Monday, June 4, 2012

Confessions of a Child of the Century mini film review


Mini Review 4
Confessions of a Child of the Century

Painful and boring to watch, Confessions of a Child of the Century consists of Octave (Pete Doherty), aimlessly wandering around drunk and stumbling into orgies. Throughout the film he has what hardly seem like philosophical discussions with his pal Desgenais (August Diehl.) Feeling sorry for himself after losing his first “love” Octave befriends Brigitte (Charlotte Gainsbourg), whose name you do not learn of until the middle of the film. Brigitte is a widow and ten years older than Octave. Unable to resist each other they become lovers. Brigitte is not able to hold his attention for long. Lets just say Doherty should stick to being a musician.
Writers- Alfred de Musset, Sylvie Verheyde
Director- Sylvie Verheyde
Producers- Bruno Berthemy, Caspar Heider
Main Cast- Charlotte Gainsbourg, Pete Doherty, Lily Cole
Running Time- 125 minutes

The Hunt film review


Movie Review 4
The Hunt

Mads Mikkelsen, winner of best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival plays the riveting lead role in the film The Hunt. Danish Director, Thomas Vinterberg is well known for being the co-founder of Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking. This genre has created rules for making movie production easier. Vinterberg believes the use of detailed special effects and technology in a film is not as important as the traditional values of story, acting, and theme. In this film, Vinterberg veers away from Dogme 95 filmmaking to tell this invigorating tale of desperation and turmoil.
Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen), is a newly divorced, kindhearted, loving and friendly man. His likable personality is soon put to the test when he is accused of sexual abuse by his best friend, Theo’s (Thomas Bo Larsen) daughter Klara (Annika Wedderkopp.) Lucas is a fun and playful kindergarten teacher. He spends some time with Klara taking her to and from school and she develops a childish crush. One day when he is playing with the kids, Klara runs into the room kisses him on the lips and hands him a heart she made. Lucas kindly explains to Klara how what she did was not appropriate. This frustrates Klara and after seeing inappropriate pictures her older brother had shown her the day before, she accuses Lucas of showing her his inappropriate body parts. This causes a frenzy within the school, Lucas is fired and the police is notified.
Everything in Lucas’s life begins to crumble. The entire town discovers the charges against him and refuse him access to stores. He is constantly harassed and looked down on. No one will take time to listen to him but his good friend, Bruun (Lars Ranthe.) His son, Marcus (Lasse Fogelstrom) who was supposed to live with him but not allowed anymore, comes to visit for a few days. After Lucas is arrested Marcus pays a visit to Klara and her family that ends with him fighting and being kicked out. Later on Lucas’s house is vandalized and Fanny, his dog is murdered and left on his doorstep. This causes rage within Lucas and Marcus. After the extreme disapproval of neighbors and school faculty, Vinterberg almost has me believing Lucas might have abused Klara. The film makes the audience focus and concentrate to figure out what the truth really is.
I was fully engrossed in this film for the entire 111 minutes. Mikkelsen played a dignified character up until the very end of the film when he reaches his breaking point. Once Theo sees how detached and abandoned Lucas has become he realizes his daughter really has made up the story. She tells him she was being silly and nothing ever happened. About a year goes by and everything is straightened out and back to normal, or so it seems. Lucas is now shown with a girlfriend and his son. His son Marcus is celebrating finally becoming a man where he is dubbed his first shotgun for hunting. The entire crew of men go out to hunt. When Lucas is on his own you see someone off in the distance aiming to shoot at him. He barely dodges the bullet and is left standing there in awe and confusion. He is not so safe after all, someone is still out to end his life. 
The cinematography used in the film really captures its darkness. There is a constant sort of eerie feeling in the Dutch town throughout the film, even in the beginning when Lucas has not been accused. I could tell the film would soon take a twist. The cinematography done in the vandalizing scene had no forewarning it was coming. It surprised the audience and left me exasperated. I was constantly annoyed and frustrated with the other characters in the film. The way the townspeople were excluding Lucas from their lives with no real evidence of the abuse was aggravating. Bruun makes a comment stating, “People assume children always tell the truth. And the sad part is, they usually do.” This statement throws me off guard since it is coming from Lucas’s good friend. I do not agree with this, I believe children have wild imaginations. The false accusations against Lucas caused him unnecessary pain and stress 
and things will never be the same. 
Writers- Thomas Vinterberg, Tobias Lindholm
Director- Thomas Vinterberg
Producers- Jessica Ask, Madeleine Ekman 
Main Cast- Mads Mikkelsen
Running Time- 111 minutes

