Winter's Tale

On a Scale of 1-10 With 10 Being the Best

5

Image Courtesy of Etsy

Plot: Peter Lake finds himself deeply in love with a dying woman, named Beverly Penn. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! Peter Lake is a thief that used to work for an evil demon named Pearly Soames and now that demon is after Peter due to his "miracle". Essentially, devils don't want people to die with their "miracles" acted out as they will go to heaven. Pearly plans to kill Peter and anyone else to prevent him preforming his miracle. The movie takes a turn on whose miracle will save who. This movie is sadly predictable and the movie seems to jump from place to place (and time periods) but I thought it was so pretty and cute that I may watch it again.

*Note that this is based off a book so much of the cool details were probably taken out.* P.S. This is not based off the Shakespeare play like I thought. The book is written by Mark Helprin.

Characters/Actors of Note:

Colin Farrel playing Peter Lake: I think Mr. Colin Farrel did a fairly good acting job. His character is trying to find out his real purpose. This is reinforced when he loses his memory later on in this film. I kind of missed as to why Colin Farrel chose to give his character such a thick Irish accent when he was raised in America since he was a baby. I also didn't quite understand how Colin didn't figure out his former employer was a demon and also how a mortal even works for demons without selling his soul or something.  This character didn't have enough back story to really make sense. I do think that Colin Farrel's emotions with his lady-love were appropriate and not over the top. Much appreciated.

Jessica Brown Findlay playing Beverly Penn: Ms. Jessica Brown Findlay does a lot of narration for this film and I loved it and I'm glad they chose her instead of Colin to do the narrations. Her dialogue was great and easily quotable. She was also slightly British which makes me happy as everyone loves a British accent!  (Except the one British accent with the 'r' sound when there is no r in the word. That's annoying to me.) I thought she played her character as a loving and gentle soul well and it was very easy to like her character. 

Russel Crowe playing Pearly Soames: Holy snot rockets was this guy scary. I personally HATE it when characters faces change to something scary and he does it a couple of times during this film. His pure unadulterated hate for Peter is evident and the way he loves to kill makes me want to do this...

A new found fear has been sparked for me for this usually heroic actor. I like how Mr. Russel Crowe has decided to stretch is acting skill wings (Yes, that is an reference to this film) and decided to play a pretty scary guy.

Music: The tones and score for this film was sweet and loving, with the occasional scary sounds for the villains. It was so-so. 

Camera Work/Cinematography: This movie used lens flares, CGI, and textures to give this film a very pretty look. Some of it though, was not necessary or too over the top. For example, Peter Lake has a horse in the movie and let's just say that during some parts the horse looks way too...flashy. I also thought this film was too fast and jumped too often. I almost wish that two different movies were made. One with Peter Lake and Beverly and the second with Peter Lake in the year 2014. I feel, without reading the book, that a lot of details and important clues were cut from the film. 

RECAP: 

This movie was quite adorable from the little girl, to the relationship, and the "miracles." It was predictable and at times too flashy. I would watch it again but probably never own it. Those who love romances will probably love this and those who don't will probably give it an "eh" rating as well. 

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The Verdict

On a scale of 1-10 With 10 Being the Best

6

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Plot: An alcoholic lawyer, named Frank Galvin, whose only income is making money off of being an "ambulance chaser" has his life changed when his friend Micky Morrissey gives him an "easy" case. The case is a woman who is brain dead thanks to the negligence of a doctor. Frank is ready to pick up his settlement check to keep this horrific news out of the papers and the hospital's name clear, until his conscience changes his mind. Frank now has to fight a major hospital and an esteemed law firm in order to appease his morality and perhaps give himself honor.

Characters/Actors of Note: 

Paul Newman playing Frank Galvin: This character was quite interesting. He was going to funerals begging for cases, his office was a mess, and he was essentially alone. The watcher learns what his back story was that caused his alcoholism and lack of hope in the justice system. Paul Newman's voice has more low tones to it, giving this character a grave mood. I enjoyed the end of this movie as he trades places with someone that sued to be as desperate as him, which makes the watcher understand that he is changed for the better. This character never gives inspirational speeches and often does the wrong actions but despite it all, Frank isn't too disheartened and knows that he is fighting for the right side. 

James Mason playing Ed Concannon: This villain is the typical posh rich guy with the mustache. Everyone hates him right off the bat and all the underhanded tricks he uses makes me frustrated. I thought James Mason's posh voice gives the right effect as it reminded me an overbearing father. He was in charge, he was experienced, and he knew the tricks. Ed Concannon never backed down and when he had the chance to go easy on Frank, hits him in the gut... metaphorically speaking. I thought the legal fight he put up was refreshing from today's theater and for that I commend him.

