"If you could have any super power, what would it be?" That's a question we have all been asked at some point in our lives. With a host of possibilities, including invisibility, super strength and the ability to fly, it's difficult to limit yourself to just one or to keep your answer the same over the years. Nonetheless, having any kind of new power granted to you would feel like a dream finally fulfilled. We all remember what Uncle Ben told his nephew, Peter Parker: "With great power, comes great responsibility." While that couldn't be truer, there's another side to that: With great power, can come the thirst for more power.
We're used to watching movies about ordinary people acquiring super powers; but in director Josh Trank's superhero film, Chronicle, he brings a level of authenticity to this proverbial story. The enhanced sense of realism offered by using the found-footage technique allows the film to answer the question, "What would you do if you had a super power?" to a higher degree than the more traditional entries in the superhero genre.
Andrew (Dan DeHaan) is an outcast at his high school. He barely has any friends and is constantly picked-on. At home, it's not much better. Andrew's father is a violent drunk and his mother is dying from cancer. One night, while reluctantly attending a party with his cousin Matt (Alex Russell), the two of them and the school's popular quarterback Steve (Michael B. Jordan) discover a hole in the ground. As they travel down below to see where the path leads to, they find a giant, glowing, crystalline mass of mysterious origins, and are suddenly exposed to its energy. The next day, the trio realizes that after being in contact with the strange object, they have obtained superhuman abilities. The three agree to keep their powers under control; but after suffering for so long, Andrew has his own malevolent plans for how to use them.
Dane DeHaan already has experience from playing a troubled teen in the second season of HBO's drama In Treatment, so he has an impressive ability to channel adolescent anger. He is hauntingly malicious as a teenager who has been victimized for too long, but then makes a shift into villainy that he can't resist. He is constantly the focal point of the high school bullies, and is continuously being physically abused by his alcoholic father. What's compelling about DeHaan's character is that he's never able to stand up for himself; and now, when he finally has the power to do that, his friends tell him they have to keep their super abilities under control. You can sense the boiling-over of his craving to take vengeance on his tormenters. He eventually defines himself as the apex predator as he uses his powers to crush a car from a few yards behind him. It's hard to decide whether to root for Andrew as he gets back at his oppressors, or to worry about what he has become. He is a superhero gone awry.
Alex Russell, as Andrew's philosophical cousin Matt, is the one who tries to keep Andrew on an understandably short leash. Matt is one of Andrew's only friends, and always looks out for him, from the beginning of the film where he tries to help Andrew make friends, to when they have their powers and Matt has to control Andrew's increasing lust for power. Matt is careful in thinking what consequences an abuse of their powers might hold, whereas Andrew is more reckless, taking any chance he can to prove that he is the dominant of the three.
Michael B. Jordan, as Steve, is the outgoing and well-liked high school football player that reaches out to Andrew in his time of need in the first 15 minutes of the film. He's a bit of a loose cannon, but is still sensible with the use of his powers. Michael Kelly is fear-inducing as Andrew's vicious father.
Many superhero films tend to take place in crime-ridden cities. Although Chronicle is set in a suburb for most of the movie, there are details to suggest that troublesome activity happens in the area, such as graffiti on public property, trash strewn across lawns and a group of drug dealers. On top of that, the way Andrew's home is designed isn't entirely welcoming, hinting that his neighborhood could be in the lower-middle class. This suburb looks like it could benefit from a superhero guardian.
With the use of the found-footage style of filming, the camera is able to follow Andrew, Matt and Steve even when they rocket through the clouds. Since they all have the power to control objects, it makes this possible. One of the best scenes shows the trio as they take to the sky and toss around a football. What happens a moment later, you'll have to see for yourself.
