tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18374209686937838842024-03-04T20:24:12.075-08:00Movie Reviews From An Artist's PerspectiveElisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-58049975312450220292015-01-24T09:16:00.002-08:002015-01-24T09:17:00.817-08:00The Perfect Host<div class="MsoNormal">
#15 - The Perfect Host<o:p></o:p></div>
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SUMMARY (Spoilers Below)<o:p></o:p></div>
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A young man who has just robbed a bank, named John Taylor,
is trying to find a place to hide and finds himself taking refuge in the home
of a seemingly weak-willed man named Warwick Wilson who is about to have a
dinner party. He first pretends to be a
friend of a friend, but then when he hears information about himself on the
radio, he takes Warwick hostage. However, the hostage situation does not last
long as the tables are suddenly turned and the criminal becomes the hostage…as
well as the dinner guest. As the evening
progresses, we learn about the reason why John robbed the bank and we also
learn about the other guests that Warwick has entertained, with all of their
evenings ending the same way: no longer breathing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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REVIEW<o:p></o:p></div>
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How much do I love this? Let me count the ways. Number one, David Hyde Pierce. This actor is wonderful and I can’t help but
see an unbalanced version of Niles (from his character of Niles Crane in the
show <i>Frasier</i>) in his role as Warwick
Wilson. The second reason why I love
this movie is because of the innumerable layers that exist in the text and
subtext of the film. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the very beginning, we encounter John Taylor, a bank
robber, who is on the run and when he fails with his cover story with one
person, he then goes next door and succeeds with his story with a seemingly
normal man (Warwick) who is about to have a dinner party, and then tries to act
as normal as possible, which he succeeds in doing for quite a long time…until
the APB for him is put out on the radio and his host unwittingly hears it and
ends up becoming a hostage. I love this
whole long set up at the beginning of the movie, completely convincing you that
Warwick is truly an innocent man who is just in the wrong place at the wrong
time…but then, the tables are turned in an unexpected and wonderful way. Warwick has apparently been drugging the wine
that John has been drinking and takes advantage of John and ties him to a
chair.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This set of scenes is wonderful and absolutely powerful due to the amazing talent of David Hyde Pierce! He transitions between being completely helpless to completely in control so smoothly, so <i>flawlessly</i>, that I found myself rooting for him, even after I discover that he is a murderer.</div>
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He is a fascinating character and becomes even more fascinating in the next scenes, when you see him sitting at the table having his dinner party. That is the scene where you find out not everything is as it seems…</div>
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From Warwick’s perspective (shot from John's end of the table), we see four dinner guests arrive, but from John’s perspective (shot from Warwick's end of the table), we realize that there <i>aren’t</i> any dinner guests and that the man entertaining him and holding him hostage is mentally unbalanced. This was the scene that blew me away with its’ genius! In the movie trailer, it’s not even <i>hinted</i> at, which is very good editing on the editors’ part.</div>
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<o:p>I can’t help but be amazed by how much David manages to convince me that he is truly off of his rocker, while still being control the entire time. He’s crazy, but still completely in control.</o:p></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">This is a fine line that Pierce portrays in the character of Warwick throughout the movie and it really blows me away. He manages to tread that line between insanity and sanity through the whole movie, and then you find out why he doesn't just give in: he's the chief of police and is the one who's supposed to catch John. You see him battling with his invisible dinner guests throughout the movie and quickly understand that he's battling with his subconscious desire of having complete control and also giving into his bloodlust at the same time.</span></div>
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There's a great scene where they're playing chess, and Warwick is completely confident that he's going to win...and then John declares checkmate. Suddenly, the diabolically evil and confident Warwick is diminished back to the unsure man that we first met and the difference is staggering. The extremes in his character are brilliant and so well played and I think that David Hyde Pierce deserved an award for his performance!</div>
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I love this movie for more reasons, but the most wonderful
part of this whole movie is the play by play between John and Warwick. The
biggest reason why I love this movie is the fact that both of the bad guys get
away with it, which makes me happy. I
know that seems a bit odd, but I love it when the smart people actually
win. I like it when the smartest ones
win, and they do in this movie. The best
part of everything in this movie is that there is one resounding theme: Control
is all about perspective. The illusion
of control can easily be pulled over someone’s eyes if you know their
weaknesses. Control is always an
illusion and is very hard to maintain.</div>
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I give this movie five out of five stars!!</div>
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Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-66892156879677792532015-01-24T08:41:00.001-08:002015-01-24T08:41:13.063-08:00The Oranges<br />
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#14 - The Oranges<o:p></o:p></div>
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SUMMARY (Courtesy of IMDB)</div>
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The enduring friendship between the Walling and Ostroff
families is tested when Nina, the prodigal Ostroff daughter, returns home for
the holidays after a five-year absence and enters into an affair with David,
head of the Walling family.<o:p></o:p></div>
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REVIEW<o:p></o:p></div>
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This movie is an immediate favorite in my book! Of course,
the language is coarse and some of the sexual terms are quite vulgar…but the
message in the movie is excellent. At
first glance, this seems to be a movie about a May-December romance, which is
secretly a favorite theme of mine. Hugh
Laurie plays David Walling and, with his American accent, it’s a bit strange at
first to see him playing such a sympathetic man with such a moral center, but
it suits him well. Leighton Meester
plays Nina Ostroff and does an excellent job at playing off of Hugh Laurie in
the movie, and they seem to have a strong chemistry that draws them
together. All of the actors bring strong
performances to their roles, but Laurie and Meester are truly the shining stars
of the film.</div>
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Throughout the movie there is wonderful background music,
especially during the reflective moments, composed of simple but powerful piano
music. I loved how raw it was with the
emotion and how they didn’t try to sugarcoat anything. They’re emotional and reactive and <i>real</i>.
The way that subject is approached is refreshing and wonderful. I don’t
condone cheating, though, in any way, so I won’t try and endorse it, but I will
say that the plotline was written with a keen eye for relationships and how
they affect not just the two people involved, but also the whole family.</div>
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One of my favorite scenes between the two of them is right
before the first time they kiss. They’re
sitting on the couch and then they lean in towards one another and they meet
halfway, which tells the audience that they both wanted to cross that line.</div>
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Nina and David being together is, of course, drawing
controversy from both families, but I love how they decide to take the chance
and try things out with each other. It
seems as though David is having a mid-life crisis, taking the time to sow his
wild oats for a second time, but at the same time there seems to be some
genuine love between the two of them, something that can’t be defined in terms
of black and white. It is obvious that
she is taken with him and that he is taken with her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As the movie progresses, I can feel a sort of whimsical quality
to their relationship, and it’s easy to realize that it’s not going to work out
between them after a while, which is actually a lot harder to take than I would
have expected. Even though the viewer
knows that their relationship is doomed, you still feel that you silently wish
they could stay together.</div>
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<o:p>All in all, it's one of my favorite May-December romance movies, even though it has a depressing end. Hugh Laurie and Leighton Meester do an amazing job at bringing the chemistry and relationship to life on the screen. Five out of five stars!</o:p></div>
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Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-19025307402480582202015-01-24T07:16:00.000-08:002015-01-24T07:17:14.106-08:00Jane Eyre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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#13 - Jane Eyre (2011)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEy284DxvCjOU9fCpNUUDxt_dmey_na9Cj2gV2eV2mLLEcjVJv5BIihHXIgjDwiSYJbgxItQAEEAQE0rPPpeFBlMYaraP1hSRtK7jx2h1ZoMd0beINKZ4Mudigwq_m4o9-Y2iP4sK5zwo/s1600/je_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEy284DxvCjOU9fCpNUUDxt_dmey_na9Cj2gV2eV2mLLEcjVJv5BIihHXIgjDwiSYJbgxItQAEEAQE0rPPpeFBlMYaraP1hSRtK7jx2h1ZoMd0beINKZ4Mudigwq_m4o9-Y2iP4sK5zwo/s1600/je_01.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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SUMMARY (Spoilers below)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Based off of Charlotte Bronte’s novel, this story is about a
young woman who has been in servitude in one manner or another her entire life,
and is trampled on for most of her life, until she finally finishes her
education and receives employment as a governess for a young, French girl in
the care of a man named Mr. Rochester.
