Saturday 7 September 2013
Tuesday 6 August 2013
100 Bloody Acres
Every now and then you stumble across a really awesome movie that surprises you in all the right ways. That gives you a really good feeling and you leave the cinema excited and optimistic about everything. Even when it is a horror movie. In this case it's a great little genre bending horror slash comedy from none other than my own country. There is nothing like coming out of a cinema after seeing an Australian movie and being really proud that your country was actually responsible for making it. Pride swells up in your chest and you take a good deep breath of that good old Australian fresh (air-conditioned cinema) air, a smile spreads across your face and there is a spring in your step.
But then the good feeling wears off as you remember that you live in Australia and no one in Australia gives Australian films a chance. If ever you mention that a film is Australian, all of a sudden no one wants to see it. People judge Australian films before they even see them. It's a shame because you can miss out on some really great stuff. Among the greats; Griff the Invisible, Not Suitable for Children, Looking for Alibrandi, Bran Nue Dae, The Sapphires, Somersault, Wolf Creek, Samson and Delilah, The Proposition, Ten Canoes, and (dare I say...) Bait.
There is a lot to love in Australian film and there is a lot of variety too. The saying goes, "Don't judge a book by its cover," so I believe that people shouldn't judge a film just because it is Australian. I mean there are certainly films that you shouldn't watch (Tomorrow When the War Began, Red Dog, Australia...) but people should watch a trailer to these things before you just go and see it. Regardless, if you are willing to sit through awful Hollywood films like Iron Man 3, Star Trek 2, Pacific Rim and The Wolverine (even if there was some Australian involvement like in wolverine...) then you should be willing to sit through bad movies from your own country too.
100 Bloody Acres is a great film. It is really quality with good writing and great acting, a soundtrack suited to the film and good camera work. It's just an all round quality film. It was made on a budget of $2million which is nothing compared to the last few Hollywood films with their budgets of $200 million. The biggest problem is that no one is going to see a quality movie of $2 million but they are lining up to see a less than average or in other words terribly awful and insulting $200 million film (see list of awful movies above). If no one goes to see these movies, then it will not be possible to continue making them. That would be a sad, sad day. For everyone. Ever.
So before you pass off a movie just because it's Australian, think again and at least give it a chance. It might surprise you. Before cheat the Australian film industry and download an Australian movie, think twice and maybe go and see it on the big screen. Things are always better on the big screen. And that way you can come out of the film with all that pride puffing up in your chest and you can say with confidence that Australia does make good quality films.
100 Bloody Acres; What went wrong?
But then the good feeling wears off as you remember that you live in Australia and no one in Australia gives Australian films a chance. If ever you mention that a film is Australian, all of a sudden no one wants to see it. People judge Australian films before they even see them. It's a shame because you can miss out on some really great stuff. Among the greats; Griff the Invisible, Not Suitable for Children, Looking for Alibrandi, Bran Nue Dae, The Sapphires, Somersault, Wolf Creek, Samson and Delilah, The Proposition, Ten Canoes, and (dare I say...) Bait.
There is a lot to love in Australian film and there is a lot of variety too. The saying goes, "Don't judge a book by its cover," so I believe that people shouldn't judge a film just because it is Australian. I mean there are certainly films that you shouldn't watch (Tomorrow When the War Began, Red Dog, Australia...) but people should watch a trailer to these things before you just go and see it. Regardless, if you are willing to sit through awful Hollywood films like Iron Man 3, Star Trek 2, Pacific Rim and The Wolverine (even if there was some Australian involvement like in wolverine...) then you should be willing to sit through bad movies from your own country too.
100 Bloody Acres is a great film. It is really quality with good writing and great acting, a soundtrack suited to the film and good camera work. It's just an all round quality film. It was made on a budget of $2million which is nothing compared to the last few Hollywood films with their budgets of $200 million. The biggest problem is that no one is going to see a quality movie of $2 million but they are lining up to see a less than average or in other words terribly awful and insulting $200 million film (see list of awful movies above). If no one goes to see these movies, then it will not be possible to continue making them. That would be a sad, sad day. For everyone. Ever.
So before you pass off a movie just because it's Australian, think again and at least give it a chance. It might surprise you. Before cheat the Australian film industry and download an Australian movie, think twice and maybe go and see it on the big screen. Things are always better on the big screen. And that way you can come out of the film with all that pride puffing up in your chest and you can say with confidence that Australia does make good quality films.
