For this MYST post I decided to watch David O. Russell's recent film Silver Linings Playbook
The New York times says, "'Silver Linings Playbook,' the exuberant new movie from David O. Russell, does almost everything right. The story tracks the feverish, happy, sad, absurdly funny ups and downs of a head case named Pat Solatano, played by a surprisingly effective, intensely focused Bradley Cooper, just as he returns to his parents’ home after eight months in a mental institution. Pat had been put away for a scarily violent crime, but now, having shed fat and the defense it offered him, and feeding on the shiny philosophy of the title instead, he feels ready to tackle the world. The world may not be ready." -NY Times
When my mother first approached me asking to watch Silver Linings Playbook with her I wasn't too excited. On this particular Sunday night, or any night for that matter, I wasn't in the mood for a Love Actually, LifeTime Movie Network kind of movie; however, being a fan of Jennifer Lawrence, I reluctantly agreed to watch Silver Linings Playbook.
The cinematography in this film really helps bring the characters' predicaments to life. For example, if we look at the scene in which Pat has a bipolar episode the juxtaposed high and low angle shots help convey the contrast of power and fear between the characters. Additionally when Pat starts to break down and the sound of a certain song the camera pans around him in a circle as if he is spinning out of control. Shots and scenes like these make the audience feel as if they have Pat's condition. Overall this movie was beyond stellar. Lawrence and Cooper's performances as mentally unstable accidental lovers are superb. This combined with an original plot based on the novel makes Silver Linings Playbook enjoyable for a wide variety of audiences. It brings out the crazy in all of us and for that reason it give it a 9/10.
This time around out group decided to create a film based partly upon the 1973 Oil Crisis. The story goes as follows:
Our lead man, de Niro, leaves his home country of Russia for America. Upon arriving, de Niro is jobless, until his personal ties with Breshnev bring the opportunity to get into the oil business. They construct a plan to become rich off of the oil embargo occurring at the time.
At this time, 1973-4, Russia is selling oil--and they have a ton of it--on the black market to Europe and making tons of money. De Niro’s character sees this and he sees a lucrative business back in the states where fuel is very scarce. He sees an opportunity to make himself and his little brother/good friends incredibly rich. But what starts out as earning money for his friends and family becomes a full-on fixation on climbing to the top of the oil business. De Niro delves deeper and deeper into the oil business, looking for more power and more money, connecting himself with shady characters and his younger brother (Jack Nicholson) warns him of his obsession, but de Niro, now entranced by thoughts of being incredibly wealthy and powerful, ignores the warning. Once he has almost complete control of the oil industry in America, de Niro looks for even more in Kenny (Ray Liotta) who approaches de Niro, asking for money as an investment in a drug ring. Nicholson, upon discovering this, becomes very angry and concerned for his brother’s safety and sanity, and he attempts to dissuade de Niro from getting involved in the drug business. Nicholson and de Niro argue until de Niro swears off his brother completely. The U.S. gov’t finds out about the whole business, both the oil and the drugs, and De Niro is taken in. What the audience doesn’t expect is the U.S. gov’t to want to make a deal with him. So, De Niro’s character is allowed to continue his mini black market trade as long as he gives a certain cut to the U.S. government each month. They justify the protection by saying that they are “protecting their business investments,” and they turn a blind eye to de Niro’s part in the drug business.
The end highlight’s De Niro’s assassination by the Russians because they want the U.S. money for themselves, highlighting both America and Russia’s greed.
Director: We chose Sidney Lumet to direct Black Gold as he won an academy award for 12 Angry Men and worked on a movie of similar genre Dog Day Afternoon which starred Al Pacino. Cinematographer: We chose Victor J. Kemper who worked on The Candidate in 1972 with Robert Redford, and Dog Day Afternoon with Sidney Lumet.
