"Dan in Real Life" is a romance film starring Steve Carrell. Carrell's character, named Dan Burns, is a widower who has been left with 3 daughters. Playing the role of a single parent for four years has left Dan very unhappy and in need of a significant other. Ultimately, while on vacation visiting his extended family, he meets and falls in love with a nice lady at a book store. Later it is revealed that this lady is indeed the girlfriend of his brother. This film does many things right. It creates a main character that one can root for, and it creates instances that many families can relate to.
Dan, the main character, is a lovable character. In the beginning of the film, the viewer is made to somewhat pity Dan because of how hard he works keeping up with his three daughters. His daughters, on the otherhand, dislike him for being to overprotective. No matter how hard he works toward making his life better, it seems like there are roadblocks in his way toward his happiness. He yearns for a life love and wants to have the full affection of his daughters. Later in the film, Dan does a few jerk-like things that makes the audience cringe. Although he does some dumb things out of attempts to impress a the girl of his dreams, the audience is still conditioned to root for him as a character after witnessing the trials he has had to conquer.
There are many events in the plot of this film that allows the viewer to see correlations between the film characters and their own families. The middle daughter is quite rebellious, being in her early teenage years. This is seen in almost every family that has a teenager. Many family members in the real world forgive other family members when they wrong them. This is also seen within the movie. The brother repeatedly forgives Dan for misfortunate events created by Dan. This shows family forgiveness. The family members tease each other multiple times throughout the film. Dan is rediculed by members of the family about an upcoming date and her "hog-like" features. This can also be seen in many American families.
The film "Dan in Real Life" is a great movie that creates realistic family scenarios and characters. The audience will find itself rooting for Dan to find true love, and the viewer will see correlations between the family onscreen and the family in their own life.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Zombieland Review
"Zombieland" is a film about a world where a crazy virus that turns humans into zombies has taken over the globe. Before I watched this film, I had very low expectations for the quality of this movie. I was very surprised. This film is very captivating, uses humor well, and creates great character relationships.
This film is very captivating because at every given second of the movie, the viewer is expecting a human-hungry zombie to jump out and start attacking. There are moments earlier in the film where zombies surprise the main characters, and this sets the tempo for the rest of the movie. I was captivated and on the edge of my seat for a large portion of the movie because I kept expecting an oncoming attack. This approach allows the audience to be attentive at all times throughout the plotline.
The humor is used very well within this film. Everything from well placed one-liners, a hardened zombie-killer who has a weakness for twinkies, and the accidental killing of Bill Murray works together to create a funny view. The humor, however, does not overwhelm the danger of the zombies. Although jokes are made about the evil creatures that are in pursuit of the main characters, the plot still allows for tense moments to arise to keep the audience on their seats.
The film does a great job of establishing lovable relationships between characters within a ninety minute feature. The main four characters slightly dislike one another when they first meet, but they slowly begin to form lasting bonds with each other. This is fueled by humorous scenes where the main four joke around with each other. In the end, the gruff, zombie killer establishes a "father-like" bond with the young girl played by Abigail Breslin, and the nerdy college student establishes a romantic bond with the cute older girl. This makes the audience root for the main characters even more while they continue their fight against the zombie menace.
"Zombieland" was a great view. The captivizing nature of the film, humor, and character relationships add different elements to this film that makes it entertaining for many different types of movie-goers.
This film is very captivating because at every given second of the movie, the viewer is expecting a human-hungry zombie to jump out and start attacking. There are moments earlier in the film where zombies surprise the main characters, and this sets the tempo for the rest of the movie. I was captivated and on the edge of my seat for a large portion of the movie because I kept expecting an oncoming attack. This approach allows the audience to be attentive at all times throughout the plotline.
The humor is used very well within this film. Everything from well placed one-liners, a hardened zombie-killer who has a weakness for twinkies, and the accidental killing of Bill Murray works together to create a funny view. The humor, however, does not overwhelm the danger of the zombies. Although jokes are made about the evil creatures that are in pursuit of the main characters, the plot still allows for tense moments to arise to keep the audience on their seats.
The film does a great job of establishing lovable relationships between characters within a ninety minute feature. The main four characters slightly dislike one another when they first meet, but they slowly begin to form lasting bonds with each other. This is fueled by humorous scenes where the main four joke around with each other. In the end, the gruff, zombie killer establishes a "father-like" bond with the young girl played by Abigail Breslin, and the nerdy college student establishes a romantic bond with the cute older girl. This makes the audience root for the main characters even more while they continue their fight against the zombie menace.
"Zombieland" was a great view. The captivizing nature of the film, humor, and character relationships add different elements to this film that makes it entertaining for many different types of movie-goers.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
1941 Analysis
Steven Spielberg's World War 2 spoof film "1941" is a phenomenal watch that has a star studded cast. It focuses a lot on the crazy fear that Americans had about Japanese peoples. Steven Spielberg did many things to make this film very enjoyable. Some of the things that he did includes mimicking character characteristics of other World War 2 films and created a goofy incompetent enemy.
