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Brick (2005)
Hard to grasp but wow
Brick is a film noir set in a suburban high school, and I must say I'm quite impressed with how the film turned out. I feel like this is my favourite Rian Johnson film, when he made this, you can tell he was hungry to make a great film, and I must say he did. This was a risky film to make at a time in which more "light" films were being made, predominantly in the genre of fantasy; such as the Harry Potter series and the Pirates of the Caribbean series. However this only brings more merit to a director who went through with an idea that HE wanted to do, and that is how the best films are made.
First off, the acting in the film was pretty great, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brendan) was excellent in his portrayal of someone who is broken and shuns the world, but at the same time has good in him and will do whatever it takes to find out what happened to Emily. The duo of Lukas Haas (the Pin) and Noah Fleiss (Tugger) are totally great, especially the Pin. He is a drug dealer alright, but that doesn't mean he has to pull out a gun to intimidate. He has a weird and eccentric personality to a point, but that just makes it all much more interesting. Being a film noir, it was impossible that there wouldn't be a "femme fatale", and Nora Zehetner as Laura was marvellous, because she does a great job at making you think that she could actually be good, but we are ultimately disappointed that this could happen.
The cinematography was one of the strongest points in the film, the jump cuts and "funny" angles used when someone is punched work really well. Something that was kind of a paradox was that for a film which focused a lot on having good dialogue it made it hard to understand what was happening by having the background noises be too loud and the characters talk a bit too fast. This left me a little lost at first, and really does take from the quality of the film. The High school setting was an odd choice for the film's theme it would seem, but thinking it through, it was really a pretty good choice. A lot of parallels can be drawn from society and a high school, and Johnson was able to make it work in a good way. I really liked how the "popular" kids seem to pass time by literally doing some sort of stand up acting, and when Brendan arrives at one of their parties they are all dressed up in costumes in a "Halloween in January" party. Another thing I really liked is how the director made an analogy from the vice principal of the school, who is trying to find get the troublesome kids and law enforcement in our society; the vice principal will use dirty tactics and blackmailing in order to get his job done, as do law enforcement agencies in real life.
This was honestly a really great film, that even if I didn't comprehend, I loved. You don't always have to fully understand something to recognize how good it is, and this is what happens with Brick, I'm sure next time I watch it I'll pick up something new from it and come to like it even more. Something that could be easily missed is that Emily's baby is actually Brendan's, which sort of comes as a shock, as we thought it was Tugger's or maybe even Dode's. However it doesn't really matter as Emily is dead, and not even Brendan seems faced when told this information. Brick is a film because I feel like it provides a great metaphor for how our modern day society works in some parts through a high school scenario. Overall pretty good film, there are some faults of course, but it's a solid film I would recommend for fans of mind-job movies and film noir in general.
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
The Beginning of Film Noir
Sunset Blvd. is a story about an unsuccessful film writer who by chance meets a has been movie star of the silent film era, but after this, things only get more twisted. You could say this film was the beginning of a much darker time for film, and the first time people on the the audience could see that Hollywood was not all good and shiny as they had thought before. While this film might seem exaggerated in the character of Norma Desmond, who becomes literally mad with the idea of her past fame, there is truth in her character. Fame and money are funny things, while they make one seem powerful and beloved, these are the same things that can really bring out the worst in people, as we see in Sunset Blvd.
The acting throughout the film is especially superb, I was really impressed with Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond. I feel like her character would be such a hard one to play, but from the way she spoke to her gestures, I really believed she was a narcissistic actress who was indeed mad. William Holden (Joe Gillis) was also perfect for his role, as he plays a man who really hasn't had much success in following his dream, but he tries nonetheless. His character has a good amount of humour for a not so light film, and the way he acts tells us that he really is a good person. Betty Schaefer, played by Nancy Olson I think is the impersonation of innocence, naiveness and goodness in an industry where those characteristics are rarely seen. She helps lighten the film and gives us hope that Joe can come out of the situation he has found himself in with Norma Desmond.
