Elephant Review

Director: Gus Van Sant

Year: 2003

Starring: Alex Frost, Eric Deulen

Country: USA

Language: English

Runtime: 81 minutes

Elephant

I can't begin to imagine how challenging and arduous it would be to make an emotionally disturbing, compelling and haunting picture loosely based on the events of the Columbine High School Massacre of 1999. There is no way to escape controversy or complaint when making a film like this, whether it be fanatics yelling about how inaccurate and disrespectful it is to the victims, or perhaps even family members of those who were murdered on that horrific day. On an accuracy level, they may have the right to be angered - but as a film on its own, it is quite a wonderful spectacle. It is well crafted, brooding and features stellar camera work.

One of the main complaints that I have heard about this film is the long shots of people walking down halls and corridors in the school - I however, was hugely impacted emotionally by these scenes. It gave off a hugely effective message of alienation from society, peers and the world in general. It also helped emphasise how all of these children were simply going about their daily lives, unaware of the horrifying events that were to occur in the coming hours, how doing simple things in a day can suddenly turn to running for your own life. It may not be a message that is relevant to everybody, but for any child who attended Columbine or any school where events like this have taken place, it's extremely relevant, and these scenes were absolutely necessary. One complaint that I do have about these shots is that most of them were to the back of characters, so the emotion that these children felt whilst going through a normal day weren't as thoroughly shown as they could have and should have been. Apart from this, they were very well crafted, emotionally resonant scenes that didn't even have the slightest level of superfluousness about them, to me anyway. They helped to display high school life accurately and made the film even more simple to relate to. 

Another flaw within this film is that some of the characters weren't explained nearly enough - we knew barely anything about most of them, and whilst this may have been intended, it is nice to have area for character development. This didn't stop the characters being interesting however, and as we are taken on the differential routes of their daily lives, we begin to get attached to each character, regardless of how much we actually know about their personal lives. The lack of talking in this film added to how haunting the atmosphere and build-up were, and I feel as though if there were lots of talking within the film, it would have deteriorated the emotion that is supposed to be felt towards the characters and the trauma that they had to go through. Showing the different high school stereotypes had a huge effect on me, showing how much we actually care about cliques and groups, but that when something like this happens, all of that disappears and becomes irrelevant, you are not superior to anyone else - you are just another person. Displaying individuality in this film was hugely important as it emphasised the mindlessness of the killings, and the lack of consideration for the emotions of others by the killers.

A slight problem I noticed within this film was that the bullying scenes towards the future perpetrators didn't show their mental deterioration thoroughly - it was almost as if they were bullied and then out of the blue they decided to go on a shooting rampage. I don't know if Van Sant noticed, but that doesn't really construct much emotion for the audience to feel towards them. The film concentrates on far too many characters for us to feel highly emotional towards them, which is why in that respect, I preferred the documentary 'Zero Hour'. 'Zero Hour' was more effective because it concentrated mainly on the perpetrators of Columbine, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, and whilst I respect Elephant for attempting to concentrate on many characters, it didn't work quite as well as I had hoped it would. However, 'Zero Hour' was based purely on Columbine, whilst this was just a loose adaption of the events. Perhaps also characterisation was not Van Sant's main target for this film, but how the day unfolded and the sheer fact that some people were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and to add an eerie and intense atmosphere throughout the build-up - and this is helped wholly by the lack of dialog in the film. I just felt as if many of the characters weren't explored fully in an emotional sense, and perhaps they could have been if the film had been slightly longer - there are also a few relationships that we are shown over the course of the film, that never feel necessary and are never really explained.

One thing I really admired about this were the transactions that showed the effects of conversations from the perspectives of both characters involved - it was very well done and it emphasised how the smallest things can have the largest and most tragic outcomes. The dark, broody cinematography reflects the emotion and atmosphere within the film brilliantly and chills you to the core. One scene that I am going to pick out is where a pupil at the school is sitting watching television, and on the television there is a documentary about Nazis. If I assume correct, they were attempting to compare Nazis to the perpetrators of the attack - considering that the attack hadn't commenced yet, this felt a little bit rash. It felt as if Van Sant was trying to emphasise how horrific the events were by comparing the attackers to one of the most evil, vindictive groups ever in history, and it felt a little extreme. Nonetheless, I will move on to the most acclaimed part of the film - the massacre itself. It is very moving and powerful. The relaxation on the faces of the killers shows their mental instability and is tremendously haunting. The calmness of some of the students during the massacre also added to this feeling. We are then given a conclusion that will either strangely satisfy you or purely disappoint you. A movie based in these events could be better, and probably will be made better in the future, but it could have been a whole lot worse. Without a doubt, this is worth a watch.