In many ways, Spielberg mimicked other World War 2 films. Many characters he uses in the movie are very stereotypical of other film characters of the war genre. John Belushi plays a crazy pilot who is slightly off of his rocker, and Dan Ackroyd plays a army man who rallies troops with stirring speeches. By sticking to character conventions, Spielberg is helping the audience understand that this is film is tied to the war genre. Then, by utilizing goofy plot lines, the audience understands that this is a film meant to parody conventional war films.
The Japanese enemies within this film are very incompetent. They allow Slim Picken's character to escape from them, they spy on bathing women, and they open fire on a local carnival thinking it to be a military base. By creating an enemy that seems comical, Spielberg is allowing the film to be a total comedy. If the film had serious villains, there would be a hint of seriousness to the plot line. Basically, the protagonists would have to beat the antagonists for the viewer to feel at ease. Spielberg's decision to write a comical villian into this script allows "1941" to be a total goofball flick.
Spielberg creates a comical masterpiece in his film "1941" by using certain comical strategies. By using conventional war film characters, he allows the viewer to feel tied to the war movie genre, and by creating a non-threatening and goofy enemy, he allows the viewer to be fully enveloped by the comical side of the film.
In many ways, Spielberg mimicked other World War 2 films. Many characters he uses in the movie are very stereotypical of other film characters of the war genre. John Belushi plays a crazy pilot who is slightly off of his rocker, and Dan Ackroyd plays a army man who rallies troops with stirring speeches. By sticking to character conventions, Spielberg is helping the audience understand that this is film is tied to the war genre. Then, by utilizing goofy plot lines, the audience understands that this is a film meant to parody conventional war films.
The Japanese enemies within this film are very incompetent. They allow Slim Picken's character to escape from them, they spy on bathing women, and they open fire on a local carnival thinking it to be a military base. By creating an enemy that seems comical, Spielberg is allowing the film to be a total comedy. If the film had serious villains, there would be a hint of seriousness to the plot line. Basically, the protagonists would have to beat the antagonists for the viewer to feel at ease. Spielberg's decision to write a comical villian into this script allows "1941" to be a total goofball flick.
Spielberg creates a comical masterpiece in his film "1941" by using certain comical strategies. By using conventional war film characters, he allows the viewer to feel tied to the war movie genre, and by creating a non-threatening and goofy enemy, he allows the viewer to be fully enveloped by the comical side of the film.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
The Goonies Analysis
"The Goonies" is a film from 1985 starring young Sean Astin. Sean Astin plays the character Mikey Walsh, a young boy who decides to solve his parent's financial crisis by hunting for pirate gold. He and his friends find an ancient treasure map in his attic and follow the clues that sends them down a path of excitement and danger. While searching for the gold, they attract the attention of the Fratelli family, a family of thieves and murderers. A few things come together to create this great movie. A great soundtrack, the lighting of the set, and the off-the-wall characters all create this cult classic.
The soundtrack of "The Goonies" makes this movie seem somewhat magical. The music is very slow and eerie thus adding to the haunting effects. Many string instruments are used in the musical score; the string instrument family is very haunting when played slowly. Whenever the kids are underground, the creepy score makes the viewer feel slightly creeped out.
The lighting in this film is very minimal thus adding to the haunting feeling of the movie. For a large majority of the film, the characters are in dark underground tunnels; during most of the rest of the film, the sky is very cloudy thus minimalizing the amount of light in these shots. The lack of light creates a somewhat solemn mood that is reflective of the sadness of the Walsh family. This lighting creates both haunting and solemn feelings within the viewer.
This film has many zany characters. There is an italian family of killers, a kid with a jacket full of gadgets, a super strong man known as "Sloth", and a few other off-the-wall characters. These bizarre characters surely help make "The Goonies" a cult classic. The crazy character personas bounce off of each other to drive the plot in a kooky way.
"The Goonies" is a great film that has a plot that keeps the viewer engaged from beginning to end. The musical score makes the film seem eerie and magical. The low lighting of the film adds more creepiness to the film, and the bizarre characters bounce off of one another to adds kookiness to the film. All of these effects come together to create a purely spellbounding film.
The soundtrack of "The Goonies" makes this movie seem somewhat magical. The music is very slow and eerie thus adding to the haunting effects. Many string instruments are used in the musical score; the string instrument family is very haunting when played slowly. Whenever the kids are underground, the creepy score makes the viewer feel slightly creeped out.
The lighting in this film is very minimal thus adding to the haunting feeling of the movie. For a large majority of the film, the characters are in dark underground tunnels; during most of the rest of the film, the sky is very cloudy thus minimalizing the amount of light in these shots. The lack of light creates a somewhat solemn mood that is reflective of the sadness of the Walsh family. This lighting creates both haunting and solemn feelings within the viewer.
This film has many zany characters. There is an italian family of killers, a kid with a jacket full of gadgets, a super strong man known as "Sloth", and a few other off-the-wall characters. These bizarre characters surely help make "The Goonies" a cult classic. The crazy character personas bounce off of each other to drive the plot in a kooky way.