100 Bloody Acres; What went wrong?
Saturday 25 May 2013
Girls Being Girls
Four clever, savvy women who are changing the world by being themselves.
Smart Girls at the Party is a website created by three inspiring women, Amy Poehler, Meredith Walker and Amy Miles, with the aim of cultivating the authentic selves of young women and the young at heart. They want to change the world by being encouraging and educating women to be themselves. They are offer advice, answers to questions and interview inspirational women and young girls. These are the stories of four women who are doing just that, trying to be themselves in a world where being yourself isn't all that easy.
Katelyn Ierssel, 12
Primary school student, Katelyn, is a fun loving and happy young girl. Her smile is infectious and her laugh sucks you in so that all of a sudden, before you know it, you are laughing too. Talking to me, she seems nervous but she has a shy confidence that begins to shine through once she starts to get more comfortable. Currently in Grade Seven, she loves to draw, sing and play with animals. "You know, normal kid stuff." she tells me. When asked to describe herself, Katelyn says she is a happy person who is not rude but who is just an energetic kid.
She tells me which women she finds inspiring and in her list she includes P!nk and Taylor Swift. "I like their songs, their voices and their looks. I think they are pretty amazing women," she says. "There is also my Aunty Tanya. She is an artist and when I grow up I really want to be an artist as well." A smile spreads across her faces before disappearing.
"Sometimes I am doubtful that I will get that though
because sometimes I don't believe in myself. There is a voice in my head, a bad
voice that says I am bad at drawing. It's just 'cause I think bad
thoughts. Like reading. I don't think
I'm good at it so I don't like it. I think that is the only thing holding me
back but I know I have to think good thoughts about stuff I like to do, then I
might get to it. Friends can tease each other but that doesn't me hold me back.
I am the main thing holding myself back but you just have to push that aside
and do it anyway even though it can be hard." Katelyn says.
"I am
comfortable how I am even when I say embarrassing things." And here again
her laugh slips out.
Nicole Gillard, 24
Artist Nicole is one who doesn't take life lying down unless she is doing yoga but yoga is so much more than just lying down. Her glorious blonde hair captivates a room before her brilliant, vintage, Diane Freis dresses even get the chance. "I am happy with who I am, happy to be as happy as I am. Life was hard for a while when my mum died and with my dad remarrying but I am still a happy person despite this." she says. "You can't make excuses for yourself. The past is just the past and there is nothing you can do about it so you have to let it go."
Artist Nicole is one who doesn't take life lying down unless she is doing yoga but yoga is so much more than just lying down. Her glorious blonde hair captivates a room before her brilliant, vintage, Diane Freis dresses even get the chance. "I am happy with who I am, happy to be as happy as I am. Life was hard for a while when my mum died and with my dad remarrying but I am still a happy person despite this." she says. "You can't make excuses for yourself. The past is just the past and there is nothing you can do about it so you have to let it go."
"I am a creative person but I am resentful of the art
world that I have tried to belong to because it kills creativity. Everything
has been built to be sold and that is awful." she says. "I want to
change that. Change is what inspires me."
Nicole pauses for a bit, looking around the room. "I
change a lot too, constantly. Sometimes I am extremely carefree, incredibly
lazy and then really active. I think I can be pretty intense." she tells
me. "I sometimes feel burdened by
the circumstances of my life, just the silly problems and grand things like the
universe and mortality, why things are the way they are. It stresses me out but
I want to move away from that." She looks at her hands and then plays with
her hair, smile spreading across her face.
"I really don't know at all where and what I will be
doing in ten years time. I am completely open to whatever happens though. I
want to do further study and have learnt as much as I can. I was the first
woman on my mother's side of the family to go to university and I want to
continue learning as much as possible. I would like to have written something
that's been published too. Really I just want to be healthy and be helping
other people in some way. Really that's the ultimate goal."
Terri Daines, 30Very much a family person, Terri is trying to create her own family and IVF is helping to make this dream a possibility. It's been a long process with a lot of failure to work through and deal with but despite this, Terri has become a more positive and self believing person. She adjusts her position in the chair she is sitting in, and I do the same, so as to better access the cake we have just ordered. "I think I am pretty outgoing, helpful and happy. I like to help other people, I don't like to see anyone sad," she tells me. "Especially friends and family."
"Failing and failure has always scared me. I think that
there something wrong with me, that I can't do it but that's not right. I have
learned to not let it affect me 'cause it doesn't matter. I don't let people
hold me back now but I did when I was younger when I didn't believe in myself
but I think I was still learning how to fail." Terri sips her tea
thoughtfully before continuing. "I can now focus on being more positive
about what's going to happen instead of focusing on the past and how I could
have done things differently."