She does so, and for the first time in her life she feels she is free of
any oppression. Mr. Rochester finds her
a suitable speaking companion, but she is unsure about him. There are unexplained incidents around the
manor that she cannot explain and will not be explained by him, as it is
obvious that he is the only one who knows the reasons behind the strange
occurrences. Nearly at the end of the
movie, Mr. Rochester eventually admits to her that he is madly in love with her
and proposes to her, to which she says yes, as she has silently fallen in love
with him as well. Just as they are about
to be married, they are stopped by a magistrate who tells them that they cannot
be married as Mr. Rochester is <i>already</i>
married. In absolute terror, she runs
from the house and ends up near death.
She is taken in by a man and his two sisters, and is given a place to
stay. She stays, but tells them nothing
of where she came from. A year later,
she discovers that a man has been searching for her and she soon finds out that
she is to be an heiress, as an uncle that she did not know existed has passed
away and has bequeathed all of his earthly possessions to her in his will,
which includes a large fortune. Upon
receiving this information, she leaves and goes back to Mr. Rochester’s manor,
only to find that it has burned down.
But he is alive, though blind, and they are reunited.<o:p></o:p></div>
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REVIEW<o:p></o:p></div>
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They only gave this movie three stars, but it deserves all
four in my opinion! I’ve read other
reviews that say it is very reminiscent of all of the other films that have
been made about this classic novel, but in my opinion that is a <i>good</i> thing. That means that it’s staying true to the <i>story</i>, and not the other movies. They are all so similar in style because of
the fact that they are all trying to accurately portray the atmosphere and
proper setting of the novel. <o:p></o:p></div>
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However, what sets this one apart is the superb acting of
Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender.
They both seem to transmit all of their energies into their roles
without having to say very many words.
The subtlety throughout this film is breathtakingly beautiful and
wonderfully refreshing. Their body
language speaks volumes, and because of how superb it is, this movie, all two
hours of it, could not have a single word in it and we would still know exactly
what was going on. The chemistry that
these two actors have is stunning and…well, I simply don’t have the words to
truly explain how stunning the two of them are.</div>
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From an artist’s perspective, I would have to say that the
movie is a masterpiece from start to finish.
The music…well, the music is exquisite and helps set the mood of the
movie in so many different ways. It
speaks when the actors do not and says things that their words cannot. The colors throughout the movie are in
accordance with the mood of the scene.
When Jane first meets Mr. Rochester, it is in the woods and then when
they talk by the fire, being introduced formally, there is a passion that
underlies the scene that is so subtle as to almost not be noticed, but the
music portrays their feelings better than any words ever could. Whenever there is distance between them, the
colors are cool and washed out, but whenever they’re close to each other and
actually feeling emotions, the colors are in red and gold tones.</div>
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And then there is the scene that takes place after Jane
saves Mr. Rochester from the fire in his bedroom. He takes her hand and thanks her…and they are
so close, they are almost kissing. But
they don’t. It is a tense scene, and absolutely captures the atmosphere of the
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Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-65608675271684344852013-10-09T10:20:00.004-07:002013-10-09T10:20:56.370-07:00Dracula 2000
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">#12 - Dracula 2000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">SUMMARY (courtesy of IMDB)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A group of thieves break into a chamber expecting to find
paintings, but instead they release the count himself, who travels to New
Orleans to find his nemesis' daughter, Mary Van Helsing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">REVIEW (Spoilers ahead)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Another</i>
vampire movie?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it is the month of
October isn’t it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, sit back and deal
with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, this movie is fairly
hokey, a bit over the top with the blood and gore, and freak-out factor…but
it’s got an amazing cast that did pretty well with what they were given.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has, brace yourself for it… Christopher
Plummer, Johnny Lee Miller, Gerard Butler, Nathan Fillion, Omar Epps, and Jeri
Ryan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gerard Butler plays the infamous
Dracula…and I have to admit that I was very skeptical at first, until I saw him
on the screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He does an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">amazing</i> job as being evil and still
sensuously seductive, everything that Dracula is supposed to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christopher Plummer as Van Helsing is quite
good, and Johnny Lee Miller as his unsure, but dedicated assistant is also very
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Omar Epps, more famously known for
his role in the acclaimed television series, House, is your usual B-movie bad
guy, and not much to write about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jeri
Ryan, most known for playing Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Voyager, ends up as one
of the brides of Dracula.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the
most ironic role must admittedly go to Nathan Fillion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the movie he portrays a priest, and later
in his career, only three years later, he plays a priest…but instead, he’s an
evil priest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our leading lady, Justine
Waddell, also does a fairly good job, but most of the glory must go to Gerard
Butler.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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(Above) Gerard Butler as Dracula</div>
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(Below) Justine Waddell as Mary Van Helsing</div>
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(Above) Nathan Fillion as Daniel</div>
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(Below) Johnny Lee Miller as Simon</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The movie plotline is original and un-original at the same
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes the classic tale of
Dracula, and then brings it to the modern day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In a unique twist, we find out that Van Helsing was poisoned by
Dracula’s blood many years ago, when he captured him, and decided to use his
newfound long life to be the permanent guard over Dracula’s body, making sure
that his evil remained hidden and contained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Dracula does escape, unwittingly aided by some thieves looking for
something else entirely, he brings along with him the history of the
character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can dissolve into mist,
change into animal form, and seduce women at a glance, all of which happen to
be in the original book, more or less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As the movie progresses, we discover that Van Helsing’s daughter is
directly of Dracula’s bloodline, as she inherited her father’s blood which was
tainted by the master vampire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Though the blood and gore are a bit, as I said before, over
the top, the plotline is actually a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good</i>
plotline, and I think that that is the only reason why it didn’t completely
tank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides, who wouldn’t want to see
Gerard Butler as an evil vampire?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
taken into the proper directing hands, along with a bit of an actor shuffle and