Frank and Chip mini film review


Mini Movie Review 3
Frank and Chip: The Olympic Experience Documentary

Frank and Erma (known as Chip) were the first married couple to compete in the 1936 Olympics. They both immigrated to the United States and met in the German gym society known as the Turn Verein. This is an endearing documentary created by their grandson, Dan Frank, which took him four years to create. Frank described his grandparents story in such great detail. He focused on how hard they worked to make it in the Olympic games. He showed great pride and respect for his grandparents phenomenal accomplishments while telling the story with great passion.
Writers- Jeremy Deneau
Director- Dan Frank
Producers- Lisa Brewster, Michelle Brooks, Daniel Celestina
Main Cast- Geri Celestina, Jeremy Deneau, Willie Gault
Running Time- 60 minutes

On the Road film review


Movie Review 3
On the Road

Inspired by poetry, jazz, drugs, and experimental sex, the beat generation took place in the middle of the 20th century. The film On the Road, directed by Walter Salles, follows two characters who travel across country craving this type of lifestyle and adventure. The film is an adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s semi autobiographical novel, in which he tell his story through one of the lead characters. Salle is a brazilian filmmaker with international prominence. This film follows the same style as his previous film The Motorcycle Diaries released in 2004
In  On the Road, Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund), is the life of the party with his recklessness and constant drinking. He is the guy everyone envies but does not have a high regard for. Everyone he meets has an indescribable obsession with him and is drawn to his carefree lifestyle. Depressed and without inspiration to write, Sal Paradise (Sam Riley) is a kind, light hearted and innocent struggling writer. He meets Dean and uses him as inspiration.  Sal chooses to follow some of the same paths as Dean but take a few detours to experience things on his own. He was brought up in a more conventional household and continues to keep in touch with his mother as he ventures off in search of his identity.
Throughout the movie Dean has constant relationships and one night stands with various women and men. Marylou (Kristen Stewart), is a naive sixteen year old girl willing to do anything for Dean. In the beginning of the film Dean and Marylou are married and he brings her along on many of his trips. During a time when sexuality was common to be explored, she shows interests towards Sal, and the possibility of a relationship between them is foreshadowed. Soon Dean strikes interest in a more conservative ladylike woman Camille (Kirsten Dunst.) Dean divorces Marylou and marries Camille to start a family with her. He is not satisfied with staying in one place for long and ends up leaving for a while to travel with Marylou and Sal. When he arrives home, Camille kicks him out and he continues to struggle on his own. 
Sal does not have as many opportunities to be with women as Dean, but when he does, he is more respectful and serious. On one of his detours he ends up in California working in a cotton field. He has a brief romance with a mexican woman (Alice Braga), while there, and leaves to continue his journeys. Once Marylou realizes Dean is not going to get back with her, she shares a night of passion with Sal. Sal has had multiple opportunities to be with Marylou before, but he did not want to disrespect Dean. His previous actions towards Marylou showed his longing to be with her. 
There are multiple subplots throughout the film to keep the movie flowing. The cinematography used in a New Year’s Eve party setting with Dean and Marylou passionately and loosely dancing with one another captivate the entire party and decade. The colors used in this scene grab the audiences attention and show the true love between the two characters. One of Dean and Sal’s fellow buddies who accompanies them on a trip ends up dropping his newly wedded wife off at an eccentric couples home. Galatea (Elisabeth Moss), is mortified by this gesture and constantly tries to contact her husband to bring her home. Once they go fetch Galatea they end up spending time at the house. They experience a carefree family environment that is eye opening for them. This describes the setting and design of the house. The style of filming used in Sal and Deans last trip together to Mexico is psychedelic and fixating. I felt as if I was immersed in the action with them, especially when one of them almost overdoses.
  Sal goes on to do great things in New York. While on his way to a theatre premiere with what looks to be a new love interest he runs into Dean, who was searching for him. Dean looks lost, drained, and helpless. Unable to help him, Sal is suddenly inspired by what seems to be his last run in with Dean. He heads home, sits at his typewriter and feverishly begins typing, producing the novel On the Road.
There is a slight sadness throughout this film that could ultimately leave the audience distraught, but I believe it is a journey one should see for themselves. The constant challenges and struggling the characters endure are relatable in some ways. The narration by Riley’s character Sal is rather inspiring and hopeful. He has a good head on his shoulders and subconsciously knows he will make something of himself. This film left me with eagerness to seek out my own adventures.
Writers- Jack Kerouac, Jose Rivera
Director- Walter Salles
Producers- Patrick Batteux
Main Cast- Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, Kristen Stewart
Running Time- 137 minutes