"I want to get my teaching degree so I could run a Prep
program of four to five year olds. I always say that it is too hard to study
and work, that there just isn't enough time but really it's just committing
myself to doing it," Terri says. "There are many things I want to do
but more than anything I just need to work. Work so I can save money and then
travel, go on family holidays because that is what is most important, spending
time with your family."
"In ten years I want to have my little family of two to
three kids and maybe have a partner. I still like to think that there is
someone out there for everyone." A smile lights up her face and it is
truly contagious.
Jennifer Hooi, 57
She hails from New South Wales and she is not afraid to be her true self no matter what the circumstances. When Jennifer Hooi graduated from university, she did not step into the equal work places that greet the majority of us these days but into one that was male run, male dominated and male centred. "I was the token woman employed. Nobody listened to anything I had to say, they just had me there to say they had a woman," Jennifer tells me. "And this was at a bank. They had no superannuation for women, only men. They had to rewrite it when I started."
She hails from New South Wales and she is not afraid to be her true self no matter what the circumstances. When Jennifer Hooi graduated from university, she did not step into the equal work places that greet the majority of us these days but into one that was male run, male dominated and male centred. "I was the token woman employed. Nobody listened to anything I had to say, they just had me there to say they had a woman," Jennifer tells me. "And this was at a bank. They had no superannuation for women, only men. They had to rewrite it when I started."
"When I was younger I wanted to be a lawyer but I
didn't think I was smart enough to do it. Now I think I could do it
easily," she says. "My school was one that didn't generally fill you
with confidence. It was a football school and it didn't really think girls
could do anything. Boys either actually." She smiles. "If I could
have my time over again, that's what I would do, I'd be a lawyer."
A recent grandmother, Jennifer is inspired by people who
overcome adversity and take a strong stance on things even if she doesn't
necessarily agree with them. "I
don't think I let people's opinions affect me. I just trust myself more than
anyone else," Jennifer tells me. "I see myself as strong, competent
and probably a little judgemental, I don't suffer fools gladly."
"In ten years time, I see myself sort of like I am just
now. I love my life, I have the best little life. I will hopefully more
grandkids though," she says and laughs.
Friday 26 April 2013
Art Vs Reality
Imagine a world where art is everywhere. Art is free to see
and free to participate in. Imagine a world where art and artists are supported
by the community and the government. Artists are able to create their work without
restraint. Everywhere you go there is something interesting to look at that
asks you to challenge what you see and look at things differently. Imagine this
kind of utopia where community art projects are frequent and appreciated and
participated in by young and old and that bring the public together. Paintings,
drawings and photographs by local and national artists hang in cafes, shops,
hotels and businesses, sculptures intersperse gardens and public spaces, and
video works are displayed on bare sides of buildings.
Reality doesn't quite look like this.
Many of today's emerging artists struggle to make a living whilst being able to practice the very thing that drives them. When getting a coffee or buying lunch, chances are the people serving you are aspiring artists just trying to fund their dream of making art.
Many of today's emerging artists struggle to make a living whilst being able to practice the very thing that drives them. When getting a coffee or buying lunch, chances are the people serving you are aspiring artists just trying to fund their dream of making art.
 |
| Bindii Thorogood Photo: Charlie Donaldson |
This is no different for local Brisbane artist Bindii
Thorogood. And no, not Bindii like Bindii Irwin she is quick to point out.
After studying Fine Art at the Griffith's Queensland College of Art and
completing her Honours, Bindii has continued to work in hospitality to support
herself. When asked if this is what it's like for all artists, she says,
"I am trying to think of some who aren't [in hospitality]." She
shakes her head in dismissal and laughs, "You have to try to balance eating
with making art. That's the trick." Her partner Dominic Reidy, who also
graduated with his Honours from QCA, agrees, "It can be a hard game."
"The best way for artists these days is ARIs but the
main thing stopping people is getting a space." Dominic said. An Artist
Run Initiative is essentially a gallery run by artists. These artists organise,
fund and pay for their show. And that's what these two did. They are the front
runners of a small Brisbane gallery based in West End that opened last year with
three shows, Addition, Addition 2 and
Addition 3. Dominic adds, “[Addition]
was created by people who were keen to start something and to do something with
their degrees...we didn’t want to fall out of the arts.”
