Anyone who has ever had experience as a Director, from short films to plays and beyond, can relate to protagonist Guido's plight.
Experiencing a not-often talked about issue, "Director's Block," famous director Guido Anselmi struggles to finish his new science fiction film. The story felt autobiographical, and I would not be surprised if Frederico Fellini was experiencing and voicing his own "Director's Block" at the time of this production.
My favorite parts of this film were Guido's dreams...which may in fact have been Fellini's own dreams or memories. His flashbacks are vivid, candid and extremely intriguing. While somewhat confusing, as most dreams are, you do get a sense of a man conflicted between sentiment, values, truth, memory and reality. The stories that Guido wants to tell mirror or relate to his childhood, but he is surrounded by an entourage of friends and colleagues who try to convince him that an audience would not care to or be able to follow such personal tales.
As a writer, I have long believed that the very best stories that one can tell are those that are truthful, personal, and real. I certainly empathized with Guido as he struggled between trying to tell an entertaining story, and live up to his fame, or to give others a glimpse into his very personal childhood experiences.
Another compliment to the film is the precise beauty of it. As a fan of mid-century, modern design, I absolutely loved the sleek lines of each set, and perfectly coordinating contrasting colors. Each shot was also meticulous, and made this film feel more like a piece of art that must be preserved than a mere rental from Netflix.
I love to tell human stories, and to me, 8 1/2 is just that....an autobiographical, real, human story. Though there isn't a tremendous battle, a car chase, or a huge climax, this film proves that sometimes our inner battles are extremely interesting, worth sharing, and can take the audience on an amazing journey of their own.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Boys!!! Why do teenage boys think with their bodies rather than with their heads or hearts? And why do so many grow up to become men who think with their bodies rather than with their heads or hearts?
Rich kids Julio and Tenoch are no different than some of the young men that I went to school with, and their plight at times frustrated me, but at other times helped me to better understand the male psyche.
Anyone can tell a tale of adolescence, of the excitement of being on the threshold of adulthood. Sex, drugs, jealousy, confusion, pain, and pure joy. Where the Cuaron brothers excel is weaving in the contrasts between the safe lives of these two upper class boys with the stark poverty and cruel truths that lye just outside their protected worlds.
The character of Luisa, a beautiful, exotic woman, who surprisingly joins the two best friends on a journey to the beach, was unexpected and exciting. Imagining that she would grow bored of their antics, she instead seemed rather to enjoy their youthful exuhberance. As expected, she causes a rift between Julio and Tenoch, a much needed interruption that brings about frank honestly and the emergence of the harsh realities of adulthood.
Adulthood can bring about unexpected change. Sometimes that change involves growing up and apart from people whom you once cared the most about. Having shared extremely intimate and powerful experiences, Julio and Tenoch return from their trip to the beach forever changed. Sadly, their friendship paid the ultimate sacrifice, and the two would never again know that close connection they once shared.
Alfonso Cuaron took on a daunting task here. Casting was critical, as the lead roles called for two young men who could not only portray carefree youth, but who could also tackle emotional and physical intimacies powerfully. I have long been a fan of Gael Garcia Bernal, playing the character of Julio, who can make me smile or cry in the blink of an eye, but I appreciated Diego Luna's portrayal of Tenoch even more. Putting forth a brash, confident facade, it was his moments of heartbreak, from realizing his girlfriend cheated on him, to watching Luisa take up Julio for an instant, that moved me. Cuaron did an amazing job of bringing out the childish antics as well as the pain of adulthood from these two great actors. While most of the dialogue was filled with teenage vulgarities, it was the narrative of the characters emotions that drew me in. Describing the pain of being hurt by your best friend as a "stabbing pain that sits just above your stomach," and relating it to the most painful, confusing experiences as children, was screenwriting brilliance, in my eyes.
The narrative of the landscape and the people throughout their journey to the beach was also extremely moving. The Cuaron brothers brought to live a vivid Mexico, one with interesting people, places, and stories that should be told and shared.
Rich kids Julio and Tenoch are no different than some of the young men that I went to school with, and their plight at times frustrated me, but at other times helped me to better understand the male psyche.
Anyone can tell a tale of adolescence, of the excitement of being on the threshold of adulthood. Sex, drugs, jealousy, confusion, pain, and pure joy. Where the Cuaron brothers excel is weaving in the contrasts between the safe lives of these two upper class boys with the stark poverty and cruel truths that lye just outside their protected worlds.