"The Goonies" is a great film that has a plot that keeps the viewer engaged from beginning to end. The musical score makes the film seem eerie and magical. The low lighting of the film adds more creepiness to the film, and the bizarre characters bounce off of one another to adds kookiness to the film. All of these effects come together to create a purely spellbounding film.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Toy Story Analysis
The 1995 computer animated film "Toy Story" is Pixar's first full length film. Although it is their first film, it is still packed with moving scenes and great messages. Like Pixar's later movies, this film uses a variety of tools to create a visually stimulating film. The use of shading, character conflict, and facial expression all comes together to make this film a true classic.
This film has excellent use of shading. Being the first full length computer animated film, it is surprising that the shading is so in depth. The effect of this shading allows the animated characters to feel more realistic. Without shading, all of the characters and objects onscreen would be flat. The shading creates a three-dimensional effect that brings the plot and world to life.
Character conflict makes this film seem more realistic as well. It is very difficult to make animations seem real, but the use of character conflict makes the characters jump off of the screen with liveliness. This film strays from the stereotypical "perfect world" of most animations. Buzz Lightyear and Woody, the two protagonists of the movie are constantly in opposition to one another during the plot. Real people have conflicts with one another, and "Toy Story" mimicks this by adding this perspective to the film.
The facial expressions within "Toy Story" are phenomenal for being the first full length animated film. The smiles and frowns of the characters breathes life into these animated toys. While watching the movie, I was reminded of real people while evaluating the facial expressions of the toys onscreen. This coupled with shading and character conflict creates a cinematic classic that allowed Pixar to be catapulted into the legendary company that it is today.
This film has excellent use of shading. Being the first full length computer animated film, it is surprising that the shading is so in depth. The effect of this shading allows the animated characters to feel more realistic. Without shading, all of the characters and objects onscreen would be flat. The shading creates a three-dimensional effect that brings the plot and world to life.
Character conflict makes this film seem more realistic as well. It is very difficult to make animations seem real, but the use of character conflict makes the characters jump off of the screen with liveliness. This film strays from the stereotypical "perfect world" of most animations. Buzz Lightyear and Woody, the two protagonists of the movie are constantly in opposition to one another during the plot. Real people have conflicts with one another, and "Toy Story" mimicks this by adding this perspective to the film.
The facial expressions within "Toy Story" are phenomenal for being the first full length animated film. The smiles and frowns of the characters breathes life into these animated toys. While watching the movie, I was reminded of real people while evaluating the facial expressions of the toys onscreen. This coupled with shading and character conflict creates a cinematic classic that allowed Pixar to be catapulted into the legendary company that it is today.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Death to Smoochy Analysis
The film "Death to Smoochy" directed by Danny DeVito is a very bizarre, yet entertaining film starring Edward Norton, Robin Williams, and Danny DeVito. This dark comedy uses a variety of tools to create an enjoyable film for the audience. The character personality evolutions, outlandish plot scenarios, and real world critiques makes this movie a two thumbs up film.
Throughout the film, many characters go through changes in their personalities and attitudes. This not only makes the characters feel more real, but it makes the viewer love the characters more. The biggest instance of this change occurs with the main character's love interest, Nora. Nora begins the film detesting Edward Norton's character, Shelton, and had nothing but negative things to say to him. Slowly throughout the movie, her character warms up to Shelton's personality and she begins to appreciate all of the things that he does. Her demeanor during their interactions becomes more warm and open. People in the real world go through changes in personality in regards to relating to other people, and this imitation of this fact within the film makes Nora more realistic.
This film's plot is very outlandish and bizarre. Many zany things happen within the film, including Shelton having a family-like relationship with an Irish mafia and Nora's love affairs with a multitude of Children Television hosts. This sets a very interesting mood for the film that has allowed this film to reach cult movie status. Although many dark things happen within this movie, the inclusion of the quirky film parts effectively balances "Death to Smoochy" out to create an enjoyable view.
This film critiques many real world problems. One of the main criticism created by "Death to Smoochy" is the criticism of Capitalism and its effects on society. Within the film, the executives of the television station that Shelton works for tries to increase capitalistic gain by selling cheap products to children and promoting unhealthy foods to this young audience. Shelton fights against these moves and ultimately wins this battle. Because the hero of the movie is fighting against personal profit for the benefit of society, the viewer roots for this stance.
Many things come together to make "Death to Smoochy" a unique watch. Character development, oulandish plot events, and critiques of the real world all come together to create a truly entertaining movie.
Throughout the film, many characters go through changes in their personalities and attitudes. This not only makes the characters feel more real, but it makes the viewer love the characters more. The biggest instance of this change occurs with the main character's love interest, Nora. Nora begins the film detesting Edward Norton's character, Shelton, and had nothing but negative things to say to him. Slowly throughout the movie, her character warms up to Shelton's personality and she begins to appreciate all of the things that he does. Her demeanor during their interactions becomes more warm and open. People in the real world go through changes in personality in regards to relating to other people, and this imitation of this fact within the film makes Nora more realistic.