And it's an ongoing project with 11 others from QCA. Run completely independently, it took a lot of organising and hard work to pull together. Meeting one night a week, every week, the group would organise the three shows and approach artists and writers. "The program gives us a professional edge," Bindii explains. "We have begun selling them to shops and have even sent them to a few different libraries to help get Addition out there." Dominic hopes that in the future, Addition and exhibitions like it will be able to receive funding and make enough money to be self sufficient.
And it's an ongoing project with 11 others from QCA. Run completely independently, it took a lot of organising and hard work to pull together. Meeting one night a week, every week, the group would organise the three shows and approach artists and writers. "The program gives us a professional edge," Bindii explains. "We have begun selling them to shops and have even sent them to a few different libraries to help get Addition out there." Dominic hopes that in the future, Addition and exhibitions like it will be able to receive funding and make enough money to be self sufficient.
Kathy Daily is a practicing artist on the Sunshine Coast. Along
with her husband Glen, they are a creative partnership that seeks to extend the
significance of art in public places which, so far, they have successfully
achieved with many works around the Sunshine Coast and Hinterland area.
Although she is one of the lucky ones able to call herself a practicing artist,
she still teaches at a local Tafe to be able to support herself and her family.
"Life is tough for everyone and if you get to do what you love then that
is a bonus. My work means a lot to me, the more communities can get involved
the better."
When asked about her future, current student at QCA, Aishla
Manning, said, "I know that it is hard to break into the art world but
it's hard to do most things that matter."
 |
| Dominic Reidy with his work in Addition Photo: Mieka Thorogood |
"In [the] future I think I will always be making art.
It's not something you can just give up on," Dominic muses. "I could
never give up on it."
Bindii added, "I like to think that I have known
Australia's greatest artists. Our country just needs to realise what they
have."
Tuesday 26 March 2013
A Late Protest Against the Oscars
So what is wrong with Hollywood and the Academy?
Some of their decisions are great. Argo was a fantastic film and deserved to win best picture. The costumes in Anna Karenina were incredible. The costume designer for that deserved the praise she was given. The effects in The Life of Pi were mind blowing. I haven't actually seen Lincoln but from what I have heard the movie was average but the performance by Daniel Day-Lewis was amazing. But Best Actress going to Jennifer Lawrence? I mean....What the what?
Fair enough she is a good actress and she played her part in Silver Linings Playbook pretty well. But what was that role if it wasn't just a rom-com type role? There was nothing special about it. Nothing that made me jump out of my seat, or cry because there was too much emotion, or shock me or anything along those lines really. It was a fairly solid performance but did she deserve to win Best Actress for it. No. I'm not thinking so.
Lets go through the list of other (much more deserving) nominees shall we.
Amour is truly an incredible movie. I cried the whole way through it. And then I cried for ages afterwards and I could not function like a proper human being for the rest of the day (and or week). This film deserves all the praise that it has received and more. Emmanuelle Riva is beautiful and her performance in Amour is both riveting and devastating. I don't think I had prepared myself emotionally for the impact this film would have on me. Riva's performance is burned into my memory. It is not a movie that I will not forget easily as it touched me so deeply.
But, alas, no win for Riva.
Beasts of the Southern Wild is my pick for 2012 and has probably taken the trophy of my favourite film (for now). And what a beautiful film it was. It blew me away. I was lost for words. Crying because I was happy but crying because I was filled with sadness. The beauty of the story and the beauty of the characters was all a bit much for me. Ben Zeitlin is a bit of a genius and now Quenzhané Wallis is queen of independent film. And rightfully so. She is so great she is only 9 years old. How a 9 year old can affect me so much I don't know. She is just brilliant.
But she didn't win.
Zero Dark Thirty was one of the more controversial films of the past year. Jessica Chastain plays the woman that finally ended the 11 year man hunt by locating America's most wanted. The crap that this woman had to deal with and the situations she was in everyday were insane. She was recruited straight out of school and this was her whole life. Considering that no one knows the exact biography of this lady, Chastain does a g reat job and I really felt her hopelessness and loneliness. Her performance wasn't as astounding as the two previously mentioned but it was still a really great performance.
Then there is Noami Watts. If yo have read my review on The Impossible then you will already know how I feel about this lady and this performance. I didn't like it is enough said.