This was one of the first, if not the first to use a non-linear storyline in a film, and it fits perfectly. The technicalities of this beginning sequence are also amazing, as they didn't use an underwater to film the body, instead they used a mirror to reflect, and that's how we see Joe's body. It was also shot in such a way that it was not really revealed this was Joe until the very end. This would later set the stage for other films, especially with a dark theme to use this form of storytelling; some of these are Pulp Fiction, Fight Club and 12 Monkeys.
I really enjoyed this film, overall everything was great, and it was a really creative story that showed a darker side of something that people had generally thought was all fun and good. The way Cecil B. DeMille plays Norma's butler, and how he has "protected her from the world" by allowing for her to think that she is still relevant was simply great. The last bit of the film was perfect. Joe believes he is tainted, instead of leaving with Betty as he should have he prefers to let her go to spare her from himself in a way. Norma believed herself so great that she couldn't allow for her to be rejected, so in her rage and jealousy she killed Joe, fully bringing her down through the final steps of madness. I think that the way her butler brought a camera crew for her at the end was a mercy for her that she truly didn't deserve. This movie is a film because it shows what a self centred way of living and fame can do to people and that sometimes things that seem very good, are most likely flawed in a way inside.
The Artist (2011)
My Favourite Silent Film Yet
"The Artist" is a film about the end of the Silent film era in the late 20's, but in truth it's much more than that.
The entirety of the film just works great, honestly it's one of the most creative movies i've seen for a while. Simply the idea of making a silent film, with the technology of the time (1927) in modern times and it being so good shows you how far filmmaking has come. Back in the 1920's, most films (most, not all), didn't really have an underlaying theme, they were just movies made for the general public to watch and have a good time. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just helps to see that really film is in my opinion much better nowadays. This isn't just because of the superior technology and production, but storytelling has become much better and I think that more directors can make risky decisions while making movies that you wouldn't have seen much of before. Basically, I think that while film exists there will always be movies made with the sole purpose of making money and entertaining for a while, nowadays there are more films that make you actually think for a while as to what the director really wanted the deeper message of the film to be. The acting throughout the film is superb, Jean Dujardin brings to life the character of George Valentine with an amazing performance. All of his facial expressions and movements really make you believe he's a film star in a distant era. He's a character that also really makes you feel, as you come to understand his despair and come to despair yourself in scenes such as when he burns down his old films. Bérénice Bejo is also perfect for her role as Peppy Miller, the rising actress and star of the new "talkie" era. One thing that I didn't dislike but it put me a little off was the fact that the actors throughout the film were actually saying their lines but they just took the sound off, it's not really a bad thing, it just took from the whole goal of making it seem as if it were from the actual silent film era. The soundtrack is a good addition to the movie, since for really almost all of the film it's all you will hear. The pace of the film is really defined by the music. Something I also loved of the movie was Valentine's dog, who is an entire main character by himself that provides some sort of comic relief in an otherwise more dramatic story. Something that I felt was done excellently in the film was how it showed that people move on, and that nothing can stay the same way forever. While watching the film I felt sort of helpless as Valentine started losing his fame and people really started to care less about him, and he couldn't do anything about it. Our pride can be our downfall, and that's almost what happened to Valentine when he didn't want to take Peppy's offer to work with him. Yet, he learned to adapt in the end, and got his second shot at what he thought was gone to him forever. This is why the ending in which they actually talk is so great, because it shows us that anyone can get a second chance.
Hugo (2011)
Scorsese Made This?
