The Great Gatsby

After a really long build up with the delay of the release date, I finally went to see The Great Gatsby at the cinema last night and it definitely lived up to my expectations. There have been some mixed reviews about this classic but I thought it was a beautiful tragedy. Baz Luhrmann is well known for his lavish sets and decadent party scenes from his red curtain trilogy, and he is renowned for his use of anachronism. For example in Romeo and Juliet, he updated the original play in a modern set whilst keeping the Shakespearean dialogue. In the Great Gatsby, this is shown by the classic Jazz Age scenes being beautifully blended with a 21st Century soundtrack. I feel this made the film much more relatable whilst keeping extremely accurate to the book. Baz Luhrmann said he wanted to "follow and reveal the book to this audience now".

As well as being visually stunning the film is a tragic love story about endless hope and not being able to let go. Gatsby builds up his love for Daisy so much that it is impossible for her to live up to his expectations. There is a running theme of beautiful on the outside and empty on the inside and I think Baz Luhrmann captures this well. Nick Carraway describes the Buchanans as a 'rotton crown' who destroy people in their way before retreating back to their money to let other people clean up their mess.

Despite the mixed reviews I loved the film and can't wait to see it again. It was ambitious and visually dazzling!

Choros - Experimental Dance Film

I absolutely love this new experimental dance video from director Michael Langan. Choros is a film that aims to enhance our perception of motion by exploring movement of the human body. The film echos a technique developed in the 1880s by photographers such as Eadwaerd Muybridge and Etienne-Jules Marey. This experimental film captures the movement of dancer Terah Maher. Michael was able to capture the most subtle movements by layering 32 sequences without fear of overexposing the film. There is a beautiful dreamlike quality to the piece and it is really nice to watch. 

"Choros revisits these technical innovations and attempts to contribute original innovations of its own. Using recent advancements in digital compositing, the technique developed for Choros introduces color, frees the film from the confines of a black studio, and allows the dancer to linger in one position without risk of overexposure, resulting in a variation of this historical technique that allows a degree of subtlety heretofore prohibited by technical limitations."

The music accompanying the film is 'Music of 18 Musicians' by Steve Reich which adds to the almost hypnotising rhythm of the piece. You can watch the film below or on vimeo.

https://vimeo.com/35770492

Choros from Michael Langan on Vimeo.

The Impossible

I went to see the new film 'The Impossible' last night, by Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona. I was preparing myself for another natural disaster movie but wasn't ready for how intense it was! The film, which is based on a true story, was shocking and really quite graphic, and I found some parts were quite unbearable to watch. However this film isn't intended to shock us, instead it aims to impact on us the value of life and the love of family.

The destruction of the tsunami happens almost immediately at the start of the film, unlike other disaster movies which build the suspense and introduces us to the characters more. The performances and cinematography of the film are amazing, and really quite beautiful for a film about destruction. I thought Naomi Watt's performance in particular was incredible and had me hiding behind my hands in her scenes of agony.

"This is a simple but powerful film about human tenacity, about surviving against all odds in the face of death, about salvaging and hanging out to the last bit of hope when life has little to offer."

This film is a must see, it will make you feel sad and pain, but also great joy at the triumph of human spirit. You can see the trailer below.

Ultimate Amelie Quiz

I have definitely seen this film way too many times, but it doesn't make me love it any less. 18 out of 21 isn't too bad ha. Have a go yourself online at http://www.shortlist.com/quizzes/the-ultimate-amelie-quiz#answers-shown

Life of Pi Swimming Pool Cinema

A swimming pool in Paris was recently transformed into a cinema for the new release of Ang Lee's Life of Pi. The special screenings let the audience engage with the film which shows a boy shipwrecked in the ocean with a Bengal Tiger.

I thought the film was very beautiful and really funny, I can't wait to read the book. I really enjoy going to the cinema, and would love the chance to experience a film in a cool and unusual way. Although I think I may feel a little 'sea sick' rocking in a boat whilst trying to concentrate on a film!