Actors:
Lead: Robert De Niro
Supporting: Jack Nicholson, Robert Duvall
Production: Artists Entertainment Complex (also produced Dog Day Afternoon)
Distribution: Warner Brothers
70s film elements: Black Gold embodies the 70s film mentality of anti-establishment thinking. Throughout the film the government (both U.S. and Russian) is seen as corrupt and up to no good. In addition to the anti-establishment theme that was common for 70s films, our film also embraces the concept of the anti-hero with Robert De Niro as a drug dealing corrupt man for whom the audience is still encouraged to root for. Lastly, the film has plenty of sequences of drug use which depict the drug counterculture that was so prevalent in the 60s and 70s. All of these elements come together to make Black Gold the quintessential 70s film.
4th Quarter Formal Film Study: Films directed by Stanley Kubrick.
This time around for my formal film study I decided to stray from my repeated viewing of French films. For this formal film study I am looking at films directed (and mostly written by) Stanley Kubrick.
Kubrick on the set of Barry Lyndon
A master of filmmaking, Kubrick is known for both his directing and his writing. Films like Full Metal Jacket stand as icons of the postwar film era.
Before this film study I had not seen any of Kubrick's films. That is part of the reason I became so interested. While I had heard of films like 2001: A Space Odyssey. and the cult classic A Clockwork Orange, I decided to start with Kubrick's lesser known film Barry Lyndon, then I proceeded to watch The Shining, A Clockwork Orange, and Dr. Strangelove.
Kubrick's films are nothing like big box office hits Iron Man 3 or Spiderman. Kubrick's films force audiences to question the world around. From questioning the notions of life, love, and romance in Barry Lyndon to crime and punishment in A Clockwork Orange, Kubrick's films struck me on a deeper level provoking more thoughts in my mind than my philosophy class did last semester. Having said that, this was not necessarily how I felt when I began watching Barry Lyndon on a Friday night home alone. Like many great movies Barry Lyndon starts slow. Based on the Novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, this film began with me feeling like I was back in English 2 Honors reading A Tale of Two Cities. After some slow yet important character development however, I began to fall in love with Ryan O'Neal's trials and tribulations as a man on the rise from a humble background in an Irish village. Take a look:
I began with a picaresque epic only to be stunned next by the futuristic, sardonic satire A Clockwork Orange:
Crazed, dazed, and confused. That is how I felt after sitting through Kubrick's strange piece with my girlfriend. This movie leaves me with very few words left to say. How can I describe such a purely strange movie? One thing is for sure Kubrick is a master of metaphor and symbolism with his cinematography and directing. "Stanley Kubrick was known for exerting complete artistic control over his projects; in doing so, he reconceived the genres in which he worked,"(Lacma). Kubrick was not only a jack of all trades he was a master. One way to try and glimpse the genius within Kubrick's films is to look at a scene from Dr. Strangelove. Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Throughout Dr. Strangelove Kubrick presents us with subtle satirical symbols regarding violence and the use of the atomic bomb. "Peace is our profession," reads the billboards outside of an army base that is being attacked by its own country's army. In the following scene notice how the intertwined long shots of the war room and the "big board" dwarf each individual character and make the entire group seem idiotic.
"Working in a vast range of styles and genres spanning from black comedy to horror to crime drama, Kubrick was an enigma, living and creating in almost total seclusion, far away from the watchful eye of the media. His films were a reflection of his obsessive nature, perfectionist masterpieces which remain among the most provocative and visionary motion pictures ever made," (NY Times).
In every Kubrick scene I have watched there is an uncanny attention to detail and care for every element. This care and love for his films leads to an emotional ride for audiences of Kubrick's films. Be it Barry Lyndon, A Clockwork Orange, or Dr. Strangelove, it is the subtleties in Kubrick's work that make his films such masterpieces.
For this MYST post I chose to watch and review Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. I am studying Kubrick's films for my formal film study, as The Shining is different than many of his other films I decided to examine it in my spare time.
Kubrick is innovative in both dialogue and cinematography. Take for example the tricycle sequence. In this scene, the camera follows Danny as he explores the Overlook Hotel. The series of settings are accompanied by the eerie sound of plastic wheels as roll over hardwood and carpet sequentially. Kubrick creates an atmosphere more horrific than that of The Ring, or modern horror films without the use of jump horror that is seen far too often.