I first saw this film probably like 5 years ago, I saw it again a few days ago and I'm impressed how this film can be watched by different age groups and everyone can still take something valuable from it. When I heard Scorsese made this it was also quite confusing as it has a totally different mood and storyline than most of his other films. The acting throughout the film is good, I especially liked Asa Butterfield (Hugo), he made a really good job at giving the character of Hugo life in a way that you really feel empathy for him and want him to be happy. Someone that I think also does a great job was Sacha Baron Cohen (the Inspector) as he has a good character ark and you realize why he is the way that he is. Maybe Scorsese meant for him to paint a picture of what Hugo's character could have been like in the future if he would not have had someone to care for him the way his father did and later Isabelle and Papa George. The cinematography is great as it allows for you to sink into the world of the train station in Paris, which for Hugo, is his world. There were some great things that were happening there parallel to the main story, like the love story between "Monsieur Frick" and "Madame Emilia". When Scorsese made this film I think he was trying to make an ode to his love of film and of course Georges Méliès. This is why he includes the character of Rene Tabard, which was meant to signify Scorsese and to show his enormous appreciation for Méliès. However, I think that this film is more than that, the film tries to recreate the feeling of what it is like to be a child, to have a limitless imagination and be able to believe in anything. That is what makes Hugo a film, and why anyone can truly enjoy it, because deep down we all have a child within us awakened by this film.
The Kid (1921)
Chaplin's Personal Film
"The Kid" was the first Charlie Chaplin film that I watched, and I must say I'm impressed with its great acting, its story and the deeper themes with which it deals. While the film is around 100 years old, I believe it's still very watchable. The production is amazing for a film that old, while of course it was limited by the technology of the time I think the subjects with which it deals are still very relevant today. Probably the most important thing shown in the film is how women who have children at a young age or simply don't have the resources to provide for them, are not supported. In the movie this makes "the Woman", see getting rid of her child as her only option, because she won't be able to give him everything he will need. To a certain degree that still happens today, as even though there are planned parenthood centres and some support for single mothers, a lot of times they aren't ready, and are shunned by their family for something that isn't necessarily their fault. The film is probably also based on Chaplin's experience as child who had to basically grow up without parents. The character of "the Man" could also be based on Chaplin's own father, who was an alcoholic who was never there for his family. In the film. the Man seems like he isn't doing too bad for himself, but still decides not to provide for a child he brought into the world. The acting in the film is surprisingly good, Jackie Coogan ("the Kid") does an unbelievable job at his role, and in my opinion he is the star of the film, since it all revolves around him. While in the film "the Tramp" (Chaplin) may not be the most successful, he cares for the Kid as if he was his own, which ultimately he is. A father is someone who will always give his son unconditional love and try to give his child the best he can, not necessarily the biological father. Chaplin fulfils this role in the film, and I can say he is the face of kindness of the movie. His acting is also excellent, and his slapstick humour doesn't take anything from the film, instead it helps be a sort of comic relief and help the film maintain a more or less playful tone. A scene which I'm not quite sure why it was included or how it adds to the story is the one where the Tramp is dreaming and he sees a world of angels who are sort of corrupted by demons. My best guess is that he is trying to show how even the best people will sometimes make bad decisions or can be influenced to do things they will later regret. Another thing the scene could signify are Chaplin's own demons from his personal life, and how even when he is a good person he makes mistakes too. Overall this is a good film, as it deals with real life problems that are even still relevant today. Yes, the story is simple and its characters may not be super developed, it's still a grand accomplishment for its time and a movie that I would still say is very worth watching.
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)
Leave your comfort zone
Amélie is a beautiful love story that covers important subjects like happiness a letting go of our comfort zone to face the world outside.
When the movie started I was not really sure what to expect, I had heard about the movie but I never really had much interest in watching it. However when I started watching it and saw the visual and artistic style of the film I knew it was gonna be good. Usually I don't like narration in a film too much, but in this one I believe it worked perfectly to set the mood. I really liked how it starts with completely unrelated events being shown to lead to the birth of the main character.