The screenplay, by Max Landis, isn't so much a film about heroes vs. villains, but is more of a cautionary tale. It concerns the three teenagers as they learn how to come to terms with their extraordinary gifts. One of Chronicle's strengths is its darker-than-expected nature, with the shocking fates of some of the characters and the ways in which Andrew exacts his revenge on others. The storyline of Andrew, Matt and Steve receiving their powers is cleverly placed in a high school backdrop. There, it serves as an appropriate metaphor for them going through significant changes in their lives, in respect to them getting ready to graduate, while at the same time, becoming different as they go from humans to super-humans. The only part of the story that wasn't needed was the subplot involving Matt and his new girlfriend, Casey (Ashley Hinshaw). The subplot itself wasn't bad, but it wasn't necessary.
Director Josh Trank is a young up-and-comer, and Chronicle acts an exceptional project to springboard his talent. He builds the film around the emotions of Andrew, showing us the effects of his maliciousness as it consumes him. Trank steadily leads the film into higher stakes as Andrew becomes more violent and unpredictable, and the director carefully develops his character. It all ends in an intense, friend vs. friend smack-down through the city of Seattle that has the main characters crashing through high-rising buildings and crowded streets. Josh Trank stages all of this with soaring thrills. Chronicle takes a new approach to the superhero genre, and therefore, doesn't make the found-footage technique tiresome. Now that's super.
Final grade: A-
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Predictions for the 84th Academy Awards
Very soon, it's going to be time to invite a man named Oscar into your house. With his presence comes the celebration of last year's achievements in motion pictures. It's the night in Hollywood that everyone in show business eagerly anticipates, and said anticipation gets amped up as those in attendance wait to hear what names will be called from the envelopes. This year, the night and excitement will be delivered by the master of ceremonies, Billy Crystal. This will be his ninth year hosting this event.
This year, the movies brought us a collection of stories that were very diverse in regards to their material. Among them, we had a return to silent film, a group of bridesmaids engaged in uproariously funny shenanigans, a young boy's adventures through a Parisian train station, an experimental look at the meaning of life and magical midnights in the City of Lights.
There are some big questions we're waiting to have answered: Can Viola Davis beat Meryl Streep for Best Actress? Will Christopher Plummer finally win an Oscar? Will French actor Jean Dujardin win Best Actor over George Clooney? And how many awards will be won by each of the two most nominated films of the year, which are Hugo with 11 nominations and The Artist with 10 nominations?
Here are my thoughts of who will win and who should win in the eight major categories.
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants, Hugo, The Ides of March, Moneyball and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Will Win: Moneyball - This baseball drama is refreshingly barren of cliches that usually go with the sports genre. I normally find the game boring to watch, but this film easily drew me in. The film reveals that it's not always about what happens on the field, but what happens behind the scenes, concentrating on the process of scouting and the mathematical methods of picking players. Just like many screenplays by Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian, Moneyball lives on intelligent and inspired dialogue to tell its story, and it's one of the film's several grand-slam aspects.
Should Win: Hugo - John Logan's screenplay is adapted from Brian Selznick's 2007 children's novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Despite the intended audience for the book, the film has reached a wide range of filmgoers. The way it delves into the history of early filmmaking and mixes it with the story of an orphan boy's adventures through a Parisian train station made the film one of 2011's most cinematically magical journeys. Watching the unraveling of film history that I learned earlier in my Language of Film Analysis class was one of the highest delights I had at the movies this year. Hugo is an observance of the limitless wonder and power of movies.
Best Original Screenplay: The Artist, Bridesmaids, Margin Call, Midnight in Paris and A Separation
Will Win and Should Win: Midnight in Paris - The first few minutes of this film just consist of picturesque images of Paris. What followed was an unexpected Summer treat in the middle of big-budget blockbusters. Woody Allen's time-travel comedy follows an aspiring novelist, played by Owen Wilson, who longs to live in 1920s Paris, which he considers to be its Golden Age. That's exactly what he gets every night when the clock strikes 12. Every time Wilson's character meets one of his literary role models, we are just as excited as he is. It's a story about being influenced by past artistic achievements, while also learning to be inspired by and appreciate the beauty that your own era has to offer. The film is a festive and romantic view of a city that flourishes in its bountiful art. It also helps that Woody Allen has been nominated in this category 14 other times, and won twice. This year could be his third.