Silver Linings Playbook is basically a rom-com. It doesn't offer much more than the same boy meets girl and after a few complications and confusions, gets with said girl. These movies are a dime a dozen and just because somebody changes the context slightly, doesn't make it a great film. I don't know who Jennifer Lawrence paid for her o win this award bu there was something seriously wrong with her winning it. There was nothing special about that performance, nothing that really took me by surprise. So she would occasionally scare a guy when he was on a run and stalk him. Maybe yell a little. Why hand someone an Oscar for this. I am sure we all do this at least once a day.
And I don't know if this was just in Australia, but during the ad breaks for the Oscars they would say who this particular show was brought to you by; "This program is proudly brought to you by...Silver Linings Plaaybook." I kid you not. Someone was seriously plugging that movie and through the movie all that people that were nominated for it.
Contrary to what I have been writing, I did enjoy this movie. I didn't love it but I thought it was a lot of fun. I also didn't hate Jennifer Lawrence's performance. Although it does make me super angry now that she has won.
Also on a little side note, posing with your award giving the finger? I mean maybe some people like Meryl Streep who own at life (acting) could get away with this because she is so ridiculously amazing in everything she does (including getting the flu- Poehler and Fey 2012) but not when you are so new to the game and don't deserve the award you have "won".
I thought this was judged on acting.
Some of their decisions are great. Argo was a fantastic film and deserved to win best picture. The costumes in Anna Karenina were incredible. The costume designer for that deserved the praise she was given. The effects in The Life of Pi were mind blowing. I haven't actually seen Lincoln but from what I have heard the movie was average but the performance by Daniel Day-Lewis was amazing. But Best Actress going to Jennifer Lawrence? I mean....What the what?
Fair enough she is a good actress and she played her part in Silver Linings Playbook pretty well. But what was that role if it wasn't just a rom-com type role? There was nothing special about it. Nothing that made me jump out of my seat, or cry because there was too much emotion, or shock me or anything along those lines really. It was a fairly solid performance but did she deserve to win Best Actress for it. No. I'm not thinking so.
Lets go through the list of other (much more deserving) nominees shall we.
Amour is truly an incredible movie. I cried the whole way through it. And then I cried for ages afterwards and I could not function like a proper human being for the rest of the day (and or week). This film deserves all the praise that it has received and more. Emmanuelle Riva is beautiful and her performance in Amour is both riveting and devastating. I don't think I had prepared myself emotionally for the impact this film would have on me. Riva's performance is burned into my memory. It is not a movie that I will not forget easily as it touched me so deeply.
But, alas, no win for Riva.
Beasts of the Southern Wild is my pick for 2012 and has probably taken the trophy of my favourite film (for now). And what a beautiful film it was. It blew me away. I was lost for words. Crying because I was happy but crying because I was filled with sadness. The beauty of the story and the beauty of the characters was all a bit much for me. Ben Zeitlin is a bit of a genius and now Quenzhané Wallis is queen of independent film. And rightfully so. She is so great she is only 9 years old. How a 9 year old can affect me so much I don't know. She is just brilliant.
But she didn't win.
Zero Dark Thirty was one of the more controversial films of the past year. Jessica Chastain plays the woman that finally ended the 11 year man hunt by locating America's most wanted. The crap that this woman had to deal with and the situations she was in everyday were insane. She was recruited straight out of school and this was her whole life. Considering that no one knows the exact biography of this lady, Chastain does a g reat job and I really felt her hopelessness and loneliness. Her performance wasn't as astounding as the two previously mentioned but it was still a really great performance.
Then there is Noami Watts. If yo have read my review on The Impossible then you will already know how I feel about this lady and this performance. I didn't like it is enough said.
Silver Linings Playbook is basically a rom-com. It doesn't offer much more than the same boy meets girl and after a few complications and confusions, gets with said girl. These movies are a dime a dozen and just because somebody changes the context slightly, doesn't make it a great film. I don't know who Jennifer Lawrence paid for her o win this award bu there was something seriously wrong with her winning it. There was nothing special about that performance, nothing that really took me by surprise. So she would occasionally scare a guy when he was on a run and stalk him. Maybe yell a little. Why hand someone an Oscar for this. I am sure we all do this at least once a day.
And I don't know if this was just in Australia, but during the ad breaks for the Oscars they would say who this particular show was brought to you by; "This program is proudly brought to you by...Silver Linings Plaaybook." I kid you not. Someone was seriously plugging that movie and through the movie all that people that were nominated for it.
Contrary to what I have been writing, I did enjoy this movie. I didn't love it but I thought it was a lot of fun. I also didn't hate Jennifer Lawrence's performance. Although it does make me super angry now that she has won.
