batman"), I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It stands out from the rest of the trilogy. If you're going to watch any of the Batman films, watch this one. The first and third pale in comparison. What I loved about this film was the characterisation. Heath Ledger as the Joker clearly overshadowed Batman. He lived the madness from his speech patterns to his little twitches. Despite the fact that it has been pointed out to me that the meticulous planning of the Joker's destruction of Gotham completely violates the idea of anarchy which the Joker is supposed to stand for, I still think this can be easily overlooked. This movie has everything: action, great plot, excellent characters and one hell of a script. The script has got to be my absolute favourite thing about this film. Ledger's lines are flawless and the creepy thing is, he makes sense. I sort of tossed up between putting this in second and third place but I think Ledger's performance just tips it over the edge.
1. Memento
Memento is hands down Nolan's best work. It's clear that this is significantly low budget in comparison to The Dark Knight and Inception. This film is all plot and script. There are no super fancy car chases or explosions. There's no fantastical landscapes, just a small, gritty town and brief cast of characters. The film basically follows one man with anterograde amnesia (that means he has short term memory loss). He remembers things before the "accident" but barely anything after. To make up for this he leaves notes for himself, takes polaroids of people he should know and information about them and even tattoos important information on his body. The concept of this film is unlike any other I've ever seen. The film moves in reverse and the twist at the end is just fantastic. I love films that can catch me off guard and that you can watch multiple times and still be hanging on the edge of your seat. It may not look like much on the surface but I guarantee you simply cannot NOT love this film.
So those are my top 3 Christopher Nolan film! Definitely check them out and let me know what you think!
by Daniela Year: 2014 Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Something that’s become quite popular at Disney is
reinventing their classic fairy tales. With Cinderella being released next year
and Beauty and the Beast news beginning to circulate it seems like there will
be plenty more to come. Maleficent takes a look at the titular character’s
backstory and takes the audience into what drove her to her actions in the 1959
classic.
Maleficent gives us an inside look at the history between
the two kingdoms: humans and the fairies (who live in the Moors). Despite
ongoing conflicts between the two, a young Maleficent and young Stefan become
fast friends until they slowly grow apart. Unfortunately for Maleficent, she
experiences the ultimate betrayal when she loses her beloved wings and seeks
out revenge on the now King Stefan by cursing his new-born daughter at her
christening. Princess Aurora is to prick her finger on the needle of a spinning
wheel on her sixteenth birthday and fall into eternal sleep and can only be
awoken by true love’s kiss. The film then follows Maleficent as she watches
Aurora growing up from afar until the aforementioned day.
But seriously.. those cheekbones!
For Disney purists, this may be a hard pill to swallow as
the creators deviate from the original tale quite a bit. In the original
Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent spends all of Aurora’s life looking for her because
she isn’t aware that the fairies have taken her into the woods. Yet in this
adaptation, Maleficent acts as a watchful eye over Aurora and waits for the day
for the curse to be enacted. Since we have this change, Maleficent and Aurora
begin to form a relationship and Maleficent and Diaval becomes very present in
Aurora’s life. One change that I did particularly like was the addition of Maleficent
and Stefan’s relationship. Watching them grow up together and slowly blossom
into puppy love made the betrayal much more painful and wow I was sold by
Angelina when she reacted to her wings being stolen! I never thought I’d want
to give a villain, let alone the mistress of all evil, a hug and tell her
everything was going to be okay! Poor baby!
One thing that I was actually quite pleased with is that the
sixteen year olds in this film ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE SIXTEEN YEAR OLDS. Elle
Fanning may not be everyone’s typical Aurora but her interpretation as a
wide-eyed girl was a welcomed contrast to the closed-off Maleficent. The three
fairies give off more of Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus kind of vibe. Of
course I had to restrain myself from yelling UMBRIDGE when they change into
mortal form. The relationship between Diaval and Maleficent allowed us to see a
more playful and at times sassy side to her while Stefan who used to bring put
the best, now brings out her evil side. The scene where Stefan talks to
Maleficent’s wings was daunting as you slowly saw this man slip into insanity.
He was terrifying especially when you remember… he’s talking to a pair of
wings!
I wasn’t quite sold on the CG green magic as it just seemed
to look very… added on? My problem was that it just looked a bit too over the
top and not up to the standard as the rest of the special effects in the film. Also,
although the costumes were quite accurate to the time and resembled clothes
worn in the animate feature, I doubt Maleficent wore a leather catsuit around
the Moors. I’ve also heard other people commenting on this too so I’m not the
only one!
Ultimately, if you go in expecting to see Sleeping Beauty as
we know it, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. If you’re expecting
to see an intensely dark Maleficent then I’m sorry she’s far from it. If
anything it shows us that villains are misunderstood characters and we have to
feel sorry for them. It’s not necessarily a bad thing but I the great thing
about Maleficent as a villain was that she was just evil. She wanted revenge
because she wasn’t invited to an even that everyone in the whole kingdom was
invited to! Her villain status then suffers if we accept this as Disney canon.
But let’s just revel in the fact that this could have gone another way.
Malefiftycent anyone?