All throughout the movie you can see how since a child Amelie has been kind of living in her own bubble, mainly because of her parents who were never really there for her the way that parents should be there for their children. This leads to Amelie living most of her days inside her head, even as an adult. She doesn't relate much with others, until she finds something that allows her to make someone happy. When she gives the box to the man and literally fixes his life, as he'll now go back and reconcile with his daughter, I would have liked it if she told him it was her who gave it to her. I understand why she didn't, and how it's part of her personality.
The scenes where you can see what she is thinking displayed in her TV are just great, how she sees herself becoming the "mother of the unloved", but I feel like if she had followed this path she might not have found happiness herself. Because of this it's important when she starts doing something for herself, which is to find love with a person similar to her. Mr. Dufayel also plays an important part in the film because he can ultimately be seen as the outcome of living a life full of reclusion and little human interaction. It's thanks to him that Amelie decides to just leave her comfort zone and take a risk by actually meeting Nino in her apartment where they display their love. This however makes me think, can you love someone without really knowing them? or is it more that you love the mystery and escape from your life this person offers to you?
The movie's greatest message in my opinion is that of leaving your comfort zone and taking risks, regarding of their outcome. This is something I can relate to, as it always hurts more to wonder "what if?" than to face the actual outcome of the situation. What could have been a simple love story was made in a way that is more thought provoking and has a great final message that applies to everyone.
The Truman Show (1998)
And in case I don't see you ...
The Truman Show is a film about a man who lives in this "perfect" world, has the "perfect life" and the "perfect" wife. This man was this life because he lives in a television show, unknowingly. Almost everything about this movie is great, the amazing acting, the script and the plot. The one thing about the film that I thought could have been a little different was the ending. Even though you kind of understand that Truman and Lauren will be reunited, I would have liked it if we actually saw that. Throughout the film, as Truman starts to uncover that the truth about his life I started to think about his actually imperfect life. While some people would say they'd be happy living in this world ignorantly, imagine this. Nothing you have experienced is real, nothing, your wedding was a fabrication for a large TV audience, your wife doesn't love you, hell even your parents are actors. In this discussion I feel like it's just not fair for Truman, while he eventually escapes from the massive set that is his home, what does he actually have in the real world? At the end Christof is trying to convince Truman to stay, by saying that here he has the perfect life and is free from the horror of the real world. When Christoff says "We accept the reality of the world with which we're presented." I believe this is pretty true. Sometimes we wish that our reality would change, such as in these trying times, but we know that we can't do anything about it so we simply try to accept it. While people will always try to fight a reality that they dislike, most will soon simply try to accept it and move on with their lives. In every reality there is something, even if it's very small that we can take away. For example, right now I believe that we can all learn new things at home, and when it's over we'll come out better. While of course there are aspects of the real world that are not very good, it's still real. It's better than any fake life, just as Truman realizes at the very end. The film itself is just amazing, the story is something very original that had a powerful message but still remained very interesting to watch. Jim Carrey's acting is just superb, how you can feel his emotions and his weaknesses. In the film, there are some funny moments in which characters suddenly pause and literally advertise a product. This was funny, but I think it's also an analogy on how every day of our lives we are thrown with so much ads everywhere so we buy things that we don't really need. There were some unrealistic things in the movie, such as how the show would get so many viewers during the first years of Truman's life, I mean I just feel like that would be pretty boring to watch, but maybe that's just me. The other thing is that supposedly the ginormous set is built in Hollywood, but jeez that real state must have been ridiculously expensive. While I get why they did it there, it would have been more realistic if they built it somewhere other that was cheaper. Also at the very very end when the two security guards are watching the Truman Show and when they see Truman leaving, they're like, "Well we watch something else?" This was a pretty funny way of showing the reality, like many people try to watch so many things that they can't fully get the essence of what they watched. In Christof's eyes, he is God in this world he has created, but to everyone against the Truman Show, such as Lauren he is a villain. For the media and the people who just love the show he is someone very special though. In conclusion, I felt like this film was greatly crafted, had strong acting, an original plot and real life issues that we should all think about in some way.