The character of Luisa, a beautiful, exotic woman, who surprisingly joins the two best friends on a journey to the beach, was unexpected and exciting. Imagining that she would grow bored of their antics, she instead seemed rather to enjoy their youthful exuhberance. As expected, she causes a rift between Julio and Tenoch, a much needed interruption that brings about frank honestly and the emergence of the harsh realities of adulthood.
Adulthood can bring about unexpected change. Sometimes that change involves growing up and apart from people whom you once cared the most about. Having shared extremely intimate and powerful experiences, Julio and Tenoch return from their trip to the beach forever changed. Sadly, their friendship paid the ultimate sacrifice, and the two would never again know that close connection they once shared.
Alfonso Cuaron took on a daunting task here. Casting was critical, as the lead roles called for two young men who could not only portray carefree youth, but who could also tackle emotional and physical intimacies powerfully. I have long been a fan of Gael Garcia Bernal, playing the character of Julio, who can make me smile or cry in the blink of an eye, but I appreciated Diego Luna's portrayal of Tenoch even more. Putting forth a brash, confident facade, it was his moments of heartbreak, from realizing his girlfriend cheated on him, to watching Luisa take up Julio for an instant, that moved me. Cuaron did an amazing job of bringing out the childish antics as well as the pain of adulthood from these two great actors. While most of the dialogue was filled with teenage vulgarities, it was the narrative of the characters emotions that drew me in. Describing the pain of being hurt by your best friend as a "stabbing pain that sits just above your stomach," and relating it to the most painful, confusing experiences as children, was screenwriting brilliance, in my eyes.
The narrative of the landscape and the people throughout their journey to the beach was also extremely moving. The Cuaron brothers brought to live a vivid Mexico, one with interesting people, places, and stories that should be told and shared.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
The Passion of Anna
I'm not sure if knowing that Ingmar Bergman wrote and directed this piece while he was breaking up with the lead actress, Liv Ullmann, helped or hurt my opinion of this film. Set on an island in Sweden, The Passion of Anna takes us through a surprisingly love affair that occurs between two neighbors, Anna and Andreas.
The color and photography are gorgeous, and the acting is brilliant, but I really did not take to Bergman's deconstructionist devices, such as intercutting with the real-life actors talking about their characters, nor did I appreciate or care about the subplot of someone committing acts of animal cruelty on the island.
What most fascinated me throughout this story was the intensity of the two lead characters. While they were not particularly intensely in love with each other, they both brought their own past intensities with them to this new relationship. I love great character studies, and this movie did not disappoint here.
While Andreas pines for the wife that left him, Anna's over-zealous faith in humanity and her madness makes it hard to take your eyes off of her. My favorite part of this film was the scene in which Andreas and Anna confess to each other that they are no longer in love, and that there is a wall now that has built up between them. As Andreas was spilling out some of the most gorgeous dialog I've yet seen in a movie, I couldn't help but think of Bergman own voice, as he is attempting to explain to Liv Ullmann that he cares for her, but can no longer be a part of her.
This movie rotates between beautiful, harsh, violent, and painful. I found it at times interesting and poetic, and other times boring and distasteful. Max von Sydow is immensely talented, and delivered difficult dialog as easily and beautifully as if he'd written it himself.
Definitely not my favorite film of Bergman's, though we can all relate to the pain, struggle, defiance and eventual acceptance of a relationship coming to it's end.
The color and photography are gorgeous, and the acting is brilliant, but I really did not take to Bergman's deconstructionist devices, such as intercutting with the real-life actors talking about their characters, nor did I appreciate or care about the subplot of someone committing acts of animal cruelty on the island.
What most fascinated me throughout this story was the intensity of the two lead characters. While they were not particularly intensely in love with each other, they both brought their own past intensities with them to this new relationship. I love great character studies, and this movie did not disappoint here.
While Andreas pines for the wife that left him, Anna's over-zealous faith in humanity and her madness makes it hard to take your eyes off of her. My favorite part of this film was the scene in which Andreas and Anna confess to each other that they are no longer in love, and that there is a wall now that has built up between them. As Andreas was spilling out some of the most gorgeous dialog I've yet seen in a movie, I couldn't help but think of Bergman own voice, as he is attempting to explain to Liv Ullmann that he cares for her, but can no longer be a part of her.
This movie rotates between beautiful, harsh, violent, and painful. I found it at times interesting and poetic, and other times boring and distasteful. Max von Sydow is immensely talented, and delivered difficult dialog as easily and beautifully as if he'd written it himself.