Flicks - How the Movies Began

Came across this lovely book on vimeo a few months back and forgot to blog about it. Its such a shame it is not for sale, I would have bought one straight away! 'Flicks - How the movies began' is an interactive book showing the history of motion. There are many pop outs carefully explaining the cinematic devices and the development of moving image.

The book was designed by Graphic Designer and Filmmaker Arnold Schwartzman and explains many devices from flick books and zoetropes, to the invention of the Zoopraxiascope and Kinetoscope. The book looks really fun, I just hope one day it is made available for sale!

Watch the video below to see how it works.

Beauty of a Second

This film is a wonderful collection of one second clips capturing beauty. It is the first round of Beauty of a Second short film competition advertising the new Montblanc luxury chronograph. Your challenge as a video artist is to "seize the moment" and capture beauty in one second. The subject can be anything you consider beautiful.

"190 years ago, Nicolas Rieussec recorded time to an accuracy of a fifth second for the first time - the chronograph was born. To celebrate this unique invention, Montblanc is announcing the one-of-a-kind "The Beauty of a Second" short-film contest presented by the famous film director Wim Wenders."

There are some really interesting clips in this first video, including a car filled with plastic balls, feet shooting down a waterslide,  and some really beautiful close up shots of life some with soft focus and light leaks. You can see the whole project here http://www.montblanconesecond.com/#/en/ and get involved yourself. The deadline for the next installment is on the 13th December. This campaign is viral marketing at its best I think.

Breaking Dawn

I went to see the new Twilight film this weekend. We went on the opening night and the cinema was jam packed, which was a much more exciting way to watch the film. I was really impressed with the film, I think it was pretty accurate to the book and if you are a twilight fan you will be pleased. It started off a little slow with the wedding and honeymoon but towards the end I think it was one of the most dramatic and fast paced film of the series. Watching Bella's slow transformation through pregnancy and her death was actually quite scary, and even though we had read the book, mum and I both hid behind our hands at points! It was really quite gruesome when her bones were breaking in the birth scene. I was also quite impressed by the way Jacob's point of view and the alpha wolf scene was interwoven in the film. I think it was done quite effectively and fairly easy to understand. In the book this is done in a different section, completely from Jacob's view point. I was really intrigued to see where the film would end, I wasn't disappointed as we got to see Renesme and a glimpse of vampire Bella, ending with her blood red eyes.

Watch the trailer here. The wedding scene was stunning and Bella's dress was just beautiful, with the lace and button detail. I'm looking forward to seeing part 2 next year!

 

Inception

I watched Inception again this weekend with Mum, its one of my favorite films, it really gets me thinking ages after the film has finished. Christopher Nolan did an excellent job directing this film, I have just come across a video explaining how they filmed the rotating corridor and zero gravity scenes. I was really surprised to find that there was very little CGI effects, it was all stunts. It was so well thought out and the structures that were built to film it were incredible!  Joseph Gordon-Levitt performed all of his own stunts, I think he is amazing. He said that there can be "no substitue for real human energy performance" which is why these scenes look so fantastic. If you haven't already seen the film, you must! It may be a little confusing at first, but once you have a basic understanding of lucid dreaming and get to know the characters you are really sucked in to the story line.  It is definitely one of my favorite films.

Cecilia Austin.. Amelie

Absolutely love these amelie inspired photographs by Cecilia Austin. http://www.ceciliaaustin.com/personal. The colour and the outer glow are just beautiful. It really brings the focus on to the models face, such wonderful lighting. This photo is a re creation from the film title sequence where young Amelie eats raspberries from her fingers. You can see the original shot in my post from before, here. Seeing these have made me want to watch the film again, its just so romantic, and happy, its my favorite film as it will always make me smile. And of course its in french! bien sûr.