Ed Wood Review

Director: Tim Burton

Year: 1994

Starring: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau

Country: USA

Language: English

Runtime: 127 minutes

Ed Wood

A lot can be said about Ed Wood. It's wacky, fun and acted in a very enticing, soliloquy manner. But it's also quite a tender picture - it deals with the struggles, obstructions and pain of pulling a true career out of the harsh, challenging hat that is Hollywood. This is brilliantly reflected by the standout performances from Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Patricia Arquette, and much to my surprise, Sarah Jessica Parker. The challenging topic of this film reflects on all of these characters throughout the film, as we watch how they deal with them individually, and have a wonderful film watching experience in the process.

One thing that pisses me off more than anything is when a film constantly throws obscurity at you when there really isn't need, and it doesn't really work well with the rest of the film. Ed Wood is an exception to this rule, as the strangeness of the film is actually rather beautiful at parts, as it mirrors the personalities of the characters in a very charming and understanding way. The obscurity of this film actually makes the character of Ed Wood, among many others, intriguing and fascinating to watch, as their personas begin to develop over the course of the film. Each character appeared to be in a world of their own, with different aspirations, which was interesting to watch. 

The way this film was made actually made me forget about the fact that this film was made about one of the worst directors of all time. The fact that the film was entirely in monochrome effect really blended with how bland Ed's life often was, and how many times he was close to giving up, due to so many rejections. Aside from Ed Wood, a particularly fascinating character was Landau's Bela Lugosi, the legendary star of Dracula who relies on Ed for help, and features in many of his pictures, as he is displayed as a warm, kind yet eerily unstable human being. The camerawork in this film really brings out the emotions and social points that this film was obviously attempting to bring out, and Burton succeeded brilliantly in doing so. I've never been a huge fan of the Burton-Depp collaborations, but this is hugely different from all of the other ones - it's funky with reason.

There's numerous other things that make this film special - the sweet, often melancholic score that almost always displays the emotions that the characters are feeling. The chemistry between the characters, particularly Ed and Bela, or Ed and Kathy, is absolutely fantastic and is a complete joy to set eyes upon. The dialogue in this film is never superfluously random like many other of Burton's works, it's sharp and the delivery is wonderful. Not many films can blend all of the aspects that Ed Wood features and make it work at the same time. This film truly made the year of '94 that little bit solider in my books.

As you may have picked up from things I have said earlier on in the review, I'm not a big Tim Burton fan. I think that he packs unnecessary amounts of randomness and quirkiness into his films that just comes out as stupid. He constantly relies on the same style over and over again, and I honestly think that's why his crazy fan base go nuts for him. But Ed Wood is different - Burton's style actually works in this. Ed Wood really is a one of kind experience - it's touching, it's smart and almost every aspect of it blends well. This is a stylish, fun filled and surprising deep film that is sadly not noticed among the large part of Burton's cult followers.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Review

Director: Tomas Alfredson

Year: 2011

Starring: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth

Country: UK and Hungary

Language: English

Runtime: 127 minutes

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

For most people, this was one of the most anticipated films of the year, and I can hardly blame you for your anticipation. It has one of the most exciting casts assembled in recent years, featuring names such as Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Tom Hardy. It is also an espionage movie, a sub genre that people seem to adore. Sadly though, I maybe got a little bit too excited, and started expecting a masterpiece. This was also influenced by the brilliant feedback from Rotten Tomatoes, currently holding a 97% rating, and the first ever 5-star review from my local newspaper that they have ever published. So, you Americans can anticipate November however much you want, I just expected a little bit more. It is still, however, a good film.

One thing in this film that certainly does live up to its expectation is the cast. Every performance is unique and nothing short of award worthy. Gary Oldman is as subtle and versatile as ever, and although he doesn't get as much screen time as I initially thought, Colin Firth is also a joy to watch. A standout however, for me, quite surprisingly, was Benedict Cumberbatch. This is not because he has a reputation as a bad actor, it's because I've never really heard of him or seen him in anything else. His performance fits in perfectly with the narrative and he deftly blends in with the rest of the cast. The conflict between some of the characters is fascinating and gripping, and the chemistry between all of the characters is brilliant, considering how well developed each of them are. 