Definitely not my favorite film of Bergman's, though we can all relate to the pain, struggle, defiance and eventual acceptance of a relationship coming to it's end.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Raging Bull
Combining some of my least favorite elements in film...boxing, abuse, and rapid-fire vulgarity and insults, I was less than excited to watch Raging Bull. While often called one of the greatest films of the 80's, and in some cases, one of the greatest films of all time, I still entered into film very hesitantly. Alas, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Rocky with my brother when I was younger, so maybe this movie, about boxing legend Jake LaMotta, would be as entertaining.
For certain, this movie is nothing like Rocky. While both movies focus on a boxer, their similarities end there. While Rocky is inspirational and uplifting, Raging Bull is depressing and painful. Where this movie succeeds is focusing on the emotions and character behind the boxer. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Jake and his brother Joey. Sibling relationships are always unique, and with Jake's temper and paranoia's, this one is certainly filled with tension and electricity.
The acting in this film is spot on, but my favorite part of this movie was the score, which was achingly beautiful. The slow motion scenes with the powerful accompaniment of the score were breathtaking.
Uhhhh....Scorsese. I have a love/hate relationship with his work. While he certainly found a niche early on telling modern stories of crime and violence, I have yet to relate to, feel for, or have a genuine desire to follow the stories of his violent characters, such as Travis Bickle of Taxi Driver, Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, or Charlie or Johnny Boy in Mean Streets. The Catholic undertones of guilt and redemption weigh too heavily on me like a thick coat of syrup, the violence goes beyond what we need to see as an audience to put the pieces together, and most of his films leave me feeling like and I need to take a long shower. Only when he ventures into different territory and genres, such as with The Age of Innocence or even The Aviator, do I feel like I can breathe while watching.
I am a big fan of Cathy Moriarty's, and I loved seeing her in this film. She played her role as an abused wife to painful perfection. I would have preferred even more depth to her storyline. I would have probably preferred to see this movie more from her perspective than from the "Raging Bull's."
I'm sure that many will chastise me for feeling and saying this, but I am not a big DeNiro fan. Granted, he is sublimely talented at what he does, but typically, no matter which character he is playing, while he is completely true to that character and plays it as realistically as possible, DeNiro bothers me while onscreen. He gives me this unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I'm not comfortable again until he is offscreen. To that, however, I must also give him immense praise. The reason I that I adore films and filmmaking is the power that it has to transport ones emotions. To be able to change the way a person is feeling and thinking from the time the opening credits roll until the end credits is amazing to me. That power alone is awe-inspiring. Happy, sad, angry, unsettled...if you are transformed to a new mood, one that is different than the mood you arrived with, this is a sign of a job extremely well done by the writer, director, cast and crew.
I don't think that I will sit through Raging Bull again, but if you are interested in true to life, intense character studies, this movie is worth at least one viewing.
For certain, this movie is nothing like Rocky. While both movies focus on a boxer, their similarities end there. While Rocky is inspirational and uplifting, Raging Bull is depressing and painful. Where this movie succeeds is focusing on the emotions and character behind the boxer. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Jake and his brother Joey. Sibling relationships are always unique, and with Jake's temper and paranoia's, this one is certainly filled with tension and electricity.
The acting in this film is spot on, but my favorite part of this movie was the score, which was achingly beautiful. The slow motion scenes with the powerful accompaniment of the score were breathtaking.
Uhhhh....Scorsese. I have a love/hate relationship with his work. While he certainly found a niche early on telling modern stories of crime and violence, I have yet to relate to, feel for, or have a genuine desire to follow the stories of his violent characters, such as Travis Bickle of Taxi Driver, Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, or Charlie or Johnny Boy in Mean Streets. The Catholic undertones of guilt and redemption weigh too heavily on me like a thick coat of syrup, the violence goes beyond what we need to see as an audience to put the pieces together, and most of his films leave me feeling like and I need to take a long shower. Only when he ventures into different territory and genres, such as with The Age of Innocence or even The Aviator, do I feel like I can breathe while watching.
I am a big fan of Cathy Moriarty's, and I loved seeing her in this film. She played her role as an abused wife to painful perfection. I would have preferred even more depth to her storyline. I would have probably preferred to see this movie more from her perspective than from the "Raging Bull's."
I'm sure that many will chastise me for feeling and saying this, but I am not a big DeNiro fan. Granted, he is sublimely talented at what he does, but typically, no matter which character he is playing, while he is completely true to that character and plays it as realistically as possible, DeNiro bothers me while onscreen. He gives me this unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I'm not comfortable again until he is offscreen. To that, however, I must also give him immense praise. The reason I that I adore films and filmmaking is the power that it has to transport ones emotions. To be able to change the way a person is feeling and thinking from the time the opening credits roll until the end credits is amazing to me. That power alone is awe-inspiring. Happy, sad, angry, unsettled...if you are transformed to a new mood, one that is different than the mood you arrived with, this is a sign of a job extremely well done by the writer, director, cast and crew.