This film's plot is very outlandish and bizarre. Many zany things happen within the film, including Shelton having a family-like relationship with an Irish mafia and Nora's love affairs with a multitude of Children Television hosts. This sets a very interesting mood for the film that has allowed this film to reach cult movie status. Although many dark things happen within this movie, the inclusion of the quirky film parts effectively balances "Death to Smoochy" out to create an enjoyable view.
This film critiques many real world problems. One of the main criticism created by "Death to Smoochy" is the criticism of Capitalism and its effects on society. Within the film, the executives of the television station that Shelton works for tries to increase capitalistic gain by selling cheap products to children and promoting unhealthy foods to this young audience. Shelton fights against these moves and ultimately wins this battle. Because the hero of the movie is fighting against personal profit for the benefit of society, the viewer roots for this stance.
Many things come together to make "Death to Smoochy" a unique watch. Character development, oulandish plot events, and critiques of the real world all come together to create a truly entertaining movie.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Paranormal Activities Analysis
The film "Paranormal Activities" is perhaps one of the scariest films that I have ever seen. This film focuses on the life of a young couple who encounters very eerie events in their home. They later deduce that they are being haunted by an evil demon. The film utilizes many strategies to create a scary mood that keeps the film viewers on edge. The film utilizes a lack of musical score, conditions viewer expectations, and is a mockumentary. All of these things mix together to create a truly frightening film.
The film lacks a musical score. This keeps the viewer constantly listening for noises from the demon. Every time the demon strikes, a small vibration noise is sounded; because the film lacks any background music, the vibration can happen at anytime. This lack of knowing when the demon will strike causes the viewer to be on edge at all times. This creates a scary mood at all times during the film.
"Paranormal Activities" also conditions viewer expectations to create scary experiences for the viewer. For the first 2/3 of the film, the demon only struck the couple at nighttime while they are asleep. Then, out of left field, the demon starts to attack during the daytime. This throws the viewer off because they are conditioned to be weary of the strikes during the nighttime; then the viewer is scared when something happens unexpectedly. This makes the film so much more scary because of the unexpected nature of the film's scary moments.
This film is a mockumentary. The entire film is shot in the view of a camera that the main character purchased, and it is narrated by the two main characters while they hold the camera. This makes the film seem scarier because the film seems very realistic; I found myself believing that the events on screen were actually recorded footage from actual events. This makes the film scarier because you start to think "this could happen to me too."
The film was amazingly scary. Many things compounded together creates a really frightening mood in this film. The lack of musical score, the conditioning of the viewer's expectations, and the mockumentary style of the film are all added together to create a great film.
The film lacks a musical score. This keeps the viewer constantly listening for noises from the demon. Every time the demon strikes, a small vibration noise is sounded; because the film lacks any background music, the vibration can happen at anytime. This lack of knowing when the demon will strike causes the viewer to be on edge at all times. This creates a scary mood at all times during the film.
"Paranormal Activities" also conditions viewer expectations to create scary experiences for the viewer. For the first 2/3 of the film, the demon only struck the couple at nighttime while they are asleep. Then, out of left field, the demon starts to attack during the daytime. This throws the viewer off because they are conditioned to be weary of the strikes during the nighttime; then the viewer is scared when something happens unexpectedly. This makes the film so much more scary because of the unexpected nature of the film's scary moments.
This film is a mockumentary. The entire film is shot in the view of a camera that the main character purchased, and it is narrated by the two main characters while they hold the camera. This makes the film seem scarier because the film seems very realistic; I found myself believing that the events on screen were actually recorded footage from actual events. This makes the film scarier because you start to think "this could happen to me too."
The film was amazingly scary. Many things compounded together creates a really frightening mood in this film. The lack of musical score, the conditioning of the viewer's expectations, and the mockumentary style of the film are all added together to create a great film.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Requiem for a Dream Analysis
Darren Aronofsky, the director of "Requiem for a Dream" does several things to create a spellbinding piece of art. This movie focuses on the lives of four people whose lives turn to hell after delving into the world of drugs. Aronofsky utilizes several things to create a feeling of "trippiness" in the viewer while they watch the film. The director plays with camera angles, special effects, and picture quality to simulate the feelings of a drug usage.
Many times, the camera angle is canted or rotated in illogical ways to simulate confusion. This method is especially applied during scenes of intense drug usage where the character on screen is experiencing a high. Many times, during intoxication, the drug user may feel disoriented or confused, this is recreated by the filming of the movie. The viewer is looking through the eyes of a drug user when the camerawork displays scenes in confusing camera angles.
The mother in the film, sees things while high. Many special effects are used to simulate these visions. These hallucinations include, a refrigerator that tries to bite her, television characters jumping out of the screen, and food shooting past her. All of these effects create a surreal feeling during the "high" times of the mom. This feeling is felt by some people who experiment with drugs, and the feeling is also felt by the viewer of the film during these trippy scenes.
