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| The only person standing in your way is you... |
In this beautifully written story, we see a ballerina, who after a life of overprotection and control from her mother, fights through the quest to high-profile ballet, perhaps a bit too intensely. [...]
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Black Swan: The psychology of obsession
Probably the pinnacle of Natalie Portman's career, Black Swan shows an intense and fascinating conflict in her character, on all levels of oneself.
Click to show spoilers
In this beautifully written story, we see a ballerina, who after a life of overprotection and control from her mother, fights through the quest to high-profile ballet, perhaps a bit too intensely. [...]
In this beautifully written story, we see a ballerina, who after a life of overprotection and control from her mother, fights through the quest to high-profile ballet, perhaps a bit too intensely. [...]
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Following: Clever and intricate Neo-Noir
Christopher Nolan's debut feature, Following, is amazingly clever, and its creation, nearly miraculous. The film that, with it's excellence, would come to open the doors for Memento, was shot on an estimated and hugely impressive budget of $6,000.
Following, tells the story of a masterfully intricate noir style setup, which is already being built from early on in the film, but is so incredibly clever that you can really not suspect anything close to the actual outcome, until the very end. The film alternates between three different moments in the story, throughout its development, showing that Nolan's appreciation for parallel and non-linear storytelling, later seen in such works as Memento and Inception, was already part of him from the get-go. [...]
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| You take it away... and show them what they had. |
Following, tells the story of a masterfully intricate noir style setup, which is already being built from early on in the film, but is so incredibly clever that you can really not suspect anything close to the actual outcome, until the very end. The film alternates between three different moments in the story, throughout its development, showing that Nolan's appreciation for parallel and non-linear storytelling, later seen in such works as Memento and Inception, was already part of him from the get-go. [...]
Friday, March 11, 2016
Moonrise Kingdom: Exquisitely peculiar
One of the greatest pieces in Wes Anderson's work, Moonrise Kingdom tells a story about love, in the most unusual of ways, that is, both the love, and the story.
This movie, as the rest of Anderson's work, is unmistakably his. The unique style he has built over the years, together with cinematographer Robert Yeoman is absolutely visible, with the square framing, the prevalence of static and sideways tracking shots, and of course the heavy use of symmetry and the defining colors. Colors which are perhaps a bit more dull than the extremely vibrant colors in other of his works, like the more recent and, too, brilliant, The Grand Budapest Hotel. [...]
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| What kind of bird are YOU? |
This movie, as the rest of Anderson's work, is unmistakably his. The unique style he has built over the years, together with cinematographer Robert Yeoman is absolutely visible, with the square framing, the prevalence of static and sideways tracking shots, and of course the heavy use of symmetry and the defining colors. Colors which are perhaps a bit more dull than the extremely vibrant colors in other of his works, like the more recent and, too, brilliant, The Grand Budapest Hotel. [...]
Monday, March 7, 2016
The end of the Monday reviews (for now)
In view of changes in my schedule, I will unfortunately no longer be able to produce the Monday reviews, for an indefinite amount of time.
But don't worry, the article frequency has just been slightly reduced to a weekly rate, the Friday reviews are still going.
See you Friday!
But don't worry, the article frequency has just been slightly reduced to a weekly rate, the Friday reviews are still going.
See you Friday!
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Bridge of Spies: A solid movie with a few writing lapses
When you join Spielberg's direction with the touch of the Coen brothers on the script, great things are expected. Yet, although Bridge of Spies is a solid movie, it is a bit heavy on dramatic exaggerations, and is far from either's best work.
Click to show spoilers
Despite having originally been written by Matt Charman, the Coen brothers' influence on the script is noticeable, especially through its sporadic witty humor. Such, that gives the movie a more laid back feeling, breaking from the tensions of the cold war, and adding to its enjoyment. [...]
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| It doesn't matter what others think. You know what you did. |
Despite having originally been written by Matt Charman, the Coen brothers' influence on the script is noticeable, especially through its sporadic witty humor. Such, that gives the movie a more laid back feeling, breaking from the tensions of the cold war, and adding to its enjoyment. [...]
Monday, February 29, 2016
A Serious Man: Masterful ode to meaninglessness
The Coen brothers have reached a surprising level of clarity in a film that is as subjective, and in many ways, even as incomprehensible, as you can get.
Click to show spoilers
A Serious Man tells the story of man in search of answers to all of his misfortune, while it highlights the fruitlessness of the quest for a philosophical answer to... well, anything. It actually challenges the meaning of meaning itself. [...]
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| When the truth is found to be lies, and all the hope within you dies... then what? |
A Serious Man tells the story of man in search of answers to all of his misfortune, while it highlights the fruitlessness of the quest for a philosophical answer to... well, anything. It actually challenges the meaning of meaning itself. [...]
Friday, February 26, 2016
The Knick: Interesting, intriguing and absorbing
Created by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler, and directed by Steven Soderbergh, The Knick is a visually stunning depiction of life during the beginnings of medical surgery. Highlighting how much humanity has evolved, both technologically and socially, yet how much has also remained.
The Knick has beautifully constructed imagery, from the sets and costumes to the lighting and composition, and is able to get you into the atmosphere of early last century while simultaneously conveying a certain feeling of familiarity. [...]
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| The Knick season 1 episode 2 |
The Knick has beautifully constructed imagery, from the sets and costumes to the lighting and composition, and is able to get you into the atmosphere of early last century while simultaneously conveying a certain feeling of familiarity. [...]