Archive for Films
My Silent Review of The Artist
Man of many talents they say. What’s left? Video! I’ve never done anything with video. Good Twitter friends Mike Bell and Lydia are two people who have inspired the above video. Recently I reviewed Shame but wanted to do something a bit different with yesterday’s The Artist. I’ve always been keen on trying YouTube and filming, so with a spark of inspiration sitting on the Tube back from the cinema, I hatched the above plan.
Expect more soon. Very soon.
Review – Shame
There are very few films which prompt me to put pen to paper so quickly. Shame, the latest humanist-exploration-flick from Steve McQueen, is a stark portrayal of a man in crisis. His debut film Hunger, a meandering prison drama following the method hunger strike of Bobby Sands was of a similar vein. A powerful piece of filmmaking, from idealistic beginnings to malnourished end, it showed McQueen’s adeptness behind the camera.
Thankfully none of his skill has been lost with his fictional second feature. Michael Fassbender is quickly cementing himself as an entrancing, yet mild actor who’s capable of real confliction and crisis. On the surface, Shame’s protagonist is a successful executive living a bachelor lifestyle many men would be envious of.
Under the surface, plagued by sex addiction and unable to show any connection to another human being, is a scary and often graphic depiction of the modern era. Empty of emotion, driven to regularly pleasure himself on work time, in the shower and at home, with pornography and chance encounters driving the false lust, Shame shows us just how alone someone can be.
Regardless of regular sex, whether it is city bar conquests or paid prostitution, Shame’s lead is alone. Even his similarly damaged sister and her constantly cries for help cannot break the cycle of devastation.
At the end we have no indication of redemption. It’s a cold film, peppered with graphic sexual imagery, suggestive taboo undertones and realistic depictions of the human body in all its fragility. Shame, much like its portrait-subject, won’t leave you satisfied. There’s no light at the end of metaphorical tunnel of love.
However, what it will do is cement both actor and director’s entrancing ability to bring an audience into the lives of dysfunction personified. The film’s score is particularly haunting, merging with questionable material and painting a picture of ruin.
A man on a downward spiral with nothing to stop him but an empty live devoid of warmth.
Depressing, motivating and essential cinema from start to finish.
Zooma
Hurray! I made it to the zoo and yes, the photography came out OK. The Frog vs. Snake one at the top is one of my all time favourites, along with the monkey family. Anyway, it was another weekend of films, beating last week by one. I ended up watching six in a weekend:
- The Sitter (Cinema)
- The Red Balloon
- Cyrus
- Total Recall
- Bad Lieutenant (2009′s)
- The Big Lebowski
Film Roundup – The Good, The Bad & The Average
Talk about the definition of a lazy weekend. I love films and recently I’ve been taking full advantage of Sky Go. Everyone’s been harking on about Netflix’s arrival in the UK and while it is indeed a good service, Sky Go has a huge selection of constantly changing films available. This weekend I’ve watched (all for the first time):
- The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
- Daybreakers
- Africa United
- Hanna (DVD)
Last weekend it was:
- The Other Guys
- Howl (DVD – it lived up to my expectations).
- The Book of Eli
Have you seen any of the above? Let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. I’m hoping to see The Artist soon.
Mini Review: The Book of Eli
The last film post I wrote was Paranormal Activity 3. Today I’m discussing The Book of Eli, a post-apocalyptic action film with Denzel Washington. Aside from religious peddling, it was actually a decent watch. I’d wanted to see it when it was released at the cinema, but Empire’s review put me off and I thought it’d be wise to wait for it to reach Sky.
The vision of a nuclear-destroyed America isn’t new – in fact, I Am Legend and The Road both deal with similar issues. Law and order destroyed, scroungers roam the barren scarred landscape, human morals destroyed – they’re grim films and The Book of Eli is no different. People do whatever they have to tosurvive. Cannibalism’s rife and it’s touched upon in an intriguing way. It’s a lingering demon, threatening the cast but never really showing its face.
Rabid cats are eaten, shampoo is the Holy Grail and Denzel chops up plenty of people in defence of a book he’s carrying. The Book in fact, or if you’re not of Christian descent – The Holy Bible. There’s a fantastic twist at the end (one that reminds me of Fahrenheit 451) and while Mila Kunis stumbles, it’s a competent film overall.
For a short, arguably male-orientated film you can’t go wrong.
Oh, and I have a Cineworld Unlimted card so I can go to the cinema as often as I want for just £17.99/month. I’ve already seen Puss in Boots and Mission Impossible 4.