When I first started to watch this film, I thought it was made in the seventies. I found out later that it was made in the year 2000. The film is very grainy and slightly blurry. This creates a slight "high" effect. Some people who have a buzz see the world as more blurry. By making the film slightly blurry throughout the movie, the director has caused the viewer to feel like they are looking through the eyes of someone who is buzzed because of the graininess and the blur.
Many effects go hand in hand to create drug intoxicating feelings within the viewer. Bizarre camera angles, strange special effects, and picture quality all work together to create the effects intended by director Darren Aronofsky.
Many times, the camera angle is canted or rotated in illogical ways to simulate confusion. This method is especially applied during scenes of intense drug usage where the character on screen is experiencing a high. Many times, during intoxication, the drug user may feel disoriented or confused, this is recreated by the filming of the movie. The viewer is looking through the eyes of a drug user when the camerawork displays scenes in confusing camera angles.
The mother in the film, sees things while high. Many special effects are used to simulate these visions. These hallucinations include, a refrigerator that tries to bite her, television characters jumping out of the screen, and food shooting past her. All of these effects create a surreal feeling during the "high" times of the mom. This feeling is felt by some people who experiment with drugs, and the feeling is also felt by the viewer of the film during these trippy scenes.
When I first started to watch this film, I thought it was made in the seventies. I found out later that it was made in the year 2000. The film is very grainy and slightly blurry. This creates a slight "high" effect. Some people who have a buzz see the world as more blurry. By making the film slightly blurry throughout the movie, the director has caused the viewer to feel like they are looking through the eyes of someone who is buzzed because of the graininess and the blur.
Many effects go hand in hand to create drug intoxicating feelings within the viewer. Bizarre camera angles, strange special effects, and picture quality all work together to create the effects intended by director Darren Aronofsky.
Seven Analysis
"Seven" is a detective thriller starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Spacey. David Fincher, the director did many good things to make this a worthwhile film. The setting, music, and intertextuality makes this film jump off of the screen.
Because the setting of the movie is mainly urban, the director uses a few strategies to connote feelings of an urban environment. Many of the places that the two detectives, Pitt and Freeman, visit are very dirty. Even the interiors of many houses and buildings seem filthy and dark. Many people think of dirtiness when they think of big cities. Another approach used by the director is the use of lighting. The light in many scenes is very minimal, making the environment of the film more unsavorable. This makes one think of dark alleyways in cities. This creates a dreary mood that is fitting of a murder mystery story.
The music of this film also adds to the mysterious nature of this film. The movie uses many slow instrumental pieces. Bach's "Air in G-String" is used which is a very slow, ominous piece. While many of the murders are being investigated, the slow music makes the viewer feel dreary. Another musical effect employed by the director is the use of tension filled music when the directors are about to find something. Violin music is used heavily during these scenes which causes the viewer to be on edge when the strings of the violin are stroked in eerie ways.
This film is very intertextual in regards to older books. The books "The Canterbury Tales", "Dantes Inferno" and other older texts are referenced in regards to the seven deadly sins. This intertextuality causes the viewer to reference these other works and find out additional information about the storyline. This is great for people who yearn to learn more about things.
I thought this movie was a masterpiece. The ending was the icing on the top of the cake to make this film a must watch. Setting, music, and intertextuality all come together to make "Seven" a five star film.
Because the setting of the movie is mainly urban, the director uses a few strategies to connote feelings of an urban environment. Many of the places that the two detectives, Pitt and Freeman, visit are very dirty. Even the interiors of many houses and buildings seem filthy and dark. Many people think of dirtiness when they think of big cities. Another approach used by the director is the use of lighting. The light in many scenes is very minimal, making the environment of the film more unsavorable. This makes one think of dark alleyways in cities. This creates a dreary mood that is fitting of a murder mystery story.
The music of this film also adds to the mysterious nature of this film. The movie uses many slow instrumental pieces. Bach's "Air in G-String" is used which is a very slow, ominous piece. While many of the murders are being investigated, the slow music makes the viewer feel dreary. Another musical effect employed by the director is the use of tension filled music when the directors are about to find something. Violin music is used heavily during these scenes which causes the viewer to be on edge when the strings of the violin are stroked in eerie ways.
This film is very intertextual in regards to older books. The books "The Canterbury Tales", "Dantes Inferno" and other older texts are referenced in regards to the seven deadly sins. This intertextuality causes the viewer to reference these other works and find out additional information about the storyline. This is great for people who yearn to learn more about things.
I thought this movie was a masterpiece. The ending was the icing on the top of the cake to make this film a must watch. Setting, music, and intertextuality all come together to make "Seven" a five star film.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Girl on the Bridge Analysis
Girl on a Bridge was a great French film about a man who throws knives for a living named Gabor who falls in love with a woman named Adele with mad sexual desires. These two meet while Adele is on the verge of throwing herself from a bridge. Eventually, she does so and Gabor rescues her. They hit the road to do a series of wild knife throwing acts. Their adventure along the way brings them closer and illustrates several key themes within the plot.