a clean-up of some of the language and violence, it could be a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> good movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, as I said, it’s a B-movie, with A-movie
actors in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it goes to show,
that even if you have A-movie actors, you can’t really change a B-movie
plotline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, as I have said in the
past, I’m a sucker for B-movies, and this one’s one of my favorites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A bit stupid, but fun anyway.</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p> </div>
Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-27613053629299737342013-10-08T10:50:00.000-07:002013-10-08T10:53:14.584-07:00Daybreakers<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: white;">#11 - Daybreakers<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE705p8ViVkIEIvriNpT8zooVctY08ApwC8ugOfSSZihne0ICO8vXuglHeXRRvwbd9VmPReYJZCEQNm2ua04hPuBkc4wfeaZYlntSyi3_drLV38GAIbahOBZPF2pAGTIno6OP3Nelr22k/s1600/daybreakers_2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE705p8ViVkIEIvriNpT8zooVctY08ApwC8ugOfSSZihne0ICO8vXuglHeXRRvwbd9VmPReYJZCEQNm2ua04hPuBkc4wfeaZYlntSyi3_drLV38GAIbahOBZPF2pAGTIno6OP3Nelr22k/s320/daybreakers_2009.jpg" width="223" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: white;">SUMMARY (courtesy of IMDB)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: white;">In the year 2019, a plague has
transformed almost every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood
supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a
researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: white;">REVIEW (spoilers ahead)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: white;">Yes, I know what you’re thinking: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oh no…she’s reviewing </i>another<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
vampire movie…</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please withhold the
eye-rolls and deep sighs for afterwards if you still need to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: white;">This movie is one of the most original vampire movies I have
ever come across.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Vampires have spread so much, that most of our </span>civilization
is made up of vampires in this movie…so much so that there is only 5% of the human
population left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The idea simply amazes
me, and the acting, though many may think, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ethan
Hawke? Seriously?, </i>is quite good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do
not underestimate this actor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is very
good in this movie, and alongside Willem Dafoe and Sam Neil, he proves himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sam Neil is delightfully charismatic and evil
and everything that a vampire should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Willem Dafoe gives the movie a feel of being lived in, of having a
rugged and natural quality to it, and I simply love him portraying a vampire
who has been turned human, but without a heartbeat, making him an eternal
human.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the concept, and these
actors really bring it to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMIDONbDCviVeB00bAex6iwtRCCM-_3oYk-FUFB1H4vU4HmpgBdQS333ZvQzdOLah77ysM99vZ_hYdwOBGAPE_tLEcfU2QMqoMRjbE3nWUcuxMHwo93eR6ywjnZpGr4wTo8SVhzQye6U/s1600/daybreakers1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMIDONbDCviVeB00bAex6iwtRCCM-_3oYk-FUFB1H4vU4HmpgBdQS333ZvQzdOLah77ysM99vZ_hYdwOBGAPE_tLEcfU2QMqoMRjbE3nWUcuxMHwo93eR6ywjnZpGr4wTo8SVhzQye6U/s320/daybreakers1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hetG2IRDXFo4xhWPJXU3ggv30bhQVQNhK-XQqhuKxK8M_hGBSxr6NQYkYctYWMRmgR__Pt1rc38AwIvpm0D_X7W8sNPoMkXw978tHtHt9G0sBIpyQ67ad1_bOVxdUDTc1lwJRxAfY0E/s1600/ethan-hawke-daybreakers101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hetG2IRDXFo4xhWPJXU3ggv30bhQVQNhK-XQqhuKxK8M_hGBSxr6NQYkYctYWMRmgR__Pt1rc38AwIvpm0D_X7W8sNPoMkXw978tHtHt9G0sBIpyQ67ad1_bOVxdUDTc1lwJRxAfY0E/s320/ethan-hawke-daybreakers101.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuZU8owxccHBj4zXS4LFDc5bJySFmaWvKvRgcFAoPkkWC_EtKS3-7TzTcFFb0NZJgKjYgvDt5lHR_83VVfkvCg47rZXGBkvevRC4rOqdE37485qApjMyKKanGEHexbw49h7k8lxh5IBQ/s1600/willem-dafoe-e-elvis-in-una-scena-del-film-daybreakers-142118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuZU8owxccHBj4zXS4LFDc5bJySFmaWvKvRgcFAoPkkWC_EtKS3-7TzTcFFb0NZJgKjYgvDt5lHR_83VVfkvCg47rZXGBkvevRC4rOqdE37485qApjMyKKanGEHexbw49h7k8lxh5IBQ/s320/willem-dafoe-e-elvis-in-una-scena-del-film-daybreakers-142118.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Though the graphics are sub-par, the details that they
manage to work into the story are rather nice and caters to a smarter
audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes it a B-movie that is
custom-made for a more intelligent viewer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of my favorite details that they remember all of the changes that
come along with having a society that lives in the dark, but is still stuck on
the normal work-during-the-day-sleep-at-night concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have cars that have daylight driving mode
for vampires, and the writers even included a feature on the car that when the
door is open during the day, it says, “Warning: UV light detection. Warning: UV
light detection.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is just one of
the many details that they follow that makes this one of the more successful
vampire movies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: white;">What I enjoy most about this movie is that it doesn’t really
deal with any weird romance between a human and a vampire, or even necessarily
glamorize vampires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, they’re
pretty, I guess, and they’re also still scary, but it shows how much a vampire
can envy the life of a human.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It shows
the psychology of a vampire only having half of a life, and not a real
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ethan Hawke’s character, a vampire
hematologist, shows an envy of the humans and the fact they are not reliant on
one source of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An envy of the fact
that humans can exist in both worlds, without having to rely on only one food
for sustenance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love seeing the
reversal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially when it is shown
that there are people who have no desire to become vampires.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: white;">In fact, there’s a great set of lines that explains it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hawke’s character asks, “Aren’t you scared of
dying?” and the woman’s response is, “Yes, but most of us are too scared of
death to think of it as an option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
guess that’s why so many turned.”<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri;">Great line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sort
of explains our fascination with the mythology of vampires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the idea of escaping death and then
having the freedom to do whatever you want without ever having to fear
suffering consequences for your actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s an escape from the normal, human rules of morality and
responsibility.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri;">All in all, an amazing movie. Language and gore, of course, but worth it for the fascinating ride that it takes you on.</span></div>
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Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-38931255960617228602013-09-03T16:15:00.001-07:002013-09-03T16:15:19.135-07:00Lolita
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">#10 - Lolita (1997)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3qFHl0fAAIx7OqoC7dbXE37krOBAu52pIsTRulktkJqPhhcvh_1_OjaL4hwDCqsGqZgNmTlozFHRLVs4pC05CEb6ACjxDPT4cVps9s50EX0qLCyNxdSIHwRn4pVqjbJhcQjb_5McK5M/s1600/lolita_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3qFHl0fAAIx7OqoC7dbXE37krOBAu52pIsTRulktkJqPhhcvh_1_OjaL4hwDCqsGqZgNmTlozFHRLVs4pC05CEb6ACjxDPT4cVps9s50EX0qLCyNxdSIHwRn4pVqjbJhcQjb_5McK5M/s320/lolita_poster.jpg" width="223" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">SUMMARY<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Based off of Vladimir Nabokov’s novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lolita</i>)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An older gentleman