Tricycle Scene:
Overall, I have to say that I was thoroughly spooked by Jack Nicholson's performance in The Shining. Nicholson does a superb job of portraying the progression of insanity of his character. Images of "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." lingered in my mind hours after the final scenes. For superb dialogue, acting, and cinematography I give Stanley Kubrick's The Shining 9/10.
For this post I was originally going to write about The Omen, however after watching Monsieur Lazhar in French class this week I felt it was much more worthy of a blog post. After my first Formal Film Study I have realized that there are dozens of quality French films that I have yet to see.
Monsieur Lazhar is an emotional story of an Algerian man (Mohammed Fellag) who becomes a grade school teacher at in Quebec after his predecessor hangs herself in her classroom. Directed by Philippe Falardeau and based on a one-man play written by Evelyne de la Cheneliere, Mr. Lazhar brings to light a variety of emotional struggles and questions about recovering from loss and communicating with children. One child in particular Alice, who is played by the canadian actress Sophie Nelisse is scheduled to star in the much anticipated film adaptation of Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief. Nelisse gives a powerful performance that won her the Canadian Genie Award for best supporting actress in 2011.
Trailer:
The cinematography, accompanying sound work and superb acting make this a piece that left me in a pensive state during the last five minutes of French class. Example: the opening scene, during which a timid student, Simon, discovers the corpse of Martine Lachance hanging in a classroom as he is retrieving les berlingots (milk cartons) for lunch. As Simon walks down the hall the camera follows him without a tripod, shaking slightly as the suspense builds. Meanwhile it is snowing outside and the light that fills the hallway is flat and depressing. We are suddenly alerted by Simon's discovery with the clash of the milk cartons hitting the floor. All of the elements of production, cinematography, sound, lighting, and mise en scene contribute to an experience that is as if we ourselves are a young child discovering the suspended body of our teacher.
These ambiguities and nuances of such a story are justly presented with careful attention to mood, lighting, and camerawork. For this reason I give Monsieur Lazhar 8.5/10
Cantilevered Lies and how it relates to 1930's film: Genre: Drama/Thriller Synopsis: Our two main characters live a high profile life in futuristic London, England, and the husband (Val) works as an architect. His new boss (one of Val’s old professor’s during his final year in design school) comes in after an unexpected death of the former boss. This is the quiet reserved Feodor Chaliapin. An otherwise low stress, successful work ethic of Val is disrupted by the new boss, Mr. Kafkes (Feodor) when he begins sabotaging his business and personal life. These evil sentiments are based on upon the fact that 20 years ago when he was brand new to the industry Val secretly stole one of Kafkes’s designs. It is sinister and uncalled for, but Kafkes seduces Val’s wife, and screws up his work as an architect, creating chaos...
Days later we find Kafkes dead on the ground floor of Val’s most famous building, the one he stole from Kafkes, after part of the building’s structure collapses onto him. This reveals to Val, but no one else, that it was Kafkes’s own design flaw that caused his own death. Since Val has taken credit for this building, the design flaw ruins his career as an architect. Val debates whether to tell the general public that the building was not, in fact, his, which would clear his name but also be admitting to stealing the plans. The movie ends with Kafkes’s funeral, with a monologue from Val describing the irony of the situation. By dying, Kafkes finally got what he wanted.
Style: Our movie has an avant-garde style throughout with innovative lighting, deep space composition and thoroughly planned cinematography from Mr. Gregg Toland. These elements along with a foreign cast help contribute to an out of the ordinary futuristic feel.
Message: This movie has a recurring themes of karma and deals with the consequences of holding grudges. We tried to stray from a happily ever after type ending.
Director: In this time period, British director James Whale is known for his work on Frankenstein and The Invisible Man which makes him a perfect fit for an avant-garde futuristic thriller.
Cast: The great British actor Laurence Olivier shines in his lead role as Val a successful architect living with his wife (Vivian Leigh) in future London. Our lurking antagonist Kafkes is played by the deep voiced Russian Feodor Chaliapin.