Gisaengchung (2019)
Woah
After watching Parasite, it's hard to describe what I felt when "Kevin" finished writing the letter for his father. The film itself is entertaining to watch, it keeps you thinking and when you look for the deeper meaning within, you find a hard theme to display on a screen yet done brilliantly in Parasite.
In my opinion the movie is a direct metaphor for dreams, and even for the concept of the "American Dream". In the film, the "Kim" family is struggling from the beginning, they have dreams, especially Ki-Woo (Kevin) and his sister (Ki-Jeong) to go to college. When Kevin heads out to his job interview with the Parks, he tells his family that he doesn't think of the forgery of the documents as a crime. He is just getting these documents before time, because he will go to college. His sister also seems like she wanted to go to college and seems frustrated that she couldn't because of their situation. At the end of the film, Kevin imagines himself overcoming and finally having money after he went to college. He then would be able to buy the house where his dad would still be trapped in the basement room. The sad part about this is that Kevin really thinks he will be able to save his father, but because of what has happened, he won't be able to.
An interesting metaphor used inside the film is how the levels in the different houses represent the social classes. For example, to get to the Park's house the Kims had to walk up a hill, and to get back to their house they had to walk back down a long way. Even inside the Park's house this can be seen with the hidden basement room, in which one of the "parasites" lives.
The film for me started out almost as a comedy, all of the sequence in which the family works together to fire the Park's workers in order for them to be hired is great and I really had fun watching it. Where it all changes is when the two "parasites" face off against each other to stay on the surface (literally and figuratively), while the losers are thrown back inside the basement. From this point the whole movie changes dramatically and it all goes downhill, as represented by the flooding of their apartment. What really seems interesting to me is how when the Parks were at their highest point; dining and drinking acting like they own the place is when their downfall begins. This probably represents how in many cases the social class lines are set and those below don't belong above.
Mr. Parker is the one who is above all the others, he is the man of the house. In two occasions Mr. Kim tells Parker that he loves his wife, to which the first time Mr. Parker responds, "we'll call it love". This probably shows that in truth he doesn't love her and the only thing that he really loves is well, money and power. In an intimate scene between the two, at a point Mr. Parker looks even uncomfortable adding more to why I believe he doesn't love her at all.
When the Kims first meet the Parks they think between themselves that they are nice people and look at them as their equals. This all changes in the scene where they become trapped underneath the table and overhear Mr. Park telling his wife how Mr. Kim smells like radishes with great disgust, as if he weren't even human at all. This greatly upsets Mr. Kim, as if this smell makes him less than them. Later, this explains the reason for him killing Mr. Park in the final act of the film.
Overall, the film is complete and a realistic portrait of a struggle between classes and a commentary on how not everyone can accomplish their dreams because of how our society is built. It has various moods that I honestly really liked, from the comedic, to the dark and psycho parts of the film. The thing that this film has made me think the most about though, is the dreams part, because that can come like a brick to the face, to know that what you want the most in the world might not come to you.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
A movie that makes you question
The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a confusing movie at times, but when the credits start rolling you are as satisfied as you could be. During the first parts of the film I have to be honest, I was confused. But then as the movie continued, even with its different form of narrative in which the events are all tangled up it was easy to follow.
What the film does best is how it makes you question you own actions in the past, and if given with the option to forget or change it, would you? I, for one thought a lot about some of my past actions that I wish I could do something about. When you know the outcome of an event it really makes you wonder what you could have done differently and how that would affect you in the present.
Jim Carrey's acting is great in the film, as you can really relate to him and his conflict, and how he is unsure and shy. The way I see it, Joel and Clementine compliment each other. Joel is soft-spoken and careful, and Clementine speaks her mind and always goes with the moment. Together they have experiences that they wouldn't have had if they weren't together, as she makes him live more and takes him out of his seemingly boring life. He helps her stay in the moment, but I think that overall Clementine gave Joel more than he did to her. His life turns interesting and he does things he would have never done otherwise.