Best Supporting Actress: Berenice Bejo for The Artist, Jessica Chastain for The Help, Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids, Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs and Octavia Spencer for The Help
Will Win and Should Win: Octavia Spencer for The Help - Spencer has been winning award after award for 2011's most-talked-about breakout performance. As a maid in 1960s Georgia who isn't afraid to speak her mind or cause some trouble to send society a message, Octavia Spencer hasn't lost any steam since she started picking up awards buzz during the film's release. After receiving wins at the Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards, I think we can count on Octavia being called on stage on Oscar night.
Best Supporting Actor: Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn, Jonah Hill for Moneyball, Nick Nolte for Warrior, Christopher Plummer for Beginners and Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Will Win and Should Win: Christopher Plummer for Beginners - Plummer is one of today's most celebrated actors, having a marvelous talent that has resulted in a few Emmy Awards and Tony Awards. Surprisingly, this is only his second Oscar nomination in his highly impressive career. In Beginners, Plummer gives a bold performance as an elderly man who comes out as a homosexual, and Ewan McGregor is his son who tries to come to terms with this revelation. Plummer has fared very well on the awards circuit so far this Oscar season, so expect the Academy to finally give him the recognition he's long overdue for.
Best Actress: Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs, Viola Davis for The Help, Rooney Mara for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady and Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn
Will Win and Should Win: Viola Davis for The Help - So far, this has been a tight race between Davis and Streep, with each winning their share of distinguished awards. It could be an honor, and yet intimidating, to be going up against one of the greatest actresses to ever work in film. But this could very well be Viola's year, who plays a courageous and strong-minded maid in The Help. She earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination back in 2009 for her work in Doubt, where she turned her 12 minutes of screen time into a knockout performance. If Davis could manage a nomination with showing up for only one scene in Doubt, then she has a genuine shot at coming out on top in one of this year's closest races.
Best Actor: Demian Bichir for A Better Life, George Clooney for The Descendants, Jean Dujardin for The Artist, Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Brad Pitt for Moneyball
Will Win and Should Win: Jean Dujardin for The Artist - George Clooney tends to be a favorite amongst the voters at the Academy, and was the frontrunner at first. Now, Dujardin is starting to catch up, after recently winning Best Actor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Clooney is superb in The Descendants, but there's the chance that the voters could be siding with the most surprising performance in this category. Dujardin plays a silent film actor in 1920s Hollywood, who then loses everything when he refuses to work in talkies. His performance is a dedication to the classic silent films stars, who all proved that expressions and gestures can be just as successfully communicative as talking. His performance absorbs the audience into a lost world of filmmaking that has the chance to live again after all of these decades.
Best Director: Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris, Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist, Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life, Alexander Payne for The Descendants and Martin Scorsese for Hugo
Will Win and Should Win: Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist - It's a great deal of work for a director to tell his cast and crew what to do, especially the cast members, since they are the ones who we're mainly watching. Since The Artist is a silent film, Hazanavicius has to make sure that every actor and actress has their gestures and expressions down pat, because they can't rely on dialogue to move the story forward. The director always needs his cast to follow his instructions for how to interpret what's happening on screen. Hazanavicius does such magnificent work with making that happen, and has made a silent film appeal to generations that have been without such films. That's a movie miracle.
Best Picture: The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life and War Horse
Will Win and Should Win: The Artist - This film was a risky project from the start: a silent, black-and-white film with unfamiliar stars, except for a couple of recognizable faces in supporting roles. The most important question was, "will this find an audience?" As of now, it has earned close to $25 million domestically. While that's not enough to be considered a hit, it's still a respectable amount, given that it has only been released in around 900 theaters. It was the most nominated film at the Golden Globes, winning three of the six awards it was up for; and with 10 Oscar nominations, it's the movie to beat. It's a celebratory return to a classier time in Hollywood when the magical accomplishments in the movies were continuing to grow, and when this form of storytelling became the ultimate escapist dream. Seeing a silent film on the big screen offers an excitingly new experience for all viewers. The two leads are mesmeric and deserve the brightest of futures. The Artist is a golden example of being able to say so much with so little.