Sex is a huge focus of the film. Adele has a gigantic sex drive, and she acts upon the smallest sexual urges. She has a lot of spontaneous sex with random men throughout the film, yet she never has physical sex with Gabor. Gabor and Adele, however, have emotional sex throughout the film. During the scenes where Gabor throws knives at Adele, Adele makes sexual movements and noises while Gabor throws the knives with a passion that is unseen outside of sexual fantasies. Adele even confesses after the first act that she has never ecstasy like that before.
Luck is another theme that is heavily focused upon within the film. Gabor and Adele engage in activities that require a lot of luck, knive throwing, card playing, and betting. While they are together, the luck never runs dry. Once they are separated, each loses their luck. This is a way of showing the viewer that they complete one another and are better together than separate.
Another theme of "Girl on a Bridge" is the idea that there is a perfect person out in the world that completes you. Neither character is happy when they are apart. When they are separated, the filmmakers created an interesting effect; they talk to one another by cutting from place to place. Although this should not be taken literally, this shows that they have a deep connection that binds them together. Also, Adele has sex with many guys, all of which she could potentially be happy with, but she is never happier with one of these guys than when she is with Gabor. This shows that they complete one another in ways that others cannot complete them.
Sex is a huge focus of the film. Adele has a gigantic sex drive, and she acts upon the smallest sexual urges. She has a lot of spontaneous sex with random men throughout the film, yet she never has physical sex with Gabor. Gabor and Adele, however, have emotional sex throughout the film. During the scenes where Gabor throws knives at Adele, Adele makes sexual movements and noises while Gabor throws the knives with a passion that is unseen outside of sexual fantasies. Adele even confesses after the first act that she has never ecstasy like that before.
Luck is another theme that is heavily focused upon within the film. Gabor and Adele engage in activities that require a lot of luck, knive throwing, card playing, and betting. While they are together, the luck never runs dry. Once they are separated, each loses their luck. This is a way of showing the viewer that they complete one another and are better together than separate.
Another theme of "Girl on a Bridge" is the idea that there is a perfect person out in the world that completes you. Neither character is happy when they are apart. When they are separated, the filmmakers created an interesting effect; they talk to one another by cutting from place to place. Although this should not be taken literally, this shows that they have a deep connection that binds them together. Also, Adele has sex with many guys, all of which she could potentially be happy with, but she is never happier with one of these guys than when she is with Gabor. This shows that they complete one another in ways that others cannot complete them.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Little Miss Sunshine Analysis
"Little Miss Sunshine" is a movie about a dysfunctional family living in California. Every family member has their own problems as well as personal feuds with other members of the family. Olive, the young girl in the family played by actress Abigail Breslin qualifies for a beauty contest that is happening hundreds of miles away from the family abode. Under unusual circumstances, all members must accompany Olive to the beauty contest. This leads to a hilarious peak of the oddities of each family member and fights that almost rage out of control. The music, character realism, and stunning visuals all make the movie a must see.
Most of the music in the movie is composed of violin and piano duets. The instrumental parts are very solemn and slow creating a saddening effect upon the viewer. This adds to the emotions felt by the characters during family conflict and depression. During humorous parts of the film however, more uplifting instrumentals play. This musical effect truly helps the viewer understand emotionally the plot of the film.
Character realism is great within this movie. Every character has massive flaws which is almost too real. Many films forget to give characters problems; this leads to flat characters. This film makes the viewer see part of themselves within a character on the screen; one sees similar character flaws between oneself and someone from the film. This creates an emotional tie between the viewer and the character that allows the viewer to become sad when the character is sad and happy when the character is happy.
The visuals within this film is breathtaking. Much of this movie takes place in the deserts of California. The vast yellow sand coupled with the beautiful blue sky creates a cheerful effect within the viewer, and the stark yellow color of the vehicle that they drive only adds to the cheerful visuals. Many times, the vibrant colors act as a contrast to the depressing storyline; this causes the viewer to question their own emotions. Great movies creates confusing emotions within the audience.
The music, character development, and stunning visuals all work together to make "Little Miss Sunshine" a great movie to enjoy. The viewer becomes attached to the characters and plotline emotionally and intellectually throughout the events on screen.
Most of the music in the movie is composed of violin and piano duets. The instrumental parts are very solemn and slow creating a saddening effect upon the viewer. This adds to the emotions felt by the characters during family conflict and depression. During humorous parts of the film however, more uplifting instrumentals play. This musical effect truly helps the viewer understand emotionally the plot of the film.
Character realism is great within this movie. Every character has massive flaws which is almost too real. Many films forget to give characters problems; this leads to flat characters. This film makes the viewer see part of themselves within a character on the screen; one sees similar character flaws between oneself and someone from the film. This creates an emotional tie between the viewer and the character that allows the viewer to become sad when the character is sad and happy when the character is happy.
The visuals within this film is breathtaking. Much of this movie takes place in the deserts of California. The vast yellow sand coupled with the beautiful blue sky creates a cheerful effect within the viewer, and the stark yellow color of the vehicle that they drive only adds to the cheerful visuals. Many times, the vibrant colors act as a contrast to the depressing storyline; this causes the viewer to question their own emotions. Great movies creates confusing emotions within the audience.