Midnight in Paris

I went to see the film Midnight in Paris today with my mum. After the first three minutes of the film I was already remembering how much I loved Paris and how I would love to live there! It is filmed in the most romantic way and I absolutely loved the 1920s set! The film was written and directed by Woody Allen and it really tested my knowledge of literature and art! The characters included Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso,  T.S. Eliot, Dali, Toulouse-Lautrec... the list is endless! It is a very strange and a bit silly storyline, but if you love Paris, go and watch this film. You can watch the trailer here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLHPbV7b9nU

One Day

I read One Day on holiday this year, it was such a lovely book, I really enjoyed reading it. There had been a lot of hype about the book and film recently so thought I'd get involved. The film lived up to my expectations, and was pretty accurate to the book. It was beautifully filmed and Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess do a great job of being Em and Dex (even if Anne's accent is a bit dodgy to begin with). The story follows these two characters over 20 years showing how their lives are connected. We see what they are up to each year on the same day since they met at graduation. The story reminds me a little of 500 days of summer, where it is not a typical love story. Em and Dex are not a couple throughout and the storyline is very frustrating and emotional. I enjoyed the film but would recommend reading the book first.

Watch the trailer here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU4qLmIXbOE

Black Swan

Ever since I saw the making of this little white lies issue on youtube I wanted to get hold of a copy. I thought they had all sold out but my friend Ellie found one in the arnolfini shop in Bristol last week which I was very happy about! There are lots of other film reviews in the magazine including 127 Hours and Never Let Me Go, two films I have really enjoyed recently. 

You can probably still get hold of a copy on ebay or read the digital version here
http://www.littlewhitelies.co.uk/the-magazine/issue-33

Never Let Me Go

I have been wanting to watch this film for ages, but couldn't find many showings, and the ones in Bristol were in the directors hall (which were £13 a ticket!) but finally I found a showing on tuesday evening so went to the cinema with my mum and sister in London. The film lived up to my expectations and I loved it! It is very dark and tragic and left me thinking about the film for ages. I am so surprised it was missed out of the bafta nominations. The cinematography is beautiful, the colour palette is very washed out and adds to the 1980's backdrop. Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfieild and Keira Knightly all act beautifully as three young friends that have been cloned for their body parts, in this alternative-reality. The film is more about love than it is a sci fi, and reminds us that life is short. Watch the trailer her http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kymQcM4ej3w and definitely go to see the film in the cinema!

Black Swan

I went to see Black Swan at the weekend. I was really surprised with the film,vand it was not what I was expecting. Many people had told me how good it was but I wasn't expecting it to be so dark and creepy. What stood out most was Natalie Portman's performance in the film. She definitely deserves an oscar, and I was really impressed with the amount of dancing she did herself. I have heard that she trained for two years before filming, thats a lot of dedication. I loved the way the dance scenes were filmed up really close, it must have taken a lot of rehearsing. If you haven't seen this film yet make sure you do! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jaI1XOB-bs

127 Hours

I went to see the new Danny Boyle film 127 Hours at the cinema last week. It was incredible. It was so intense and emotional. I had to cover my eyes during the horrific scene where he cuts his arm off with a blunt knife, but the sounds effects still made me squirm! Definitely go to see this film at the cinema, the landscapes are stunning and it is beautifully filmed. James Franco plays the part of Aron Ralston really well, and its incredible that this film is a true story. Here is the trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlhLOWTnVoQ&feature=channel

127 Hours

Really want to see the new Danny Boyle film 127 hours. The film is based on a true story about a mountain climber that becomes trapped under a boulder and has to amputate his own arm in order to survive. I think the UK release date is in January 2011.

Train de Nuit

The chanel no 5 advert 'Train de Nuit' is being shown on tv again. I love it, its a beautiful piece of filming by french director Jean Pierre Jeunet (also directed Amelie) The advert has an old fashioned movie feel about it, and Audrey Tautou looks stunning.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Went to see the new Harry Potter film today. It was amazing! So much darker than the previous films. I loved the way it was filmed, there were so many beautiful landscape shots as apposed to the usual Hogwarts school setting. The story line was much more tense, one scene that stood out in particular was the torture scene with Hermione. There was also a lovely piece of animation in the middle of the film, to explain the story of the deathly hallows. Can't wait until July to see the second part!