Although many of the major categories have predictable winners, there are still a few chances for a surprise here and there, like last year when The King's Speech won Best Picture over The Social Network. 2011 brought many fine films that deserve much recognition; but come Oscar night, the envelopes will reveal who are the favorites. So be sure to catch the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday February 26 at 7:00pm on ABC.
This year, the movies brought us a collection of stories that were very diverse in regards to their material. Among them, we had a return to silent film, a group of bridesmaids engaged in uproariously funny shenanigans, a young boy's adventures through a Parisian train station, an experimental look at the meaning of life and magical midnights in the City of Lights.
There are some big questions we're waiting to have answered: Can Viola Davis beat Meryl Streep for Best Actress? Will Christopher Plummer finally win an Oscar? Will French actor Jean Dujardin win Best Actor over George Clooney? And how many awards will be won by each of the two most nominated films of the year, which are Hugo with 11 nominations and The Artist with 10 nominations?
Here are my thoughts of who will win and who should win in the eight major categories.
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants, Hugo, The Ides of March, Moneyball and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Will Win: Moneyball - This baseball drama is refreshingly barren of cliches that usually go with the sports genre. I normally find the game boring to watch, but this film easily drew me in. The film reveals that it's not always about what happens on the field, but what happens behind the scenes, concentrating on the process of scouting and the mathematical methods of picking players. Just like many screenplays by Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian, Moneyball lives on intelligent and inspired dialogue to tell its story, and it's one of the film's several grand-slam aspects.
Should Win: Hugo - John Logan's screenplay is adapted from Brian Selznick's 2007 children's novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Despite the intended audience for the book, the film has reached a wide range of filmgoers. The way it delves into the history of early filmmaking and mixes it with the story of an orphan boy's adventures through a Parisian train station made the film one of 2011's most cinematically magical journeys. Watching the unraveling of film history that I learned earlier in my Language of Film Analysis class was one of the highest delights I had at the movies this year. Hugo is an observance of the limitless wonder and power of movies.
Best Original Screenplay: The Artist, Bridesmaids, Margin Call, Midnight in Paris and A Separation
Will Win and Should Win: Midnight in Paris - The first few minutes of this film just consist of picturesque images of Paris. What followed was an unexpected Summer treat in the middle of big-budget blockbusters. Woody Allen's time-travel comedy follows an aspiring novelist, played by Owen Wilson, who longs to live in 1920s Paris, which he considers to be its Golden Age. That's exactly what he gets every night when the clock strikes 12. Every time Wilson's character meets one of his literary role models, we are just as excited as he is. It's a story about being influenced by past artistic achievements, while also learning to be inspired by and appreciate the beauty that your own era has to offer. The film is a festive and romantic view of a city that flourishes in its bountiful art. It also helps that Woody Allen has been nominated in this category 14 other times, and won twice. This year could be his third.
Best Supporting Actress: Berenice Bejo for The Artist, Jessica Chastain for The Help, Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids, Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs and Octavia Spencer for The Help
Will Win and Should Win: Octavia Spencer for The Help - Spencer has been winning award after award for 2011's most-talked-about breakout performance. As a maid in 1960s Georgia who isn't afraid to speak her mind or cause some trouble to send society a message, Octavia Spencer hasn't lost any steam since she started picking up awards buzz during the film's release. After receiving wins at the Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards, I think we can count on Octavia being called on stage on Oscar night.
Best Supporting Actor: Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn, Jonah Hill for Moneyball, Nick Nolte for Warrior, Christopher Plummer for Beginners and Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Will Win and Should Win: Christopher Plummer for Beginners - Plummer is one of today's most celebrated actors, having a marvelous talent that has resulted in a few Emmy Awards and Tony Awards. Surprisingly, this is only his second Oscar nomination in his highly impressive career. In Beginners, Plummer gives a bold performance as an elderly man who comes out as a homosexual, and Ewan McGregor is his son who tries to come to terms with this revelation. Plummer has fared very well on the awards circuit so far this Oscar season, so expect the Academy to finally give him the recognition he's long overdue for.