by the name of Humbert Humbert, rents a room from a woman in a New England
town, and falls in love with the fourteen year-old daughter of the woman he is renting his room from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He becomes consumed with her
and with his inappropriate feelings, and must come to terms with his conflicting
emotions, while under the scrutiny of society all around him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">REVIEW<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">“She was Lo, plain Lo in the
morning, standing four feet ten in one sock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was Lola in slacks, she was Dolly at school, she was Dolores on the
dotted line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in my arms, she was
always…Lolita.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This movie (starring Jeremy Irons, Dominique Swain, Melanie
Griffith, and Frank Langella) is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wonderfully</i>
controversial, and for some reason it is one of my favorite romances of all
time, even though it’s not really a romance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I watched the movie when I was at university and then decided to read
the book after I saw it, and I just fell in love with it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is actually the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">second</i> movie to be made from the acclaimed book by Nabokov, and it
is one that sparks controversy everywhere it goes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For a little bit of history behind it, the first movie that
was made from the novel was done in 1962 and was directed by the well-known Stanley
Kubrick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The move from ’62 starred Sue
Lyon, James Mason, and Shelley Winters, and was probably even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">more</i> controversial than the one released
in ’97.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The catch phrase for the movie,
as it was repeated throughout the movie trailer, was “How did they <em>ever</em>
a movie out of Lolita?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in both movies they changed the age
of Lolita to fourteen, instead of twelve, as it was in the book, in order to
make it more palatable for audiences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, for the artistic side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh, where do I start?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
music?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cinematography?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The acting?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The cast?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was all so
wonderfully put together, that it’s hard for me to pick one thing that really <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">made</i> the movie an artistic masterpiece,
so I simply have to go to the two sources:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nabokov, the original author, and Adrian Lyne, the man who directed
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the special features of this
movie, he says something that really made an impression on me and it relates <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">directly</i> to the reason why I love the
movie so much.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He says... </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><strong>“I like movies that create discussion, I love
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love it when they haven’t
forgotten about your movie by dinnertime, afterwards, you know, and they’re
still arguing about it the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s what a movie should do;
it should make you argue and disagree.”<o:p></o:p></strong></em></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OVBwefm5LQHB60Hhnn2jXbYucF4EtjBIq0SkHPPnqP6gqhQkP4DqPUl8UURwSLdBofWZ0ZKOKsuF2Drp7dm9YeD64QxHecjdjcYdhkvIpoHWp93rea5xLuYACVlGXP82e5PabCln2CQ/s1600/lolita-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OVBwefm5LQHB60Hhnn2jXbYucF4EtjBIq0SkHPPnqP6gqhQkP4DqPUl8UURwSLdBofWZ0ZKOKsuF2Drp7dm9YeD64QxHecjdjcYdhkvIpoHWp93rea5xLuYACVlGXP82e5PabCln2CQ/s1600/lolita-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think this is the reason why I love the movie so
much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I don’t think about it too
closely, I love the play by play between Lolita and Humbert throughout the
beginning of the movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their flirtation
is awkward and real, and the looks that they share, as well as the subtle
touches (and not so subtle touches), just seems to capture me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4ESXbD0J6o_KzL1G6ZmbPZFUxjcK0Vl4UjvCTY1Mc1rE77-jsqOCwIbVcPw8gsu7wHTjqT-lsosOrQQh3XzZwOuTTAOoeHv3brOIcytCldt4CAphOwM2RNAb_lNUJSAw4gDma3q9nmY/s1600/touch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4ESXbD0J6o_KzL1G6ZmbPZFUxjcK0Vl4UjvCTY1Mc1rE77-jsqOCwIbVcPw8gsu7wHTjqT-lsosOrQQh3XzZwOuTTAOoeHv3brOIcytCldt4CAphOwM2RNAb_lNUJSAw4gDma3q9nmY/s320/touch.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(on the front porch swing)</div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(at his desk)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90rD587ze9hRW6mLcgETRonX7411VBBiewJ1CBBeiHfph5NC8FCXJVkxzbvS3r3jU1Y8IRco2vYquNmXvwcztpJg7bruT-CL2N9Et3zlvgS_lJOzOgctEIsh1X0D-0ndiKs3gK7V4_Is/s1600/lolita-atdesk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90rD587ze9hRW6mLcgETRonX7411VBBiewJ1CBBeiHfph5NC8FCXJVkxzbvS3r3jU1Y8IRco2vYquNmXvwcztpJg7bruT-CL2N9Et3zlvgS_lJOzOgctEIsh1X0D-0ndiKs3gK7V4_Is/s320/lolita-atdesk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>But when I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> think about the movie and what it’s about, I start to question
myself, and wonder why on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">earth</i> I
even like the movie!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then I remember
why…because of the moments that linger in the air between the characters on the
screen and how the music and camera seem to effortlessly blend together with
their actions and it makes me forget that the movie is about a man in his forties
lusting after a girl in her teens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead, I see a young woman learning about her power over a man and how
to wield it, and I see a man struggling to keep himself composed and in control
while in the face of formidable temptation.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s a painful movie to watch near the end, and I don’t
actually particularly like the ending all that much, but at the same time the
bitter ending reminds the viewer, after getting caught up in the “romance”
between the two, that it could never be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She would eventually discover herself and realize that Humbert wasn’t
what she truly wanted, and we are then reminded that what he was doing was wrong,
after all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, in spite of all of this, this movie has one of my
favorite kissing scenes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below are two
screen captures from the movie: Above is the actual kiss, and below is her look
afterwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dominique Swain simply
steals the scene away (and most of the movie) with her powerful and genuine
performance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcArTHdiGkNoGbVGm2Rfeh6AL_cmj5D6n7sBDZJ85kZiRxhUgP11VpSE1uikWnNPhBIN_s0DuhWCpyi6UYW-iunwWqREMFBhEVkXMCcTwoIsR_mvIfiUAx3XzjB3pzrUZaJ45EHYbbXgI/s1600/Lolita+-1997++9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcArTHdiGkNoGbVGm2Rfeh6AL_cmj5D6n7sBDZJ85kZiRxhUgP11VpSE1uikWnNPhBIN_s0DuhWCpyi6UYW-iunwWqREMFBhEVkXMCcTwoIsR_mvIfiUAx3XzjB3pzrUZaJ45EHYbbXgI/s320/Lolita+-1997++9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjavw05G37-Itdf6i_6DeKwLemdzliOdNkOURrQ1Oar1K1k6ERWknxd17ctBigy3xuginPLhzoB05qhYy74ytD9O0R9x0vjfQunE7_Mc6YIPQODBOvIIwgTTJa7K3PWx1poljmKdnryobo/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjavw05G37-Itdf6i_6DeKwLemdzliOdNkOURrQ1Oar1K1k6ERWknxd17ctBigy3xuginPLhzoB05qhYy74ytD9O0R9x0vjfQunE7_Mc6YIPQODBOvIIwgTTJa7K3PWx1poljmKdnryobo/s320/Untitled.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This movie is a guilty pleasure of mine, and always will