For me, this film went through long stretches of tedious scenes that although were indeed necessary, could have had a little bit more flare or taken a bit more of an impact. Some of the scenery in this film was really, really dry, which quite honestly put me off the scene as a whole, so the dialog between the characters didn't have as big an effect as I had hoped it would. The dialog is good and coincides well with the genre, and whilst the dialog isn't anything revolutionary, it's perfectly suitable for the film. Despite the fact that he was working from a novel and a TV show, I felt that Alfredson could have tried a little bit harder to pack some punch into the film, to get the audience going and exhilarated, which is an aspect that I felt was a little bit lacking. 

The filming in this movie is as close to perfect as you can get. Each shot is perfectly placed, positioned and the characters are fitted very well into each shot. This was one of the best aspects of the film as a whole. Unfortunately, the film never really decides what pace that it's trying to go at, which really deteriorates the emotion that is supposed to be displayed within the film. Although the narrative is extremely interesting, it is slowed down by this constant confusion of what the film is trying to do - whether it's trying to garner emotion throughout, whether it's trying to be a thriller, or whether it's just trying to be interesting. All of these conflicting attempts at making a good film really left a bad taste in my mouth as I walked out of the theater.

Although I have pointed out a few flaws here, this is by no means a bad film by any stretch of imagination. It really does have more good aspects than bad, as I have pointed out - superb acting by an already superb cast, wonderful filming, peculiar yet interesting narrative, and these all bond together to make for a pretty darn good movie. I just felt that it could have been a little more thrilling, a little more captivating, it just felt as though it jumbled its paces a little bit too much. I think a steady, edging towards fast pace would have benefited this film, but it went in all guns blazing, and for that, I give it credit, I just expected a little bit more. This review is in no way supposed to put you off, because I will tell you this for nothing, America - you still have a hell of a lot to look forward to.

The Art of Getting By Review

Director: Gavin Wiesen

Year: 2011

Starring: Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts

Country: USA

Language: English

Runtime: 84 minutes

The Art of Getting By

"The Art of Getting By". It's a real shame that such a smooth, flexible title has been wasted on such an obnoxious, pathetic load of drivel. It sounds like a film that you would go to see to get a realistic, effective outlook on teen angst and life in general. However, if you go and see the film for these reasons, you will be sorely disappointed. I am seriously struggling to find a speck of social relevance in this film, or absolutely anything that I even enjoyed in the slightest about it. Even if there was redeeming factors, they have probably been overshadowed by the other aspects of this horrid piece of cinema.

La Piel Que Habito (The Skin I Live In) Review

Director: Pedro Almodovar

Year: 2011

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya

Country: Spain

Language: Spanish

Runtime: 117 minutes

The Skin I Live In

This is really a one of a kind movie. It deals with a topic that has never really been dealt with with great effect before. I'm sure one of the reasons you're reading this review is to find out whether is succeeds in dealing with this topic effectively? Well, in a quick two word answer: hell yes. In case anyone doesn't know what the topic is, it's skin transplants, for people who have had horrific burns to their face or body, to restore their body to its original format, or at least to look normal again. The actors in this film portray their characters absolutely perfectly to suit the topic and the atmosphere of the film - tense, yet in a strange way calm. The chemistry between Banderas and Anaya really is brilliant, and both actors give fine performances throughout.

The plot of this film often felt slightly disjointed to me. This doesn't, however, stop it from being incredibly gripping and fascinating. The cinematography in this film adds to the absolute sublimity of the picture as a whole, and really enhances the plot past its disjointed areas. Before I go on to analyse the rest of the film, I must point out that this is truly one of the most beautifully made films that I have ever seen. It is filmed with such effort and it really shows in the picture. Never have I been so engrossed by the way a film looks. Even if the other parts of the film don't blow you away, the way it looks certainly will. The direction from Almodovar in this film is almost perfect in the way that it completely suits the content of the film.