I don't think that I will sit through Raging Bull again, but if you are interested in true to life, intense character studies, this movie is worth at least one viewing.
Dial M For Murder....
...is a movie everyone's heard of, but perhaps hasn't seen. I know that this was the case for me. I finally got to watch this Hitchcock classic, and enjoyed it immensely. I would easily say that this movie has crept it's way into the upper eschelons of my Favorite Movies list. I'm also a fan of A Perfect Murder, the modernized version of this tale, though that movie pales in comparison to this gem.
I love a good suspense movie, and this one did not disappoint. The dialogue was excellently written, and not a beat was missed on the actors. I loved the performances by all leads in this film. Even though Grace Kelly's character, Margot, had committed adultry, I empathized with her far more than her sinewy husband. I have to credit Ray Milland for his excellent portrayal as Tony, a husband ready to have his wife killed, as he really became a loathesome individual to me, a creep to his core.
The movie takes place almost entirely in one single room. Again, I must credit Hitchcock for relying on the captivating dialogue, the talent of the actors, and his genius way of using the camera and shot angles to build suspense, to carry this film. This movie was highly dynamic, and never became boring or tiresome.
I think that the other great suspense movie of that year, Rear Window, has gotten more love and appreciation, but I think that this quiet, beautiful film deserves it's share of accolades. The final scene is a bit too clean and tidy, but otherwise, this movie is a solid, entertaining jewel throughout.
I love a good suspense movie, and this one did not disappoint. The dialogue was excellently written, and not a beat was missed on the actors. I loved the performances by all leads in this film. Even though Grace Kelly's character, Margot, had committed adultry, I empathized with her far more than her sinewy husband. I have to credit Ray Milland for his excellent portrayal as Tony, a husband ready to have his wife killed, as he really became a loathesome individual to me, a creep to his core.
The movie takes place almost entirely in one single room. Again, I must credit Hitchcock for relying on the captivating dialogue, the talent of the actors, and his genius way of using the camera and shot angles to build suspense, to carry this film. This movie was highly dynamic, and never became boring or tiresome.
I think that the other great suspense movie of that year, Rear Window, has gotten more love and appreciation, but I think that this quiet, beautiful film deserves it's share of accolades. The final scene is a bit too clean and tidy, but otherwise, this movie is a solid, entertaining jewel throughout.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Time Lapse
For a freelance project, I'm filming a time lapse tonight of an artist painting a canvas. I'm extremely excited. Hopefully it turns out as I plan for it to. Fingers crossed! :) Will let you know how it goes...
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Glengarry Glen Ross
Wow. If you are interested in watching a film about how low the human psyche can be pushed, this film is it. The all star cast featured some of my favorites-Kevin Spacey, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Al Pacino, and sweet Alan Arkin. By the end of the film, I could barely stand to look at Kevin Spacey on screen. Alec Baldwin's part is terribly hard to watch, but he nails the character perfectly. Pompous, obtuse, overbearing, overly confident, and narcissistic.
Jack Lemmon will break your heart in this film. His character Shelly floats between emotions as easily and lightly as a dove, but the end results are starkly different. Throughout any given frame, he is confident, week, gutsy, confused, angry, kind, careless in action. His backstory, that he is working hard to provide for his sick daughter, only adds anxiety and pain to his plight.
The writer and director weave in a subplot involving robbery that takes us down one course, only to pull a surprise out in the end that too, causes additional heartache for the viewer. This film epitomizes the struggles of daily life in the working force for many: corrupt bosses, selfish managers, and good people pushed to the edge when their options of a stable livelihood run out.
Jack Lemmon will break your heart in this film. His character Shelly floats between emotions as easily and lightly as a dove, but the end results are starkly different. Throughout any given frame, he is confident, week, gutsy, confused, angry, kind, careless in action. His backstory, that he is working hard to provide for his sick daughter, only adds anxiety and pain to his plight.
The writer and director weave in a subplot involving robbery that takes us down one course, only to pull a surprise out in the end that too, causes additional heartache for the viewer. This film epitomizes the struggles of daily life in the working force for many: corrupt bosses, selfish managers, and good people pushed to the edge when their options of a stable livelihood run out.
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