The Conversation (1974)

Nominee

In this film there are two very specific components that standout. The way the thematics are integrated into the visuals of the film, and then just the sound editing in general.

Harry Caul, is a professional surveillance personnel, who is caught in a world of paranoia due to his inability to perceive what is reality. He is then placed into a specific job where he hears a conversation and knows that something is amiss, but what he hears and what is actually happening is always being questioned. I literally said out loud a number of times: What is going on? And that is not due to any fault of the story but is implemented quite intentionally and with great skill. Frances Ford Coppola lets us see just the right amount in order to keep us hanging on and then turns us in another direction. This is because the theme of the film is perception and film itself is a medium of perception. Between directing, cinematography, editing and sound a film makes us see, associate, and hear only what we are given and when it is done at an intricate level we can be purposefully misled. A job very well executed in this case.

Specifically in the sound editing. Through repetition and manipulation we are haunted by the recurrence of certain sounds and songs, but every time they are reintroduced into the narration they are given new meanings and urgency. This is truly the driving force of the suspense and excellent in composition.

If I have something to say it was (surprise!) the beginning was slow, almost to the point of losing my attention. However the ending makes up that ground.

Overall: This film is a tribute to the art of film making itself, showing its convolution and its influence on our understanding of a story. Make it through the first half and you will be rewarded. Happy Watching!

The Fighter (2010)

Nominee

This is a film that reminds us what acting is really about. It is not just standing on screen reciting lines, it is not just being a pretty face for the media and then putting up half hearted performances. Acting is the ability to step inside another person and find the humanity that connects us all. A good actor not only shows us a person but makes us understand that person, perhaps even develop empathy for them. Having a background in theater has given me very high expectations for the craft, and often it is not met, so when my expectations are surpassed I know respects are due.

The story to begin with is the classic American underdog story. Micky Ward (Wahlberg), is a beaten down boxer from a small impoverished town in Massachusetts, who wants to be loyal to his family but is also burdened by them. Between his brother Dicky's (Bale) addiction to cocaine, and his mother's (Leo) inability to deal with the truth, it is Micky that gets lost, until he meets Charlene (Adams).

These are dynamic people that were carefully and skillfully scripted into a film. It was then in the hands of the actors and they delivered. These characters are all down on their luck and looking for some way to find normalcy in their lives. That was something that was never said or explicitly shown, so where did I obtain that perspective? The actors. Amy Adams and Melissa Leo are incredibly engaging in their parts, both loving but products of their environments these women are fierce because they have to be. Also Christian Bale is an amazing physical actor he dedicates his whole body to a role, and in this film we aren't watching Christian Bale, we are watching Dicky and that is so important. Lastly, Mark Wahlberg, gives us a more subtle side to his craft, he is not the hard hitting Bostonian here, he is a man in conflict. The ensemble in general to, from Dicky's son to the pack of sisters no one misses a beat.

I would be amiss if I ended without a nod to the technical aspects as well. Cinematography was brilliant with their use of commercial cameras versus production models. This separated the real world from inside the ring elegantly. Also sound editing for fight scenes is always important, they brought the chaos more than anything else.

Overall: Unforgettable performances, with sharp technical aspects. This was my second time watching and my opinion remains unchanged. That is a great movie. Happy Watching!

The Alamo (1960)

Nominee

Sorry I have been slacking a little on posting! In the lull of summer I find myself either too busy or too lazy but I hope to make up a little ground here today. I watched this film about a week ago and although I do love John Wayne, this one fell short for me. But it provides me an opportunity to discuss a topic that I throw around a lot in these posts, namely pacing. I mention this concept a lot but it has become clear to me that I have not expressed the components that make make up the term. 

Pacing is driven by two sources: the narration, namely the screenplay, and the editing, in particularly how long we linger on a frame before moving on to the next image. These two things, of course, work best when they are closely proportioned to one another. If something is not emphasised in the script than bring it out visually with an establishing shot. If you can't show it have someone say it well in the script without laying it out to blatantly. When this is done right most movies find a rhythm and we are able to witness a story through dialogue and imagery. My problem? I hate when the rhythm is slow. This is very much a personal preference, but when a film is compromised of long shots and dense unconcealed conversations, it loses my attention, and that is very much what happened here.

Between long vast repetitive shots of landscapes and a lot of dialogue revolving around characters with existential crises especially with discussions of faith, slavery, and death in toe, this movie felt like more of a lecture than anything else. This trickled into the narrative structure as well. A lot of the action felt disconnected and at times superfluous.  I will say, however, that there was some endearing characterizations. John Wayne's Davy Crockett brought to life a historical figure with vibrancy. Also Richard Widmark and Lawrence Harvey played nicely against each other presenting a clear battle in philosophy.

Overall: It was just too slow for my taste. Not with out its merits, but it felt like a good idea without the flawless execution. Perhaps go watch a different John Wayne classic.

From a Distance With My Most Heartfelt Condolences

Although I am over half a country away with no personal connection to the horrific events so recently surrounding Aurora, Colorado I feel deeply connected to this atrocity. No, I cannot imagine that my grief surmounts to anything compared to those of the victim's families but I could not let this go by with out adding my voice to the many now reaching out in support, and also sharing my perspective to the dialogue of the aftermath.