Also on a little side note, posing with your award giving the finger? I mean maybe some people like Meryl Streep who own at life (acting) could get away with this because she is so ridiculously amazing in everything she does (including getting the flu- Poehler and Fey 2012) but not when you are so new to the game and don't deserve the award you have "won".
I thought this was judged on acting.
Saturday 16 February 2013
Anna Karenina
Joe Wright's new film, Anna Karenina, is simply intriguing. While not perfect and whilst Keira Knightly's face is still very annoying and occupies too much screen time, it is a very fascinating adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's original book.
The film is based around the character Anna (Keira Knighly). She is married to Alexi (a quite unrecognisable Jude Law), a member of the Russian government, with whom she has a son. When she travels to Moscow in an attempt to get her brother's wife to stay with him after he has cheated on her, she happens to meet a young officer with whom an infatuation and romance grows. In the midst of a very conservative Russian aristocratic society, Anna's actions come with devastating consequences. (There are also some other little side stories but that is the general gist of it).
There have been a HEAP of adaptations of this book, including an adaptation with Vivien Leigh and another with Greta Garbo. There has been a Russian film (or two...) and even a musical version as well as a few TV movies and a few mini series'. So maybe adding another Anna Karenina to this long list was an interesting choice. Having not seen any of these other adaptations though, I don't mind.
This film looks great. It is really fascinating the way they have done it. It is really well directed, the music is awesome and fits in so well to what is happening on screen, the sets are glorious, the costumes are divine and the cinematography really highlights all of these things. There are some really beautiful, breath taking scenes. Quite frankly this film is unlike anything I have ever seen but I am by no means saying it's perfect. There are many things that do not fit quite right.
It is set as if it is in a theatre or on a stage. They are backstage, above stage, on stage, in the audience, in the stalls. It is really constructed, overly stylised and heavily choreographed but these things are what makes the film work. It is when the film strays away from this stylised stage setting that things fall a part. When the film leaves this tight, constricted setting it becomes a little disorientating. I don't know if these divergences from the stage setting are for symbolic reasons or not but on a one dimensional scale, it's a strange choice to leave the stage setting.
Also, at the start of the film the scenes change like they would on a stage with a backgrounds lifting up and another one being lowered down and the extras move props around and the way the film flowed was really awesome. But by the end of the film this had kind of dissipated. The film didn't flow as well and the setting were almost normal. I am sure you could read into it, figuratively speaking, that as Anna falls out of the public eye and into disgrace her life becomes less like a stage or something along those lines but not everyone wants a lesson in imagery and symbolism now that they have left school. (I love getting into the symbolic meanings in things. The IB program has ruined my sense of fun.)
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, while he does a fairly good job, seems miscast. For me, he seems too young and small for this part. Maybe his youth is part of the character, I am not sure, I have not read the book. But I didn't fully believe in the hardcore love and obsession that the two main characters had for each other. I just wasn't 100% convinced. But Keira Knightly still annoys me. There is just something about her face that I can't deal with. There were a few times in this movie where I was generally confused as to what emotion she was trying to portray but the director obviously likes her or you could say has some kind of obsession with her, as he has put her in his last three movies including when he miscast her as Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. *small rant over*
Above everything else, this really is an intriguing film. I got sucked into this weird aristocratic world where the Russians are obsessed with everything French, with their strange values about marriage and relationships and their crushing, overbearing, judging society. This film brings up a lot of questions and if you like to analyse things to get to the ambiguous meanings of films then this one is a good one to do that with and if not, then it is still something that is worth seeing just to see how they have done it. That being said not everyone will like this film but if you have seen Django Unchained then you should go see this. If you haven't seen Django Unchained then go see that. NOW.
The film is based around the character Anna (Keira Knighly). She is married to Alexi (a quite unrecognisable Jude Law), a member of the Russian government, with whom she has a son. When she travels to Moscow in an attempt to get her brother's wife to stay with him after he has cheated on her, she happens to meet a young officer with whom an infatuation and romance grows. In the midst of a very conservative Russian aristocratic society, Anna's actions come with devastating consequences. (There are also some other little side stories but that is the general gist of it).
There have been a HEAP of adaptations of this book, including an adaptation with Vivien Leigh and another with Greta Garbo. There has been a Russian film (or two...) and even a musical version as well as a few TV movies and a few mini series'. So maybe adding another Anna Karenina to this long list was an interesting choice. Having not seen any of these other adaptations though, I don't mind.