be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I give thanks to both Nabokov and
Lyne for their great work in bringing these characters to life!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All in all, five out of five stars. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-86987975610627701332013-04-26T13:45:00.001-07:002013-04-26T13:45:04.908-07:00Howl's Moving Castle
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">#9 - Howl's Moving Castle<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://moviesoftheday.com/upload/covers/376103/howls-moving-castle-cover-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://moviesoftheday.com/upload/covers/376103/howls-moving-castle-cover-3.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">SUMMARY<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">An animated film that tells
of a plain girl who is pulled into the world of wizards and witches, and then
has curse placed on her that makes her an old woman. Howl, a self-centered,
self-serving wizard, and his fire demon, Calcifer, take her in and she helps
them, as well as them helping her. She is then pulled into the war, along with
Howl. The question is, will their newfound freindship survive the war?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">REVIEW<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">This movie was beautifully
artistic in every sense of the word! With an all voice cast including Christian
Bale, Billy Crystal, and Lauren Bacall. I fell in love with the selfless main
character who had a good strong sense of work, as well as a sensible head on
her shoulders.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">The animation in this is
simple and wonderful! I love how it's done in drawn format, and not the weird
new graphic format that they've been using in the past ten years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwYHfdIjNcjb1HLivoKEU2B_IP82g4ziV558cxjxoElKV_M26L5VhHyiY53slIuBiKqtjQw9An_B8crs04QGInb0pcEakJmrB0i72DS4onv-w3qD6tX9OxW71uUFdfTCLYs5uUDFKdls/s1600/Howl-and-Sophie-howl-and-sophie-31713215-500-293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwYHfdIjNcjb1HLivoKEU2B_IP82g4ziV558cxjxoElKV_M26L5VhHyiY53slIuBiKqtjQw9An_B8crs04QGInb0pcEakJmrB0i72DS4onv-w3qD6tX9OxW71uUFdfTCLYs5uUDFKdls/s320/Howl-and-Sophie-howl-and-sophie-31713215-500-293.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKx1Qr__OfduPV1-uY35aKA78d_iKPPVY9_p96KP5l4GcqU4o263Kr379JptzpiqvxLa_GOK7bT5VelSBBBliutxDPUqNQbKDoHZ2ZTu1TYCGGLl-u74DAk_d7tyGlWvgdge-PS50DWQ/s1600/download-howl39s-moving-castle-besame-mucho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKx1Qr__OfduPV1-uY35aKA78d_iKPPVY9_p96KP5l4GcqU4o263Kr379JptzpiqvxLa_GOK7bT5VelSBBBliutxDPUqNQbKDoHZ2ZTu1TYCGGLl-u74DAk_d7tyGlWvgdge-PS50DWQ/s320/download-howl39s-moving-castle-besame-mucho.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">One of the artistic aspects
of this movie that I really loved was the organic quality to it, and the
natural feel to the movements throughout, which is something that I find
lacking in a lot of today's animated films. The most amazing part of this
movie, for me, was the way the artists drew the transitions between Howl's two
forms; his human one and his bird one. They managed to follow the natural line
of the human body and create something stunning to watch. Kids can enjoy this
as well as adults, and I loved it!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Highly recommended.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">I give it 5 out of 5 Stars! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-5472908009396535432013-04-21T18:51:00.001-07:002013-04-21T18:51:51.769-07:00To the Wonder<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">#8 - To The Wonder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhseP7Uj3-CdrAjOncw06AYrEQiSu_8jEiVo51JPtBpeZK0uNGF0VNCcdW4rsFyXFI664WhkM5_NVyqokcWbZ0uk7YiueGHUUlVDsRzfEE1uM-3bYB5TtRznOrwBvO_MNcyfjdwE4W8V6I/s1600/To-The-Wonder-featured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhseP7Uj3-CdrAjOncw06AYrEQiSu_8jEiVo51JPtBpeZK0uNGF0VNCcdW4rsFyXFI664WhkM5_NVyqokcWbZ0uk7YiueGHUUlVDsRzfEE1uM-3bYB5TtRznOrwBvO_MNcyfjdwE4W8V6I/s320/To-The-Wonder-featured.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A movie that is slightly disjointed and confusing to anyone
else’s eyes, but is utterly entrancing if you simply don’t speak or do anything
else while watching it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though I
denounced it in front of my parents, I was secretly enthralled by it as an
artist and found it stunning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
enthralled by the artistic shots that were taken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every angle made me feel as though I was
invisible person that was in the midst of every private moment that they were
having and that it was more than a film.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Everything about the film had a sort of natural feel to it,
and melded into reality and showed how the sweet things in life are never
permanent, only brief, but beautiful, and that those moments are the ones that
we hold on to the tightest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My parents keep saying that they keep feeling as though the
entire movie is an introduction to something, and I know that it’s not their
style, but it seems to me to be a movie that captures not just perfect moments
but instead the real ones, the ones that keep us honest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And throughout it, there is the woman
speaking of her thoughts about what she is seeing, about what she is feeling,
and it just draws me in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a raw
honesty to the movie; an integrity to it that I haven’t seen in anything
before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As an artist, I can appreciate it in many ways, but if
you’re looking for a movie that is your typical movie, do not look here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But still…it is beautiful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-31319868494046353592013-01-11T11:35:00.001-08:002013-01-11T11:35:26.181-08:00The Hunger<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
#7 - The Hunger<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thesecretmeaningofthings.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/hunger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://thesecretmeaningofthings.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/hunger.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
SUMMARY (spoilers in Summary and Review)<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
A vampire couple living in New York in the 1980’s find
themselves living very comfortably in a high-rise apartment, with lots of money
to spare, prowling the nightlife and preying on the weak in darkened corners of bars and clubs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then one of them, the man,
begins to age at an alarming rate, while the woman does not…and it seems that
she has a secret that she will not share with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Desperate to find out what’s wrong with him,
he goes to a doctor who ends up being pulled into their twisted world, and soon
will be extended the opportunity to join them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The question is, will she take it?<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BywutakGAf8Ymc86IsEZNumJzvAsqptzLlG8OoJe9V5k-AZaLLhJ59nojeiSZjktL8ntA8Z1zbHtm5zP90L2IEyz0cZ56QM-F35-QH9UFnQ3dxQ-fUbaL3cMkB-0digDB2YZX-Zayy8b/s1600/the-hunger-deneuve-bowie-art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BywutakGAf8Ymc86IsEZNumJzvAsqptzLlG8OoJe9V5k-AZaLLhJ59nojeiSZjktL8ntA8Z1zbHtm5zP90L2IEyz0cZ56QM-F35-QH9UFnQ3dxQ-fUbaL3cMkB-0digDB2YZX-Zayy8b/s320/the-hunger-deneuve-bowie-art.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
REVIEW<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Yes, vampire movies are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so</i>
over, but despair not…for a realistic approach, as well as a <em>visceral</em> and raw approach
to these creatures of the night, The Hunger does not lack in the least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Made in 1983, s</span>tarring David Bowie, Catharine Deneuve, and
Susan Sarandon, this particular vampire story is raw, primal, and also scary in
its portrayal of the dark world of these supernatural creatures. However, a WARNING! The movie is graphic (nudity, blood, violence) and extremely dark...but if you don't mind, then forward we go.</div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The casting of David Bowie in the role for this movie was