Hays Code: In some scenes (i.e. the technologically advanced shot of the building collapsing) there may be intense footage not suitable for some viewers, however the majority of the film abides by the Hays code. We hide any blood and violence and any seductive dialogue is completely implicit.
Focus: One of our goals in Cantilevered Lies is to show off the incredible cinematography skills of the young Gregg Toland.
Disagreements? Nahhh: Our group worked extremely well together and we were all open to each others ideas. Plot, director, and studio etc. decisions were all mutually agreed upon and we are very proud of our final product. Hope you enjoy it!
Trois films francais assez differentes, mais avec des similarites subtils et une disposition eternel.
Films: For this formal film study I chose to look at three films from France. Two of the films A Bout de Souffle (Breathless), and Quatre Cent Coups (400 Blows) are iconic films from the French New Wave era of 1960. My third choice Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulain (Amelie) is a more recent 2001 film starring Audrey Tautou that is full of quirky avant-garde imagery and romantic comedy scenes akin to Richard Curtis's Love Actually. Here are trailers for each of the films to give you an idea of what each film is about: A Bout de Souffle:
Quatre Cent Coups:
Amelie:
Now that we have a few snapshots:
How are these three films connected?
It would be easy just to say uh, well, they're all French films filmed near Paris, and they feature French directors, French actors and French sound and lighting and cinematography people...however, I didn't watch these three movies just to practice my french accent.
All three of these films are captivating works of art that break the boundaries of film-making in the times they were made to make all audiences, french speaking or not, ponder daily life, ambitions, and our relationships with one another.
How? Between Breathless, 400 blows, and Amelie I can pick out a number of striking similarities in over style and composition. All of these films tend to experiment a bit with atypical artsy shots and editing. In all of these films we see many "dutch" angle shots where the camera is set purposely off axis to emphasize some important aspect of the characters expression or reaction. In one particular scene from Amelie, director Jean-Pierre Jeunet uses a montage of close-ups, extreme close-ups, up and down angles, to build tension and emotion between Amelie and her lover. Then, when Amelie misses her chance to spark a conversation with Nino, she literally melts in a computer generated splash.
For Breathless and 400 Blows, Goddard and Truffaut didn't have access to the same type of contemporary special effects and editing capabilities that characterize Amelie, yet we still see similar back and forth angles and camerawork that complements the dialogue.
If it weren't for the difference in color and editing technology, it might not be hard to forget that these films were produced 40 years apart from each other. If I put a blindfold on and simply listened to the ways in which sound is used in each film I can count a number of similarities.
Upbeat, french bistro type music can be heard at some point in all of these films often at points where there is narration of philosophical commentary. The way the directors use sound separates the simple plot elements from the more thought provoking scenes and dialogue.
Take for example the way a suspenseful piano track creates tension in the hotel scene of Breathless:
Related Side Note-Acting and Expression: In all of these films I noticed a very definitive and distinct set of complex facial expressions that are essential to the overall mood and tone of each shot and scene. Take a look at each of these shots and try to imagine the thoughts and emotions of the characters. Dialogue isn't even necessary in these moments.
The passion in these three french films is one that we rarely see in typical Hollywood productions but rather in auteur projets. Here is a glimpse of what the Criterion Film Collection has to say about Francois Truffaut's 400 Blows:
"The400 Blows sensitively recreates the trials of Truffaut's own difficult childhood, unsentimentally portraying aloof parents, oppressive teachers, petty crime, and a friendship that would last a lifetime." -Criterion
Overall Conclusions: Ces trois films francais qui viennent de differents temps me montre que le mouvement, expression corporelle, le visage, et le son sont peut-etre plus important que la dialogue dans un film. On ne doit pas comprendre le francais pour comprendre les themes et les messages de ces films. Je suggere les voir sans subtitles et vous aurez une experience tres bien de film plus pure francais.
(Translation: These three French films that come from different times show me that the movement, body, face, and sound are perhaps more important than the dialogue in a movie. We need not understand French to understand the themes and messages of these films. I suggest seeing them without subtitles and you will have a very good experience of pure French film.)
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