Best Actress: Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs, Viola Davis for The Help, Rooney Mara for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady and Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn
Will Win and Should Win: Viola Davis for The Help - So far, this has been a tight race between Davis and Streep, with each winning their share of distinguished awards. It could be an honor, and yet intimidating, to be going up against one of the greatest actresses to ever work in film. But this could very well be Viola's year, who plays a courageous and strong-minded maid in The Help. She earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination back in 2009 for her work in Doubt, where she turned her 12 minutes of screen time into a knockout performance. If Davis could manage a nomination with showing up for only one scene in Doubt, then she has a genuine shot at coming out on top in one of this year's closest races.
Best Actor: Demian Bichir for A Better Life, George Clooney for The Descendants, Jean Dujardin for The Artist, Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Brad Pitt for Moneyball
Will Win and Should Win: Jean Dujardin for The Artist - George Clooney tends to be a favorite amongst the voters at the Academy, and was the frontrunner at first. Now, Dujardin is starting to catch up, after recently winning Best Actor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Clooney is superb in The Descendants, but there's the chance that the voters could be siding with the most surprising performance in this category. Dujardin plays a silent film actor in 1920s Hollywood, who then loses everything when he refuses to work in talkies. His performance is a dedication to the classic silent films stars, who all proved that expressions and gestures can be just as successfully communicative as talking. His performance absorbs the audience into a lost world of filmmaking that has the chance to live again after all of these decades.
Best Director: Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris, Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist, Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life, Alexander Payne for The Descendants and Martin Scorsese for Hugo
Will Win and Should Win: Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist - It's a great deal of work for a director to tell his cast and crew what to do, especially the cast members, since they are the ones who we're mainly watching. Since The Artist is a silent film, Hazanavicius has to make sure that every actor and actress has their gestures and expressions down pat, because they can't rely on dialogue to move the story forward. The director always needs his cast to follow his instructions for how to interpret what's happening on screen. Hazanavicius does such magnificent work with making that happen, and has made a silent film appeal to generations that have been without such films. That's a movie miracle.
Best Picture: The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life and War Horse
Will Win and Should Win: The Artist - This film was a risky project from the start: a silent, black-and-white film with unfamiliar stars, except for a couple of recognizable faces in supporting roles. The most important question was, "will this find an audience?" As of now, it has earned close to $25 million domestically. While that's not enough to be considered a hit, it's still a respectable amount, given that it has only been released in around 900 theaters. It was the most nominated film at the Golden Globes, winning three of the six awards it was up for; and with 10 Oscar nominations, it's the movie to beat. It's a celebratory return to a classier time in Hollywood when the magical accomplishments in the movies were continuing to grow, and when this form of storytelling became the ultimate escapist dream. Seeing a silent film on the big screen offers an excitingly new experience for all viewers. The two leads are mesmeric and deserve the brightest of futures. The Artist is a golden example of being able to say so much with so little.
Although many of the major categories have predictable winners, there are still a few chances for a surprise here and there, like last year when The King's Speech won Best Picture over The Social Network. 2011 brought many fine films that deserve much recognition; but come Oscar night, the envelopes will reveal who are the favorites. So be sure to catch the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday February 26 at 7:00pm on ABC.
Monday, February 6, 2012
A History Lesson at the Movies
I'm Vinnie Abbatecola, a junior English and Journalism major, and hopefully a Business minor, at Rider University. I've been going to the movies ever since I was about five, and I would enjoy it. But it wasn't until I was about eight was when I started to absolutely love it.
When I began my freshman year of college, I realized I was getting closer to studying what I loved. In my Fall semester of sophomore year was when I took my first film class, and it has made my viewing experiences so much richer. I learned a considerable amount about the history and art of early filmmaking, and it has helped me to understand contemporary film a good deal more.