particularly genius, in my opinion, as he is one of those people who seems to
not truly be of the normal, mortal role.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In a few other movies he has also been given roles of characters that
are not human, though they look to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The angles of his face and the elegance of the way he moves and speaks
combined together with the role of playing the vampire is very well thought
out.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ltdzceUVBE1qk98y7o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ltdzceUVBE1qk98y7o1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Made in the eighties, the music ranges from the typical
synth and techno, all the way to wonderfully played classical pieces, including
the great classic <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Suite #1 for Solo Cello
in G-Major, Prelidium (Excerpt, First Movement)</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Catharine Deneuve is fantastic as the
sadistic vampire who secretly takes pleasure out of seeing her lover panic and
age before her eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Bowie’s
character goes to the doctor and meets Sarandon’s character, he is fighting the
urge to kill out in broad daylight, and Bowie does a marvelous job in
portraying the internal and external struggle that he is going through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorite line in the movie is when he
first realizes what is happening to him, and he yells out… “What am I going to
do?!”, but receives only silence as his answer.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://blogs.lexpress.fr/styles/cafe-mode/wp-content/blogs.dir/755/files/2010/09/11les_predateurs_david_bowie1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://blogs.lexpress.fr/styles/cafe-mode/wp-content/blogs.dir/755/files/2010/09/11les_predateurs_david_bowie1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
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In a macabre twist near the end of this movie, there is an
explicit love scene between Deneuve and Sarandon that is not really necessary
for the movie, but it does a little in helping to explain how Sarandon’s
character is pulled into the darkness of that particular world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The true twist at the end of the movie,
however, is one that I cannot put here as it would truly ruin the climactic and
jarring ending of the movie.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
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<o:p> </o:p>This movie is a piece of art, though in a very dark way, and
I think it is one of the most accurate films about vampires in terms of
atmosphere and seduction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a
constant bittersweet feel to the characters that Bowie and Deneuve portray;
immortality, but no true happiness, only fleeting pleasure that never lasts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-12014327686560663772013-01-11T10:50:00.001-08:002013-01-11T10:50:34.451-08:00Equilibrium
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">#6 - Equilibrium<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.freebestmovies.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Equilibrium-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.freebestmovies.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Equilibrium-movie-poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">SUMMARY (spoilers in Summary and Review)</span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In a future where all emotion is suppressed and considered
to be the cause of every bad thing that’s happened in the world’s history, a
law man who is dedicated to serving this cause finds himself mixed up in a plot
to destroy the drug that’s keeping everyone in check.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question is will he continue to fight for
what he thinks to be right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or will he
fight for the right to be free to feel once more?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">REVIEW<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is one of those all-star cast movies that slipped
through the cracks and somehow only got one star out of four.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starring Christian Bale, Sean Bean, Taye
Diggs, Emily Watson, and William Fichtner, it’s a movie that is reminiscent of
George Orwell’s 1984, but with a dangerous twist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of Big Brother controlling you…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> are controlling you, with a drug
called Prozium that suppresses any and all emotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emotion is outlawed, and feeling anything at
all will, at the very least, land you in prison for what are called sense
crimes. In the very beginning, his partner is arrested for breaking this law simply by reading a book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.moviepilot.de/files/images/0552/4134/Equilibrium_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i2.listal.com/image/1817173/600full-equilibrium-screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://i2.listal.com/image/1817173/600full-equilibrium-screenshot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recently, I watched this movie for the second time and paid
closer attention to the music and the atmosphere of the movie, as well as the
acting, and I was amazed by the performance given by Christian Bale in his
character of John Preston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this role,
Bale has to portray a man with no emotion slowly giving into emotion and trying
to deal with it, and he does a beautiful job at doing so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In one particularly intense scene, Preston
and his new partner find a pack of dogs behind a building and his partner gives
the order to kill them, and with each shot that is fired, Preston (Bale)
twitches just slightly, but it’s enough of a reaction to have us reacting right
along with him, as well as seeing the contrast with his unresponsive
partner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gives us a reference for the
true horror that is going on in our world deprived of all emotion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This movie is one of those side movies that is made for
those kind of people who like to think the dangerous thoughts about the
direction that our society is heading towards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The writers for this movie took a simple plotline and made it
psychologically complex, as well as making us look to the future not
necessarily with hope, but with utter fear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.moviepilot.de/files/images/0552/4134/Equilibrium_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.moviepilot.de/files/images/0552/4134/Equilibrium_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Done in monochromatic shades throughout, the colors do not
change until we arrive at the end of the movie and come to the climactic ending
scene; the fight in the inner chambers of the government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beautiful, amazing, and stunning, Bale was
perfect for his role and truly made this movie an artwork.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would recommend it, and say to those reviewers who only
gave it one out of four stars, that they do not know what they’re talking about…
it got four out of four in my book!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-79290411027488458212012-10-25T07:24:00.002-07:002012-10-25T07:24:43.335-07:00The Dark Half
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">#5 - The Dark Half<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/2/Open/20th%20Century%20Fox/The%20Dark%20Half/_derived_jpg_q90_310x470_m0/TheDarkHalf-PosterArt.jpg?partner=allrovi.com" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/2/Open/20th%20Century%20Fox/The%20Dark%20Half/_derived_jpg_q90_310x470_m0/TheDarkHalf-PosterArt.jpg?partner=allrovi.com" width="251" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Spoilers in both Summary and Review)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">SUMMARY<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Based on a Stephen King book, this movie stars Academy Award
Winning actor, Timothy Hutton, and delves into the dark and twisted mystery of
an author's pseudonym being brought to life and trying to kill everything that the author cares for.