When one goes to the theater you look to engage in an hour or two of escapism. Slipping into an alternative world, you entrust your perceptions to the vision of the filmmakers and your safety to those around you. There is an unspoken pact that is enacted when engaging in this shared experience and that pact was unforgivably violated by a man who did not have the aptitude to decipher reality from fiction. My heart goes out to those movie goers, the tragedy of their death lies in their innocence and vulnerability and it is an event I will not soon forget.

As a result of any act of tremendous loss we have seen that many begin to look for a motivation for the killers actions. In this case it has brought to light a certain discussion that I find particularly enraging. Some have stated that violence in the film industry has gotten out of hand and is corrupting the minds of the masses. This idea is not only absurd but also directly insulting to the memory of the victims. We, as consumers of this medium, are not the mindless individuals this theory insinuates. We are critical, analytical beings capable of finding a film enthralling without it pervading our every notion thereafter. Yes there are those who are incapable of separating their world from the one on the screen, but they are few in number. So people who are criticizing the content of The Dark Knight Rises I ask you this: Would you have us sacrifice expression out of fear? Should we live in paranoia that caters to the whims of the insane? I say no. Every film is a conversation that gives us another shot at a greater public truth and that should not be lost to the will of people like James Holmes. The victims were there to see it, they supported the film, and they were not so impressionable that they came armed. Let us not insult their memory by saying the film was the source. A person was the source, and although nothing can pay for the lives he took, he will be brought to justice. Let us not give him anymore influence over us and our ability to live, he does not deserve that right.

Remembering 6/20/12 Aurora, CO
Pam G

My Left Foot (1989)

Nominee

Bio pics are without a doubt very hit or miss mostly just because they are easy. You pick a person with an inspirational story and you will have the whole audience sobbing by the end. Also from a narrative stand point there is no real room for creativity, this is someones life you don't get to make the majority of it up. However, with this skepticism for the genre planted in me it makes it that much more impressive when I come out liking one. Here I am not without some qualms but for the most part this is a bio pic that takes risk, and therein lies achievement.

For example the convention would be to take one person and simply depict their obstacles and then show how that person overcame them. I think what this film does well is that it shows the obstacles but it does not go for the easy answer of success, it seems to shed light on failure as well making the movie less predictable in nature. Also the screenplay is truly the impetus of this whole film, there are none of the over done inspirational speeches that feel awkward and out of place in films about real people. Instead we have many specific moments that are given to us through everyday dialogue. That makes this whole story come down to a personal level.

In addition, the acting highlights the imperfections of each character which makes them all the more attainable to our sympathies. Daniel Day Lewis does an impeccable job committing his whole body to this role of Christy Brown, an artist and writer with cerebral palsy. You may say its easy to get an Oscar playing someone with a disability...well yes that's true but it's not easy to do and not easy to do well. Also the mother, played by Brenda Fricker, does a superb job of showing a realistic but hopeful woman who is able to raise those around her to their best.  

Some problems still exist namely, the soundtrack and the ending. I am waiting for the day that I watch an 80's film and I sit through the whole thing without cringing at the sound of poorly conceived music, but like I said I am still waiting, so this film did not end that mission.

Also the ending seemed to forget the whole focus of this film. This film was about Christy Brown in the context of his family, I feel like the end tried to make it out to be a romance driven story. It just seemed irrelevant in the scope of the movie.

Overall: A solid watch with some unforgettable character work, it wrapped up poorly and it is not a feast for the ears, but the message and the access to it is there. Also it is a great story about a remarkable life. Happy Watching!

The Piano (1993)

Nominee

Movies, in general, are never a predictable experience because the art form is not complete until it has been consumed by an audience. The problem with an audience is it is comprised of individuals, none of whom completely share the same set of memories or morals. Throw in something as personal as sex, and you have yourself a personal moment you are now sharing with a massive group....Where am I going with this? It is up to the individual to determine what to them is art and what is just blatant sex to serve a separate purpose. Where is the line? Well I can't speak for yours but here embodied in this movie is mine, it pushes a limit without pushing an inch past it, impressive to see.  

This movie presents sexuality to serve the purpose of narration and tell the story of human carnal attraction through the notion of passion. And because every ounce of this story is committed to the translation of that purpose I am willing to consign the eroticism not to shock value or mere pornography but to something deeply conversing with the human experience. We see this through the development of character and place, the cinematography and the music. The care in every aspect is there, making it something notable in execution and creditable in content.

The characters are all people on the edge, be it literally on the map or a place between civilization and survival. Ada, a mute piano player,  and her daughter, Flora, are sent to New Zealand when Ada's father sells her in marriage to Allistar Stewart. While there her path crosses with George Baines another Englishman who has become integrated into the lifestyles of the natives. Passions cross and savagery confronts civility while music leads to instinct.  These characters and the people playing them are dynamic. Holly Hunter as Ada somehow lets us see a strong willed woman without a voice, and Anna Paquin who plays Flora, gives us a little girl still trying to discover right and wrong in a world of conflict. These performances are unforgettable.

Then there is the music and cinematography that give us a visual and auditory contrast. This world is presented as a fairytale, with coloring in the music and saturation of the frames. The outside world is cold and dark, while any scene where human contact ensues is full of warmth. It is through love and music that Ada finds belonging in this story, and we are not given that through dialogue, we see it and hear it.

Overall: This movie is beautifully done, and the attention found here is what makes movie making so incredibly dynamic. The content is at times very forward but it is not given in frivolity but purpose. I think this film is worth the watch but this is of course my line. Happy Watching.