The early years of moviemaking have appeared in two movies this season, and they also happen to me the two most nominated films for this year's Academy Awards: Martin Scorsese's 3D drama Hugo, and Michel Hazanavicious's comedy-tribute to the silent film era The Artist. Both films possessed very different storylines, but they extracted the same response from me: they are two movies about movies that remind you why you love to go to the movies.
Hugo uses film history more in its narrative, whereas The Artist doesn't use history as much as delightfully showcases a particular era in film.
In Scorsese's film, which is based on the 2007 children's novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, the director brings the story of an orphan living in a Parisian train station, and makes his first children's film into one that can bring in the a new audience; but also, his usual fans that have seen his harder films, such as Goodfellas and The Departed.
Anyone can see that although Scorsese has made numerous acclaimed hits, Hugo can be considered his labor of love. The film and book use pioneer filmmaker Georges Melies as one of its main characters, portrayed in the movie by Ben Kingsley. Through several flashbacks, Scorsese treats his audience to scenes depicting Melies meeting the Lumiere brothers and wanting to make films himself; and then, we see him following in the footsteps of the two brothers, and making his own films.
It was when I saw Melies filming, A Trip to the Moon, that the joy I had out of watching Hugo became one of my favorite experiences at the movies in 2011. Being able to apply what I learned in Language of Film Analysis made the viewing refreshingly different from other film viewings. The love for cinema that defines Scorsese was captured in every frame of Hugo.
Michel Hazanavicious's The Artist is a black-and-white silent film that acts as an homage to the 1920s period of Hollywood. It tells the story of fictional movie-star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) who has a chance encounter with a starlet-to-be Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo). He helps her get a role in one of his films, and she soon becomes the industry's next big thing. As talkies start becoming popular, George doesn't want anything to do with them, and remains in silent films until they can't financially benefit him anymore. In the meantime, Peppy continues to star in many new talkies.
Although some people dismiss The Artist as just a gimmick, I see it as a way to bring audiences back to a place in film history that is massively different from today's moviegoing experience. With this film slowly expanding into more theaters each weekend due to its Oscar buzz, this shows that there is still an audience out there that wants to watch a silent film. It doesn't just have to be a novelty from the 1920s. It can still tell as much of a story as any film today, and still generate interest amongst cinephiles.
When I began my freshman year of college, I realized I was getting closer to studying what I loved. In my Fall semester of sophomore year was when I took my first film class, and it has made my viewing experiences so much richer. I learned a considerable amount about the history and art of early filmmaking, and it has helped me to understand contemporary film a good deal more.
The early years of moviemaking have appeared in two movies this season, and they also happen to me the two most nominated films for this year's Academy Awards: Martin Scorsese's 3D drama Hugo, and Michel Hazanavicious's comedy-tribute to the silent film era The Artist. Both films possessed very different storylines, but they extracted the same response from me: they are two movies about movies that remind you why you love to go to the movies.
Hugo uses film history more in its narrative, whereas The Artist doesn't use history as much as delightfully showcases a particular era in film.
In Scorsese's film, which is based on the 2007 children's novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, the director brings the story of an orphan living in a Parisian train station, and makes his first children's film into one that can bring in the a new audience; but also, his usual fans that have seen his harder films, such as Goodfellas and The Departed.
Anyone can see that although Scorsese has made numerous acclaimed hits, Hugo can be considered his labor of love. The film and book use pioneer filmmaker Georges Melies as one of its main characters, portrayed in the movie by Ben Kingsley. Through several flashbacks, Scorsese treats his audience to scenes depicting Melies meeting the Lumiere brothers and wanting to make films himself; and then, we see him following in the footsteps of the two brothers, and making his own films.
It was when I saw Melies filming, A Trip to the Moon, that the joy I had out of watching Hugo became one of my favorite experiences at the movies in 2011. Being able to apply what I learned in Language of Film Analysis made the viewing refreshingly different from other film viewings. The love for cinema that defines Scorsese was captured in every frame of Hugo.