It is…The Dark Half.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">REVIEW<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was on a big Timothy Hutton kick a while back, and came
across this movie and decided to watch it on YouTube in parts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was floored by the strength of Hutton’s
acting, but I was also grossly intrigued by the story line that had been
created by Stephen King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one of
the more obscure Stephen King stories, unlike The Shining, the Shawshank
Redemption, or Secret Window, all of which had all-star casts, and yet I find
The Dark Half to be the most intriguing of any of King’s stories. Instead of
outright horror, there is a fascinating philosophical and psychological aspect
to this story. Every writer out there, including myself, has always secretly
wondered what it would be like if one of our characters came to life, and this
movie shows us how an aspect of that might come to pass and the possible negative
repercussions that come with it. Instead of a character, however, it is this writer's pseudonym/alter ego that comes to life.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://deathensemble.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/and-angry-killer-George-Stark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://deathensemble.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/and-angry-killer-George-Stark.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Interestingly enough, Hutton has not only been in this
Stephen King film, but he was also in Secret Window as one of the antagonist
characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though the two movies were
made 11 years apart, The Dark Half in 1993 and Secret Window in 2004, they
still have the same psychological thrill to them that isn’t found in many other
movies, and the same style of sudden twists, though The Dark Half is a tad more on the horror and fantasy side of the spectrum.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.pixtelevision.com/gallery_images/244/1014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.pixtelevision.com/gallery_images/244/1014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(above) Secret Window (below) The Dark Half</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn.mos.totalfilm.com/images/t/thad-beaumont-timothy-hutton--650-75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://cdn.mos.totalfilm.com/images/t/thad-beaumont-timothy-hutton--650-75.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This movie isn’t filled with color or an amazing soundtrack,
or classically beautiful actors…instead, it has a bland color wash, right when
fall is fading but it’s not quite winter, and it fills the viewer with the sensation
that something is coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something
cold, something dark...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> s</span>omething that
doesn’t quite belong.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://deathensemble.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Literate-family-man-Thad....jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="http://deathensemble.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Literate-family-man-Thad....jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From an artist's perspective(mine), this movie is a definite ten in using the color and music to give the viewer a feeling of unease and a vague sense of foreshadowing, that something is going to happen and it is <em>not</em> going to be good. All of these aspects, combined with the brilliant acting of Hutton, portrays a dark and uneasy terror that slowly grows throughout the movie.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The whole idea of an alter ego taking form and trying to become a person on their own is fascinating and frightening at the same time and I'm impressed with how it was portrayed in this film. Though gruesome at times and uncomfortable, I still couldn't help but be impressed by Hutton's portrayal of both characters, which makes this particularly unique. Hutton doesn't just play the author, but also plays the author's alter ego coming to life, so we are given a shining example of Hutton's acting ability and how versatile he truly is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Excellent movie, though dark and morbid it may be, and now on my list of hidden gems in the horror/thriller genre. It hasn't been given nearly enough of the attention that it deserves, and now I want nothing more than to read the book myself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p> </div>
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<br />
<br />
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<br />
Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-7282915841391083422012-10-04T06:35:00.000-07:002012-10-04T06:35:48.811-07:00The Prophecy
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">#4 - The Prophecy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pics.imcdb.org/0is26/prop11.8541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://pics.imcdb.org/0is26/prop11.8541.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Spoilers in both Summary and Review)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">SUMMARY <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">(courtesy
of IMDB, edited by Elise)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The angel Gabriel
comes to Earth to collect a soul which will end the stalemated war in Heaven,
and only a former priest [now turned cop] and a little girl can stop him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">REVIEW<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">This movie is
incredibly unconventional, and goes off into that strange world of dark
theology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, there is something
about it that is compelling in my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With an all-star cast including Eric Stoltz, Christopher Walken, Elias Koteas,
Virginia Madsen, and a special guest star of Viggo Mortensen at the end, I was
pulled into an intriguing and fascinating movie about a second</span> war in
Heaven that had not yet ended and was still being played out on Earth using
certain people as pawns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated R for its’ graphic nature at times, I was still
compelled to see it a second time recently, and found myself trying to look at
it from an artist’s perspective, and I found something rather fascinating about
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though it was made in the early
nineties, it had the feel of a movie that was made much more recently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only thing that showed its origins were
the graphics used, which were obviously early nineties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The most fascinating aspect of this movie was the
casting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christopher Walken is known for
portraying villains and slippery types of characters, so in this movie one
would expect him to portray a demon, or at least an evil angel...but he
portrays Gabriel, one of the most holy of angels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an unexpected twist of artistry, Walken
portrays Gabriel as being someone who wants to be noticed by God once more
because he feels he’s being passed over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With his hair dyed black and dressed in a long black trench coat, he
becomes a figure that we are scared to see because of the strange stark
contrast of his pale skin with his hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is obvious that he is a being not of this earth, and I must applaud
the leading artistic directors of this movie for taking the risk in portraying
Gabriel in such a way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://wearemoviegeeks.com/wp-content/top10_cwalken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://wearemoviegeeks.com/wp-content/top10_cwalken.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Near the end of the movie, we have a special guest star of
Viggo Mortensen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He portrays some fallen
angel, of that we are sure, but this fallen angel saves the world from falling
into inevitable chaos by taking the soul that belongs to him that Gabriel is
trying to release…and we then realize who he is: Lucifer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mortensen brings a certain artistry to
portraying the most villainous villain that can ever be portrayed, and I
honestly think that he should have gotten an award for the brief part that he
played in this movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is beautiful,
cunning, artful in using his words, and just when we start to think that he’s
not so bad, our minds forgetting who he is, he slips back into his true purpose
and tries to drag down our surviving characters with him, but of course is not
successful.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.brego.net/imglib/galleryimage/galleryimage_image_391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://www.brego.net/imglib/galleryimage/galleryimage_image_391.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All in all, I would give this movie a ten out of ten, simply
because of how they portray each individual character in relation to the
whole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a unique feel about this
movie, however dark it may be at times, that seems to me to be a completely
original portrayal of angels and unique perspective on theology. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-4441876091699528752012-10-02T21:48:00.001-07:002012-10-02T21:48:21.480-07:00Brokeback Mountain
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">#3 - Brokeback Mountain<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://wfiles.brothersoft.com/b/brokeback_mountain24_55629-1280x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://wfiles.brothersoft.com/b/brokeback_mountain24_55629-1280x1024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">SUMMARY (skip if you don't want spoilers)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two cowboys, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, spend a summer
together in a job up on Brokeback Mountain and end up in a physical
relationship that spans for the rest of their life, always returning back to
Brokeback Mountain, until life starts to get in the way of the two of them
being able to see each other and things begin to be uncomfortably strange.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">REVIEW<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This movie was one that, I’ll admit, I avoided watching for
many years because of the jokes that were made about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had created a pre-conceived notion created
in my mind before I’d even seen the movie, but it was quickly erased as I
watched the opening sequence and immediately picked up on the true mood of the
movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a silence about the
movie throughout, but when there is music, it is of a singular theme that
resonates with the relationship of the two men.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When the men’s relationship is contrasted with their relationships
with their female significant others, you can see the emotional disconnect that
shows how strong the men’s relationship truly is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was amazed by the passion that Jake
Gyllenhall and Heath Ledger bring to their roles, and how believable it
was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are both heterosexual, but
they performed so brilliantly and so <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">convincingly</i>,
that I found myself rooting for their relationship throughout and resenting
their relationships with their wives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The stunning vistas combined with the solidarity of the two
characters truly pulled at my heart strings, and made me understand why this
movie won three Academy Awards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
acting is amazing, and I barely noticed the fact that Anne Hathaway was in the
movie. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only noticed Ledger and
Gyllenhall, and their amazing chemistry and the wonderful angst that they portrayed
in the roles of Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would highly recommend this movie, but a warning…it has a
seventies-style ending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, this
movie has made it into my top-ten favorite love stories and will forever hold a
special place in my heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-69261965395140243532012-09-20T21:18:00.002-07:002020-02-25T21:51:38.662-08:00TAPS<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">#2 - TAPS<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://media.timeout.com/images/103578529/630/472/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="630" height="239" src="https://media.timeout.com/images/103578529/630/472/image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">SUMMARY (Skip if you don’t want Spoilers)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Based on the 1979
novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Father Sky</i>, by Devery Freeman.</b>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A famous military academy is about to be shut down and
turned into condominiums.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And one
student, Brian Moreland, will not let it go without a fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After having their General taken in by the
police on an accidental shooting on the campus that resulted in a death, Moreland
resolves to do right by the man that he admires and respects. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an attempt to keep the school, he rallies
the younger students to him and they take Bunker Hill Academy under siege and
lock it down from those who would bow to the wishes of their supposedly
esteemed leaders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, and Tom Cruise
star in this movie about fighting for what you believe in, no matter the cost,
no matter the sacrifice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">REVIEW<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As I watched this, I couldn’t help but be amazed, once more,
by the amazing acting talent of Timothy Hutton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Though Sean Penn and Tom Cruise co-star, both of them lack the natural
grace and subtle, powerful confidence that Hutton portrays in his role as their
senior officer, and it makes him appear as though he is more of a seasoned
veteran than they are, and instead more on the same level as George C. Scott.