Music: I actually don't remember the movie having any music but it was there! This is a good sign though, as the music blended in well with the film to the point that I didn't notice it. So I suppose, good on you Johnny Mandel!

Camera Work/Cinematography: Movies made in the 1980s are blurry due to the way filming was done at that time. There were moments of sharpness though. The effect I noticed the most were the use of shadows. This created depth and brought us into Frank Galvin's mind. Frank was in a dark place himself and the shadows and darkness made us see his situation. I noticed that the court sessions had the most light as that was the only place Frank could find a way out of his sad past.

RECAP:

I thought this film was a nice change from today's cinema. I liked seeing an intellectual battle instead of a physical one. It wasn't too complex in the legal terms either which makes it easy to understand. The acting was quite good and the way the director brings us to Frank's miseries and then brought us out, which was great. It is a good law movie to watch with anyone in my opinion. I think it's similar to this other great law movie. 

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Clue

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 Being the Best

8

Image courtesy of Pinterest

Plot: If you know the board game, you will have a basis of this movie. It has all the characters that the board game does plus a few more! The film starts with all the characters coming to a mysterious dinner party (hence the picture above) with the butler and the maid who seem to know what's going on. Immediately, the new character Mr. Boddy dies (The first body found is from the guy named Boddy? Coincidence?) and, like the game, you try to figure out who done it! This film has a lot of jokes, is light, and overall pretty fun to watch.  

Characters/Actors of Note:

Tim Curry playing Wadsworth: Tim Curry is one of my favorite actors as he is so fun to watch. He gets pretty excited when he acts and his accent makes me smile. Having him play the butler was absolutely the right choice as he brought the humor to the end of the movie, which could have been taken way to seriously if anyone else tried to do it. 

*PLEASE NOTE* That the other actors were good but none of them really got the chance to shine and do their own thing so it I didn't critique those actors. 

Music: The music in this movie was so CORNY but it was also great. The music was a balance between suspense and jolly good fun as it had to be both light and funny with deaths. I kind of picture the composer was writing songs for a horror movie but was a part time clown. The actual composer is John Morris, who did the music for most of the Mel Brooks movies if that gives you an idea of how it sounds. 

Camera Work/Cinematography:  Since this was made in 1985 the film quality isn't too great. The camera work was not the best and I wasn't expecting it to as this is a thriller-comedy which are usually pretty cheesy. Most the of time the colors were pretty dark and the lines weren't very defined.

RECAP TIME: 

This movie was so fun to watch. It kept me guessing and the end was so perfect. If you want to watch a comedy that is clean and engaging, this is for you. Though you may need a grater, because this movie is so cheesy! 

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Darjeeling Limited

On a Scale of 1-10, with 10 Being the Best

7

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Plot: Three brothers haven't seen each other in a year due to their father's death. To make up for lost time one of the brothers, Francis (Owen Wilson) decides that all the brothers should go to India to "find themselves." It is found at later that Francis has a hidden agenda and all the brothers feel they can't trust the other about their lives. They deal with grief, estranged relationships, and anger on a train called, "Darjeeling Limited." 

Characters/Actors of Note:

Owen Wilson playing Francis: Usually, Owen Wilson plays more comedic roles and sometimes his monotone voice gets sort of boring but not in this film. Francis has a bandaged face that he blames on a "car accident" but we find out later was caused by something much different. Each one of these characters has some sort of information they hide from the others and Owen Wilson's character is the one that hides the most, though he is the first to blame others for their attempts of hiding. I think that the bandages he wears are most definitely a metaphor for his grief. He tells others he is fine all the time when he is obviously the one most hurt by grief and poor relationships with his two other brothers and his mother. I thought that Owen Wilson did a good job of hiding his character's grief. So often I see in movies that hidden pain is always hinted at which was different from this movie. I thought he was strongest (grief wise), and appeared strongest to us, was in fact the weakest.  