Michel Hazanavicious's The Artist is a black-and-white silent film that acts as an homage to the 1920s period of Hollywood. It tells the story of fictional movie-star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) who has a chance encounter with a starlet-to-be Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo). He helps her get a role in one of his films, and she soon becomes the industry's next big thing. As talkies start becoming popular, George doesn't want anything to do with them, and remains in silent films until they can't financially benefit him anymore. In the meantime, Peppy continues to star in many new talkies.
Although some people dismiss The Artist as just a gimmick, I see it as a way to bring audiences back to a place in film history that is massively different from today's moviegoing experience. With this film slowly expanding into more theaters each weekend due to its Oscar buzz, this shows that there is still an audience out there that wants to watch a silent film. It doesn't just have to be a novelty from the 1920s. It can still tell as much of a story as any film today, and still generate interest amongst cinephiles.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
A family living in paradise, but not exactly
In the broad drama genre of film, perhaps the most potent is the kind that deals with family. It can hit close to home, because it encourages the viewer to evaluate the dynamics of their own family, and how they relate to what's being played out in front of them. Whether a family is facing everyday situations or life-altering events, they count on their togetherness and collective strength to make a gift out of each passing day with one another. After all, family is what keeps us going when we think we can't go any further.
In Alexander Payne's poignant family drama, The Descendants, based on the novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings, Matt King (George Clooney) is faced with an unanticipated challenge that takes a considerable toll on his family. With a witty and emotionally-charged script, outstanding acting across the board and a realistic look at what it means to be a family, this film beautifully expresses the widely-known truth of how important it is to be with those you cherish in a time of upheaval.
Matt King is a lawyer living in Honolulu and is in charge of a trust that controls 25,000 acres on the island of Kaua'i. With the trust set to expire in seven years, Matt has to start looking for a buyer. Before his family can go any further with the arrangements, Matt receives the devastating news that his wife was in a boating accident that has placed her in a coma. Upon learning this, he and his 10-year-old daughter Scottie (Amara Miller) go to take his 17-year-old daughter Alex (Shailene Woodley) out of a rehab/boarding school, hoping for emotional support from both of his daughters. He doesn't have entirely good relationships with his daughters, and accepts the fact that he's just the "back-up parent." Alex soon reveals to her father that his wife had been cheating on him before the accident, but can't quite remember with whom. Once Matt finds out who he is and that he's vacationing in Kaua'i, he and his daughters travel there to confront him. During this, Matt will try to reconnect with his daughters, in the hopes of establishing strong family bonds in the midst of this ordeal.
George Clooney is transcendent as a man who suddenly has the weight of the world thrown on his shoulders. As a lawyer, he has to deal with the land trust. As a husband, he has to deal with a cheating wife in coma. As a father, he has to fulfill both parenting roles. In Matt's time of crisis, you feel so pulled in by him, because you want him to regain the family ties that he needs now more than ever. His character's need for family is something viewers can relate to. Clooney's character makes admirable efforts to make sure his oldest daughter understands the situation, and that his youngest daughter knows as little as possible to keep her from worrying. He is a nurturing father who wants nothing more than to put the lives of him and his family back in order, and knows what's best for his children.
Shailene Woodley gives a star-making performance as Clooney's rebellious teenage daughter. We're first introduced to her when she and a friend are engaging in late night antics on their school's campus. Afterwards, we see how the mother's boating accident acts as a catalyst that influences her to mature and become the dependable daughter that her father needs during this unexpected hurdle. She has the right amount of insubordinate teenage attitudes to help us sympathize with what she is going through, and never comes off as a brat.
Matthew Lillard's character as the mother's secret and regretful boyfriend, Brian Speer, isn't the stereotypical jerk that you would suspect. Rather, he's honest and sincere to the point where a trace of likability appears. Judy Greer leaves a splendid impression as Speer's chipper and unsuspecting wife. Amara Miller, as Matt King's too-smart-for-her-own-good youngest daughter, says some things that are hilariously not age-appropriate. Robert Forster gives an emotional performance as Matt's stern father-in-law who grieves over his daughter's comatose state and continuously places the blame on Matt.