This film looks great. It is really fascinating the way they have done it. It is really well directed, the music is awesome and fits in so well to what is happening on screen, the sets are glorious, the costumes are divine and the cinematography really highlights all of these things. There are some really beautiful, breath taking scenes. Quite frankly this film is unlike anything I have ever seen but I am by no means saying it's perfect. There are many things that do not fit quite right.
Also, at the start of the film the scenes change like they would on a stage with a backgrounds lifting up and another one being lowered down and the extras move props around and the way the film flowed was really awesome. But by the end of the film this had kind of dissipated. The film didn't flow as well and the setting were almost normal. I am sure you could read into it, figuratively speaking, that as Anna falls out of the public eye and into disgrace her life becomes less like a stage or something along those lines but not everyone wants a lesson in imagery and symbolism now that they have left school. (I love getting into the symbolic meanings in things. The IB program has ruined my sense of fun.)
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, while he does a fairly good job, seems miscast. For me, he seems too young and small for this part. Maybe his youth is part of the character, I am not sure, I have not read the book. But I didn't fully believe in the hardcore love and obsession that the two main characters had for each other. I just wasn't 100% convinced. But Keira Knightly still annoys me. There is just something about her face that I can't deal with. There were a few times in this movie where I was generally confused as to what emotion she was trying to portray but the director obviously likes her or you could say has some kind of obsession with her, as he has put her in his last three movies including when he miscast her as Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. *small rant over*
Above everything else, this really is an intriguing film. I got sucked into this weird aristocratic world where the Russians are obsessed with everything French, with their strange values about marriage and relationships and their crushing, overbearing, judging society. This film brings up a lot of questions and if you like to analyse things to get to the ambiguous meanings of films then this one is a good one to do that with and if not, then it is still something that is worth seeing just to see how they have done it. That being said not everyone will like this film but if you have seen Django Unchained then you should go see this. If you haven't seen Django Unchained then go see that. NOW.
Sunday 10 February 2013
Fey and Poehler
Two of the greatest ladies in the world.
My love for them is infinite. I cannot describe.
My love for them is infinite. I cannot describe.
Poehler and Fey
2016
Bitches get stuff done
Bitches get stuff done
Sunday 3 February 2013
Disney's Paperman
This is a great animated short. I think it is even nominated for an Oscar.
Paperman.
Paperman.
Thursday 17 January 2013
The Impossible
This movie is filmed very well. It looks good.
And it is very sad. Well actually, it's heartbreaking.
But that's it.
It's based on a family who go to Thailand for Christmas in 2004 and their struggle to survive and find each other after the devastating Tsunami hits.
Naomi Watts has been nominated for an Oscar for this performance but she doesn't really do anything. At the start she smiles and then she screams and cries and is in a lot of pain. Otherwise she doesn't do all that much. I didn't really think that this was a particularly breath taking performance. I will say that to me, it seems that when acting, being in pain would be easier than acting other things. But I am not an actor so maybe I am wrong. Her character doesn't change or go through any sort of character development and she isn't really in it all that much compared to her movie son, Lucas (Tom Holland). I just wasn't taken by her performance. I wasn't a huge Naomi Watts fan before I saw this and I wanted this movie to make me like her more but that didn't happen.
Ewan McGregor is good although maybe a little wasted in this role. I mean think back to Danny Boyle's Trainspotting. Ewan was awesome in that. Here he just seems very restrained and in my opinion, his character is pretty silly sometimes. No common sense.
But a saving grace for this movie is the kids, the two younger sons, Thomas and Simon (Samuel Joslin and Oaklee Pendergast). They are so adorable and that would have been enough but they are also really good actors. This movie is an achievement for them as it is so heavy emotionally and they are so little. And Tom Holland does well. He has most of the movie riding on him and many emotional scenes but he does very well for someone so young.
But this wasn't enough to sell this movie for me. There was something about this movie that was very off-putting. From when I saw the trailer I just shuddered and the shudder continued. It just had a dirty feeling to it and I couldn't shake it. Here is this horrific disaster where many people lost their lives and their families. This event is something that people are never going to forget and here is Hollywood putting these perfect Hollywood faces on it and making a money grubbing movie about it. I feel like they are taking this away from the people who suffered through this event.
It may be based on a true story about a Spanish family but I don't see why (apart from to make money) they have to put these rich, white faces on it. It may make people understand the horrific circumstances of it all better but I still feel that it is a little culturally ignorant or that it ignored too many other stories. To be honest, I was more interested in the stories of people around this family. I wanted to know and learn about more families and what they went through rather than this one.