An interesting thing of the film is the other storyline of Mary, Stan and Dr. Howard. It's interesting because Mary had her memory erased and moved on in life and started dating Stan, but as she learned the truth this life she had been living collapsed. In my opinion her decision to give everyone their memories was not the correct one. Like these people have most likely moved on, and yes, they might have lost precious memories, but it was their decision and maybe they are happy now. Maybe some people fought back the procedure inside their head, like Joel did, but not everyone, who knows what the erased from their mind. Maybe their memories were extremely painful to remember, and because of this I believe this decision was not the morally correct one.
Finally, at the end of the film Joel and Clementine will give it another chance at being together after their memories have been returned. Personally I think that the two of them will be able to work it out as a pair and stay together, as they will learn from their previous mistakes. Regardless of this, the most important learnings are that of taking risks, giving second chances and to hold on to that that makes you feel happy and complete
Donnie Darko (2001)
Greatly crafted film
In all, Donnie Darko is a story about an ordinary family in an extraordinary situation. From beginning to end, I was amazed by Donnie's different, yet rich and great personality, without it, the film would not have worked the way it did.
There are two storylines going on in the film, the ordinary life of the Darko family and the extraordinary one led by Donnie. The way the family interacts and lives with each other is a portrait of a rather positive outlook on society, as Donnie's parents and sisters are in most cases understanding and caring with him regardless of his mental illness. For Donnie, there is no pause on the extraordinary, for him the line between his ordinary and extraordinary life was always blurred. This led to him having visions and think about all that was happening at school, and other places were he should feel normal.
The film also does a great job at showing one of the not so good sides of society, in which the people at the top often dislike it when does underneath express their own views, have independent thought and even defy their "leaders". This is shown through the "manipulated living", to whom Donnie stands up to and defies, to the dismay of characters such as Jim Cunningham and Kitty Farmer.
One of the best things about Donnie Darko is the films' ability to shift the mood constantly from dark to lighter, even funny or vice versa. Donnie himself works as a great comedic relief, as he often makes funny jokes in the wrong moment that are simply great. The film can also be dark at times, such as when Gretchen Ross (Donnie's girlfriend) is run over and Donnie shoots the driver, Frank in the eye because of this. The ease to shift the mood really makes the film even better and more entertaining to watch.
The story itself and the idea behind it are just remarkable, the entire idea behind time-travel, the relations and bonds that grow between the characters and also the display of how hard a teenager's life can sometimes be. Time-travel is something that is seen quite a lot in film, and when overdone it gets boring and exhaustive. In this movies' case, it's completely different as it bring out a whole different view of what time-travel can actually be connecting it to the idea of people's fate and maybe even a power beyond us.
The ending of the film, in which Donnie doesn't leave his room before the plane's engine crashes into it is perfectly reasonable. Donnie had lived in the Tangent Universe (TU) a great 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds as the "living receiver" being guided by the "manipulated dead", Frank to save the Original Universe (OU), but things couldn't be the same in the OU when he came back, and he knew this. First off, he would have never met Gretchen and fell in love because he wouldn't have flooded the school and walked her home afterwards. Donnie and his friends come across an old crazy lady called Roberta Sparrow, whom has lived through a TU and saved it, but as a consequence she has been haunted by dreams and thus has become crazy. I think that Donnie believed this same thing would occur to him and didn't want to live a different life than that he had led in the TU. He had no reason to come out of bed, as in the start of the TU Frank called him out of bed because he had been chosen as the living receiver destined to save the OU. I believe he felt his purpose in life was completed and there was no use to continue.
All of the elements I previously mentioned are just what I think make Donnie Darko an amazing film, instead of a movie. This is so much more than a movie as it really makes you discuss and marvel at the genius behind it. It also shows real life situations, good or bad through a different lense that we are used to and this really makes you enjoy it. Donnie Darko had everything a great film needs and because of this I loved it.