The music, character development, and stunning visuals all work together to make "Little Miss Sunshine" a great movie to enjoy. The viewer becomes attached to the characters and plotline emotionally and intellectually throughout the events on screen.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Hearts in Atlantis
Hearts in Atlantis is a unique film starring Anthony Hopkins and Anton Yelchin. Anton Yelchin plays Bobby, a young boy living with a widowed mother who encounters a strange man named Ted Brautigan. Ted, played by Anthony Hopkins, is a man who is being followed by a group of mysterious men. Later in the film, one learns that Ted is a psychic who is being tracked by the government. This film has great plot, character conflict, and life lessons.
Ninety-five percent of the plot takes place in a flash back by a middle-aged Bobby. The flashback occurs in the early sixties in a small town where the young boy grew up. The plot mainly follows the dealings of Bobby and his two friends who engage in innocent play as kids. Soon, the plot turns more serious when Ted is introduced with his mysterious problems. For most of the film, Ted is put into unexplained trances where he mumbles confusing phrases. The plot heats up when Bobby's mother encounters financial and sexual issues, and Bobby's friends encounter high school aged bullies. The plotline of Bobby's mother and Bobby's friends run parallel with one another creating an interesting effect. After Bobby's mom is raped and his girlfriend is beaten up, the mom presses her own personal problems upon Ted while he tries to help Bobby's girlfriend. The parallelism within the plot adds great complexity to the film.
Character conflict is strong within this film. Every character has a rival. Bobby's mother is rivaled with her current boss. Bobby and his friends are rivaled with three high school bullies while Ted is rivaled with mysterious suit-wearing men. The occurrance of intense character conflict within the movie allows the viewer to become emotionally tied with the film character because we have all had interpersonal conflict within our own lives. This movie makes the viewer take the side of the screen character and makes one want to fight for their cause.
There are a few key life lessons within the film. One life lesson is to enjoy one's youth. Ted explains to the young Bobby that life as a youngster is so special, and one day he will look back and appreciate the simplicity of life as a child. Another lesson is learned by Bobby's mother. She learns that she needs to give more time and energy toward her son; otherwise, she will quickly become more distant from him. Both of these lessons can be appreciated by anybody watching the movie. Everyone has been a child at one time and everyone has had strained relations with one's parents. These lessons shown in the film allows the viewer to feel more connected with the plot of the movie.
Ninety-five percent of the plot takes place in a flash back by a middle-aged Bobby. The flashback occurs in the early sixties in a small town where the young boy grew up. The plot mainly follows the dealings of Bobby and his two friends who engage in innocent play as kids. Soon, the plot turns more serious when Ted is introduced with his mysterious problems. For most of the film, Ted is put into unexplained trances where he mumbles confusing phrases. The plot heats up when Bobby's mother encounters financial and sexual issues, and Bobby's friends encounter high school aged bullies. The plotline of Bobby's mother and Bobby's friends run parallel with one another creating an interesting effect. After Bobby's mom is raped and his girlfriend is beaten up, the mom presses her own personal problems upon Ted while he tries to help Bobby's girlfriend. The parallelism within the plot adds great complexity to the film.
Character conflict is strong within this film. Every character has a rival. Bobby's mother is rivaled with her current boss. Bobby and his friends are rivaled with three high school bullies while Ted is rivaled with mysterious suit-wearing men. The occurrance of intense character conflict within the movie allows the viewer to become emotionally tied with the film character because we have all had interpersonal conflict within our own lives. This movie makes the viewer take the side of the screen character and makes one want to fight for their cause.
There are a few key life lessons within the film. One life lesson is to enjoy one's youth. Ted explains to the young Bobby that life as a youngster is so special, and one day he will look back and appreciate the simplicity of life as a child. Another lesson is learned by Bobby's mother. She learns that she needs to give more time and energy toward her son; otherwise, she will quickly become more distant from him. Both of these lessons can be appreciated by anybody watching the movie. Everyone has been a child at one time and everyone has had strained relations with one's parents. These lessons shown in the film allows the viewer to feel more connected with the plot of the movie.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Departures Film Analysis
"Departures" is a Japanese film that won the academy award for "Best Foreign Language Film" at the last Academy Awards. This film focuses on the life of a young man named Daigo who loses his job as a musician when the orchestra he plays for is disbanded. He and his wife Mika must search for employment in the town that he grew up in. Eventually, he finds work as an "NK Agent", someone who prepares the body of the deceased for travel to the afterlife. This film does a great job with characterization, music, and plot.
The characterization within this film is phenomenal. The characters are introduced with many predicaments that are at times humorous or disturbing, and their characters seem to pop off of the screen by their reactions. This helps drive the plot even further by the interactions of the great characters within the movie. The way that Daigo handles the trials set forth before him makes him a lovable character for the audience; this makes the sad events for him sad for the people viewing the movie.