The screenplay, by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, firmly blends the drama and sense of togetherness that goes into a family. From the lack of connection between a father and his daughters, to the reconstruction of trust and respect they have for him, it emits a newfound appreciation they have for the life they share with each other. Payne's direction allows for the cast to act with the ideal amount of feeling without it becoming overly sentimental or a beggar for an audience's emotional response. The film helps us think about how we get along with our own loved ones and how we react to unusual circumstances within our lives. In the end, The Descendants is as relatable to us as our own relatives.
Final grade: A
In Alexander Payne's poignant family drama, The Descendants, based on the novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings, Matt King (George Clooney) is faced with an unanticipated challenge that takes a considerable toll on his family. With a witty and emotionally-charged script, outstanding acting across the board and a realistic look at what it means to be a family, this film beautifully expresses the widely-known truth of how important it is to be with those you cherish in a time of upheaval.
Matt King is a lawyer living in Honolulu and is in charge of a trust that controls 25,000 acres on the island of Kaua'i. With the trust set to expire in seven years, Matt has to start looking for a buyer. Before his family can go any further with the arrangements, Matt receives the devastating news that his wife was in a boating accident that has placed her in a coma. Upon learning this, he and his 10-year-old daughter Scottie (Amara Miller) go to take his 17-year-old daughter Alex (Shailene Woodley) out of a rehab/boarding school, hoping for emotional support from both of his daughters. He doesn't have entirely good relationships with his daughters, and accepts the fact that he's just the "back-up parent." Alex soon reveals to her father that his wife had been cheating on him before the accident, but can't quite remember with whom. Once Matt finds out who he is and that he's vacationing in Kaua'i, he and his daughters travel there to confront him. During this, Matt will try to reconnect with his daughters, in the hopes of establishing strong family bonds in the midst of this ordeal.
George Clooney is transcendent as a man who suddenly has the weight of the world thrown on his shoulders. As a lawyer, he has to deal with the land trust. As a husband, he has to deal with a cheating wife in coma. As a father, he has to fulfill both parenting roles. In Matt's time of crisis, you feel so pulled in by him, because you want him to regain the family ties that he needs now more than ever. His character's need for family is something viewers can relate to. Clooney's character makes admirable efforts to make sure his oldest daughter understands the situation, and that his youngest daughter knows as little as possible to keep her from worrying. He is a nurturing father who wants nothing more than to put the lives of him and his family back in order, and knows what's best for his children.
Shailene Woodley gives a star-making performance as Clooney's rebellious teenage daughter. We're first introduced to her when she and a friend are engaging in late night antics on their school's campus. Afterwards, we see how the mother's boating accident acts as a catalyst that influences her to mature and become the dependable daughter that her father needs during this unexpected hurdle. She has the right amount of insubordinate teenage attitudes to help us sympathize with what she is going through, and never comes off as a brat.
Matthew Lillard's character as the mother's secret and regretful boyfriend, Brian Speer, isn't the stereotypical jerk that you would suspect. Rather, he's honest and sincere to the point where a trace of likability appears. Judy Greer leaves a splendid impression as Speer's chipper and unsuspecting wife. Amara Miller, as Matt King's too-smart-for-her-own-good youngest daughter, says some things that are hilariously not age-appropriate. Robert Forster gives an emotional performance as Matt's stern father-in-law who grieves over his daughter's comatose state and continuously places the blame on Matt.
The screenplay, by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, firmly blends the drama and sense of togetherness that goes into a family. From the lack of connection between a father and his daughters, to the reconstruction of trust and respect they have for him, it emits a newfound appreciation they have for the life they share with each other. Payne's direction allows for the cast to act with the ideal amount of feeling without it becoming overly sentimental or a beggar for an audience's emotional response. The film helps us think about how we get along with our own loved ones and how we react to unusual circumstances within our lives. In the end, The Descendants is as relatable to us as our own relatives.
Final grade: A
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