This film has a few hugely disturbing scenes that the viewer will most likely not expect. They will have you in your seat thinking, "what the fuck just happened and why?" These scenes are hugely effective, though, and they actually make the film a lot more memorable. This film went places that a lot of films are scared to go, and the result has a huge impact and stays with the viewer. But it has to be said, this film might not be for the faint of heart. Almost every scene in this film is made completely by its wonderful actors and actresses, who give a rather melancholic yet extremely exciting performance. 

The huge twist in this film, for me, was a little predictable, but that doesn't stop it being truly amazing when it arrives. The scenes where the twist is revealed are some of the best scenes in the entire film, they are stunningly shot and the atmosphere of them will have you falling in love with the film. Although the trailer for this film made it look quite timid, the film is really quite gritty. It really doesn't hesitate to throw everything it has at you, and honestly, this is a good thing. You will feel completely satisfied after the credits start rolling, and the main reason for that is that because the film doesn't pull any punches. The dialog in this film is wonderful as well, and thank god they didn't dub it in English, because the Spanish language truly defines this film.

The only other real complaint I would have about this film is that some of the side characters are disgustingly undeveloped, so much that they feel pointless to the film, even if they are an essential part of the narrative. For someone who can't look past things like this, it might disrupt their overall enjoyment of the film. Luckily, I don't let one aspect of a film destroy my experience of a film. Some may not even think that some of the characters are undeveloped, but if you do, please try and look past it - because if you do, you will realize what a truly wonderful film it is as a whole. The Skin I Live In is my favorite film of the year so far, and is an essential viewing experience, with wonderful camerawork, stellar performances on the most part, and beautiful dialogue. 

Ghost Town Review

Director: David Koepp

Year: 2008

Starring: Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear

Country: USA

Language: English

Runtime: 102 minutes

Ghost Town

To be quite honest, when I first went to see this when it was released in theaters, I didn't expect much at all. It looked like your typical formulaic comedy with a goofy premise that might or might not work. And whilst it is indeed formulaic in its narrative, the other aspects of the film are so well executed that it overshadows the overdone plot line. A sharp performance from one of my favorite comedians from my home country, Ricky Gervais, and the charming side performances of Tea Leoni and Greg Kinnear really bring this film above most of its negative aspects. 

Watching the character of Gervais trying to come over his arrogant personality is amusing throughout the film, yet Gervais manages to give this character his own little tweak of charm, which really resonated with me. Being a bit of an arrogant asshole myself, I managed to relate thoroughly with his character. The film takes on the often debated topic of ghosts and turns it into an amusing tale that truly entertains the audience whilst also giving them something to think about. Though the film doesn't delve too deeply into the topic of whether ghosts exist or whether they have unfinished business, you still find yourself questioning your own beliefs on the matter. 

Gervais' sharp humor and witty acting accompanied by the surprisingly charming Kinnear keep this film from sliding down the path of its formulaic plot. The charm of both characters relates to its target audience perfectly and the chemistry between the two is brilliant. You will struggle not to laugh at the quick dialog from Gervais and the simple minded yet witty delivery from Kinnear and even Leoni at certain points. The casting in this film overall is great, there was no one that really looked out of place in their roles at all.

For some reason, sadly, the writers decided that this film needed some cheesy/emotional scenes, and although they aren't awful at all, some of them feel a little bit unnecessary. Any viewer of this film will probably often find themselves a little bit surprised, as the film slants from verging on dark comedy to a sappy heart to heart scene. Whilst this isn't necessarily bad, it feels a little too rushed and out of place. The film needed emotional scenes for sure, but they managed to slide some of them into the wrong slots. This doesn't stop the film from being entertaining, however, and it doesn't stop the healthy flow of laughs and entertainment that any viewer was probably already experiencing.

As a conclusion, this is definitely worth a watch. Even if you don't find it to be a comedy masterpiece, it's still hugely enjoyable and it fills its purpose, unlike most of the formulaic, putrid, misfire comedies that get spewed into our theaters and terrorize our weak, human existence every other week. Despite its worn out plot, it will still feel fresh in its own little way, and Gervais will entertain as usual with his dark, yet charming sense of humour, accompanied with some great dialog and decent side characters.

My Top 20 Films of 2000-2009: Part 2 (#10-1)

10. Brokeback Mountain

A touching tale of love that explores deeply the lives of two men barricaded by the society that they live in. This film is moving in almost every single aspect and features fantastic performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger. This film packs a lot of emotion into it whilst also having stunning cinematography and beautiful scenery.