(see Below for picture of Hutton and Scott)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This movie was one of those wonderful harmonies of actors,
director, script, and story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along with
George C. Scott, who portrays the commanding officer, we are given a true gem
of amazing talents from many different people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a special determination
in it, and I could feel my heart joining with the young men who were defending
their school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The silent strength of
Hutton’s portrayal of Brian Moreland is on par with Scott’s character of Brigadier
General Harlan Bache, and got him nominated for a Golden Globe, which I feel he
should have won. (not that I’m biased or anything)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p>Throughout the movie, I was able to see the stark difference
between Moreland and the rest of the cadets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are all following Moreland and looking to him to pull him through,
but as an audience we are shown the other side of this leader, one that is
vulnerable, but through that we are able to more fully able to understand his
strength and his belief that what he is doing is right.<o:p></o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Every single time the tune of Taps was played, I felt my
heart in my throat and my eyes swelling with unshed tears, which, at times,
escaped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a feeling of absolute
dedication to honor throughout the film, interspersed with crass, military
language as a dark, comedic relief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I
watched it, I felt a new perspective emerge that I had never seen before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could literally <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">feel</i> the breaking of convictions, the wavering of Moreland’s doubt…the
devastating sadness that overcame him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a film that kept in tears almost
constantly, but it was worth every moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><br />
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There is a true lesson in this, one that seems to say to me,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do the honorable thing...but don’t forget
who you’re doing it for.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may say
other things to other people, but the message to me is loud and clear, as well
as being quite beautiful.
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Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-21753873369127785082012-09-19T13:16:00.000-07:002012-09-19T13:16:14.231-07:00Ordinary People
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">#1 - Ordinary People</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<a href="http://cdn1.tabletmag.com/wp-content/files_mf/ordinarypeople620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://cdn1.tabletmag.com/wp-content/files_mf/ordinarypeople620.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">SUMMARY (Skip if you don’t want Spoilers)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is a movie directed by Robert Redford that is
reminiscent of the 70’s with its ending, and has so much emotion in it that you
can hardly breathe throughout the time that you’re watching it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starting off with a seemingly happy family,
you are eventually pulled into their complicated webs of denial that are
keeping the illusion intact that, yes, they are truly happy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A death of a son is not something that is easily dealt with,
but they seem to each handle it in their own way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The father is trying to understand and help
his son, the mother is attempting to control every single aspect of her life,
while the son is slowly slipping into a dark depression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His suicide attempt and hospitalization one
month before is the only outward sign of his distress, but because of his
seemingly easy transition back into regular daily life at home, the parents don’t
push.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least, the mother doesn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">REVIEW<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I watched this movie, I found myself moved by the fact
that there is no soundtrack to the movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Only rarely do you hear the faint strains of a well-known classical
piano piece in the background.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The portrayal of Conrad, the son, by actor Timothy Hutton,
is a haunting one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His facial
expressions throughout are beautifully subtle and realistic of someone trying
to deny themselves the release of their true feelings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is rather unique about this role is how
Hutton portrays the emotions throughout the film…the truth is, it’s not
entirely acting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">An intriguing history behind Hutton’s portrayal of the
character has to do with the recent death of his father just before he received
the role of Conrad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Working with
director Robert Redford, he was able to channel his anger and disjointed
emotions into the emotions of the character of Conrad, his acting becoming,
quite literally, therapy that he was being paid to take. (click on LINK for full article and story) <a href="http://storage.people.com/people/archive/jpgs/19801215/19801215-750-72.jpg" target="_blank">http://storage.people.com/people/archive/jpgs/19801215/19801215-750-72.jpg</a></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In one rather intense scene, Conrad calls and meets his therapist
(portrayed by Judd Hirsch) at two in the morning , (picture shown at TOP) where he then continues to
have an emotional breakdown, which appears to me to be an actual emotional
breakdown of Hutton himself, and not just his character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is an intensity to him that seems to be
drawing from deep-seeded emotion and suffering, and it reaches through the
screen and grabs at my heart, causing me to ache for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether the sympathy is for the character or
the actor, I’m not entirely sure, but there is one thing I am sure of: it’s raw
and it’s real.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The entire movie reminds me very much of how the world deals
with grief and emotion: denial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have
therapists, but like the characters in the movie, we resent the idea that we
need them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Constantly being told by the
world around us that we are in control of our lives and that we can do it on
our own, we don’t like the idea of spilling our innermost thoughts to a
stranger, but in the end it ultimately lets us realize, just like the movie
shows, that there are no such thing as “ordinary people”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, there is only the illusion, and then
the irrational hope that if we ignore things, the hard things, they will simply
go away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Ordinary People” is a movie
that shows that we are all simply struggling in our own ways to try and fit into
this irrational idea of being “ordinary.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ordinary people…do they exist, or are they just an ideal that have been
fabricated by the masses to have something to aspire to?</span></div>
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Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1837420968693783884.post-88776109691091454522012-09-18T17:24:00.001-07:002012-09-18T17:24:31.062-07:00WELCOME!! So excited to have you here! I am a huge movie buff, but not for all those classics...but not for the newer stuff either. I live in that in-between world of indie films and those hidden jems that are not as few and far between as one might think...<br />
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Welcome to my world...where movies collide with art and become masterpieces that either have your heart swelling with joy or breaking with sadness with the pure beauty of the harmony of actor, script, director, and story.<br />
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The first movie that I will review might be one that you recognize. An Academy Award winning actor is in it...and got his Academy Award <em>because</em> of it.<br />
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WARNING! There will be movie spoilers ahead, but if you don't really care, then go ahead and leap in!Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640187313315905644noreply@blogger.com0