I remember when this Tsunami hit. I was in England with my family. I was 11. One of the only reasons I remember it was partly because it was all the news could talk about but more because I remember coming out of seeing Mary Poppins at the theatre and they had all these donations buckets. I was just excited about putting money in a bucket. I didn't understand the severity of it at all. And this movie did make me want to go back and tell 11 year old me to put more money in that bucket, even though I was young and in a foreign country and any money I had wasn't my own but my mothers.
I have heard that Hoyts is donating $1 of every ticket sold to see The Impossible to UNICEF Australia. This is only one cinema chain across Australia and only $1. I think that this movie should be donating most of it's profits to organisations like UNICEF and disaster recovery across the world. That might make me like this movie better.
Also, the title. I mean, really?
Sunday 13 January 2013
Les Miserables
This is not just a story but an epic journey. An epic journey that takes you through so many emotional highs and lows and one that is surrounded by history (even if most historians call it a bastardisation of Victor Hugo's original novel). In summary it goes a little something like this; In 19th Century France, Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) is hunted by policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) after he breaks parole. Years on, he agrees to care for the daughter of Fantine (Anne Hathaway), one of the workers in the factory that he now owns. His life is changed forever (obviously). But it's not all about him. In pre-revolutionary France there is a lot happening and this musical attempts to cover everything. It's one emotional roller coaster.
Directed by Tom Hooper, known for The King's Speech, this is a revolutionary movie (not just because of the content) but because of the way he has decided to film the entire thing. All the songs are recorded live. (This is the revolutionary part of it but this is a big thing, especially for musicals.)
What Hooper has done by recording the singing live and not having his actors attempt to do some awful lip syncing, is allow for all the emotion to seep through. You see and feel the emotion of the songs in a way that the musical can't do. After seeing this movie, if you go back and listen to the original cast soundtrack (like I did) you will find that it seems like the cast are just singing, without emotion. Just singing a pretty song. It's like comparing yourself to how you sing inside your head to how you actually sound out loud. Huge difference right? Well that's what this is like.
So how do the cast cope with this revolutionary method? Well they owned it. (pwned it really)
 |
| Russell Crowe |
Daniel Huttlestone who plays Gavroche, who is normally a character that I find very annoying, was great. Huttlestone seems so comfortable around the camera and really brings out the best parts of his character. And the same goes for young Cosette, Isabelle Allen. Although neither of them get much screen time, they really shine for the moments that they do get.
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| Samantha Banks (Do you see what I am talking about with the waist?) |
Amanda Seyfried sings high and wobbly and fits Cosette very well. I mean Eponine is always better and that proves true again here with Samantha Barks and her incredibly tiny waist.
Eddie Redmayne isn't as annoying as I usually find him and has a really great voice, surprisingly. When he and Seyfried sing their harmonies, it's just so pretty. Well when anyone one is singing in harmony it's so pretty.
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| Hugh Jackman |
Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier respectively are fantastic. They break up all the devastating emotional parts of this film with great interludes of comedy and they do it so well. They are so comfortable in these characters and it really shows. They just look like they are having so much fun.
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| Anna Hathaway |
There was just one problem. It's not that major, it was something that really got on my nerves. And for this I must complain to cinematographer Danny Cohen and editors Chris Dickens and Melanie Oliver. The filming and the editing for some reason unbeknownst to man, decided that it was going to jump around the entire film. I must ask why? Why would you, when you have such a big, elaborate and intricate set, only have extreme close ups of peoples faces? It makes everything feel claustrophobic. And why, after such long, sustained close ups, would you have so many cuts that you are constantly jumping from one shot to the next every few seconds? It was very distracting. There will be these beautiful, still scenes filled with all this emotion and then the editors decided to go to town and undo all that emotion by jumping all over the place, moving in and out, far away, side to side, back and forth, up and down.
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| Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen |
This film was shot mostly using a hand held camera by Danny Cohen. I am okay with the shakiness of handy cams but this was over a little over the top for me with all the cutting as well as the hand held. This all being said, it didn't stop me from getting immersed in the film and the songs and the characters. I loved it. The music is so great and everyone really did a great job on this film.
This is a great adaptation. It's not to say that I won't go and see the stage musical again because I will (probably countless times) but when it's not showing or when I don't have the money to see it, then this will suffice very nicely.
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