The music within the movie fits the themes well. The cello is heavily used within the background music; this plays off of Daigo's passion because he loves playing the cello. Also, the cello music within the film is either very sad or very uplifting depending on the events onscreen. This makes the mourning scenes within the film bring tears to the eyes of the audience. The music helps the plot feel eerily realistic.
The plot of "Departures" is amazing. The storyline brings the characters through highs and lows like a rollercoaster. This plot feels too much like our own lives at times. Because the plot creates a rollercoaster effect for the characters, the film seems like it is really happening at times. This makes the characters seem more human and thus makes the audience share their pain during the lows of their lives.
The plot, music, and characters all play off of one another to create a realistic effect in the film "Departures". Daigo goes through a rollercoaster ride in life and the audience travels with him during his highs and lows. The music makes us feel the pain and suffering of the characters while the plot makes us see similarities with our own lives.
The characterization within this film is phenomenal. The characters are introduced with many predicaments that are at times humorous or disturbing, and their characters seem to pop off of the screen by their reactions. This helps drive the plot even further by the interactions of the great characters within the movie. The way that Daigo handles the trials set forth before him makes him a lovable character for the audience; this makes the sad events for him sad for the people viewing the movie.
The music within the movie fits the themes well. The cello is heavily used within the background music; this plays off of Daigo's passion because he loves playing the cello. Also, the cello music within the film is either very sad or very uplifting depending on the events onscreen. This makes the mourning scenes within the film bring tears to the eyes of the audience. The music helps the plot feel eerily realistic.
The plot of "Departures" is amazing. The storyline brings the characters through highs and lows like a rollercoaster. This plot feels too much like our own lives at times. Because the plot creates a rollercoaster effect for the characters, the film seems like it is really happening at times. This makes the characters seem more human and thus makes the audience share their pain during the lows of their lives.
The plot, music, and characters all play off of one another to create a realistic effect in the film "Departures". Daigo goes through a rollercoaster ride in life and the audience travels with him during his highs and lows. The music makes us feel the pain and suffering of the characters while the plot makes us see similarities with our own lives.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
"9" Analysis
The new Tim Burton movie "9" premiered this week in theaters, and I thought I'd take a gander at what Tim had to offer with this new project. As with many Tim Burton films like "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "The Corpses Bride" this film is animated. Instead of utilizing claymation as with the previously stated films, this movie was done by computer generated means. This film follows the lives of nine puppets that are brought to life by technological means in a post-human extinction world. After watching the film from beginning to end, I have concluded that although this movie is visually stimulating and breathtaking, the storyline, character development, and dialogue is seriously lacking.
I will begin by addressing the visual nature of the film. The film heavily uses brown and gray colors; about eighty percent of the color in the film is derived from one of these two colors. This creates a very dreary effect that is appropriate for a film about post-apocalyptic Earth. Another visually dynamic effect explored by the filmmakers is the use of lighting. The movie heavily uses side lighting that creates many shadows. The use of shadows is important in portraying the darkness within the current situation faced by the puppets.
Although the film does a great job being visually breathtaking, the storyline, characterization, and dialogue has some major issues. I felt like this was a twenty minute story stretched into an hour and a half movie. One of the big problems is that there was many shots of destruction and landscape and not enough development of plot. Basically, not enough things happened in the hour and a half to keep the audience mesmerized. Secondly, the characters of the puppets were never developed. Without serious characterization to set apart the puppets, the audience did not care when one puppet dies because they have no emotional tie to it. Thirdly, the dialogue was horribly elementary. I felt at times as if I were listening to a children book because the lines used by the puppets were terribly underdeveloped. Lack of complicated dialogue further decreased the ability to bring character to the puppets.
The film "9" would be better watched with the mute feature on. Characterization, dialogue, and plot line were seriously lacking from the feature. The filmmakers, however, have created a beautiful artwork in regards to the visual nature of the film.
I will begin by addressing the visual nature of the film. The film heavily uses brown and gray colors; about eighty percent of the color in the film is derived from one of these two colors. This creates a very dreary effect that is appropriate for a film about post-apocalyptic Earth. Another visually dynamic effect explored by the filmmakers is the use of lighting. The movie heavily uses side lighting that creates many shadows. The use of shadows is important in portraying the darkness within the current situation faced by the puppets.
Although the film does a great job being visually breathtaking, the storyline, characterization, and dialogue has some major issues. I felt like this was a twenty minute story stretched into an hour and a half movie. One of the big problems is that there was many shots of destruction and landscape and not enough development of plot. Basically, not enough things happened in the hour and a half to keep the audience mesmerized. Secondly, the characters of the puppets were never developed. Without serious characterization to set apart the puppets, the audience did not care when one puppet dies because they have no emotional tie to it. Thirdly, the dialogue was horribly elementary. I felt at times as if I were listening to a children book because the lines used by the puppets were terribly underdeveloped. Lack of complicated dialogue further decreased the ability to bring character to the puppets.
The film "9" would be better watched with the mute feature on. Characterization, dialogue, and plot line were seriously lacking from the feature. The filmmakers, however, have created a beautiful artwork in regards to the visual nature of the film.
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