Adrien Brody playing Peter: This brother is trying to feel connected to his father by wearing and using his father's things, most notably his glasses. He is the brother that is more obvious with his grief but shrugs it off like it's a normal thing to wear glasses that still have your dad's prescription in them after a year. Francis and Peter have an ongoing back and forth on when they like and dislike each other. Francis is jealous that Peter has more of their dad's things and Peter hates being treated like a child. Peter also has a great symbolism in more than one part. We see that he blames himself for his father's death and has to deal with, not only his blame, but with a new child and losing a child during the river and village scene. Adrien has a lovely balance with his character's secrets and openness.
Jason Schwartzman playing Jack: This character was more different than his brothers. Instead of guilt and grief being his main issues, Jack has issues with his on-and-off relationship and writing. Jack is a writer who is purely "fiction" but only can write about his brothers, dad, and girlfriend as that is all that's in his mind. He is similar to his brothers in that he won't admit that he is writing about himself, but about a made up character. Jack has an unusual relationship with an attendant on the train. The essence of this character is when she asks, "What is wrong with you?" and he answers, "Can I get back to you on that?" Jason has to play a character that doesn't understand his own grief, relationships, and motives when it they are plain to his brothers. Jason plays a nice contrast with his attitude. It gave an airy and fun feel compared to the dense power war between his older brothers.

Music: As most Wes Anderson films, the movie is set between the 60s and 70s and the music is from that time as well. I found myself bobbing along to the songs and thought the music choices were playful, serious, and also fitting well with the time period. Personally, I listened to Les Champs-Elysees by Joe Dassin at least five times after watching the movie. Listen to the rest of the music below, courtesy of YouTube.

Camera Work/Cinematography: This is directed by Wes Anderson so it has earmarks of his meticulous nature, list making, and a general color scheme. The colors in this movie remind me of the color powder that India uses for their festivals. I love the way the camera is used which has a classic Wes Anderson style to it. Usually the camera is set in one spot and the characters frantically move around that space and then the camera spins around to film the characters in the next space. It gives the camera frames a more crisp feel especially when the events happening are chaotic. 

RECAP TIME:
Having dealt with grief myself, I understood this movie on its approach on death. People feel angry, depressed, and left out. Each character was hidden and yet exposed enough that a viewer could understand even if they haven't dealt with grief. The symbolism in the movie was great. There was a man eating tiger, a poisonous snake, and each of the drugs that the brothers took. This movie has a lot of depth and feeling to it that makes me want to watch it again and again. With all the grief though, there was lightness with the small comedic bits and the craziness of their relationships. Music fit well and was enjoyable to listen to! The filming and colors were well used and the preciseness and neatness of it all brought this film together through all the chaotic emotions.

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Amelie

On a Scale of 1-10...With 10 Being the Best

5 to 6...I guess?

Close but yet I want space...Courtesy of Pinterest

Plot: It is a French movie that I had to watch with English subtitles. It is labeled as a romance but it's a strange romance. Amelie is the main character of this film who decides after doing a random act of kindess to change others lives for the better. One day, she sees a man at a photo booth and, of course, she is in love. After finding his photo album she decides to play cat and mouse with him so their love can eventually blossom. The love story is sort of cat and mouse, one chasing the other for the whole movie and becomes tiresome after a while (In fact it is almost two hours long). Amelie has some animations and CGI that are rather strange. The main character, Amelie, literally melts at one point and her crush, Nino, talks to pictures on a card and the pictures talk back. There are cute scenes in here along with some humorous parts which is what would want me to watch this again. 

Characters/Actors of Note:

Audrey Tautou playing Amelie Poulain: This movie was one of the more odd ones I have seen in large part to this character. She is so caught up in her imagination that she has no concept of how to create relationships. She watches television and imagines that they are talking about her. Her heart beats out of her chest when she first encounters her crush and makes believes that she is Zorro. She is weird to say the least but she is sweet. The chance to be brave shows itself but her personality doesn't allow herself to be brave, until the end. Another thing, if you want to watch this with your family...please reconsider. A game Amelie plays is paying attention to her surroundings which includes trying to figure out how many people are having sex during that exact moment. They do show some bits of this and includes...sounds. 

Mathieu Kassovitv playing Nino Quincampoix: This character is not shown very often but it is understood that he is equally as odd as Amelie. He has a scrapbook that he keeps of thrown away pictures that Amelie finds. He spends the movie trying to contact her so that he can get his book back. He grew up just as lonely as Amelie and keeps many strange jobs. Due to the intrigue of finding her, he falls in love with her more than he can understand. I appreciated this character as he was the love interest. Let me say that again, HE was the love interest. It was nice to watch a man be the love struck lost character for once. 

Music: The music fit so well with the movie I hardly noticed it; a good sign for a movie. Wasn't very catchy but it wasn't too distracting. Not much to say on the sound of this film. 

Camera Work/Cinematography: As stated before, it was odd. Paintings talking, people melting, a person's vision whirling upon realization. It was like a cartoon but with real people. I noticed that yellow was a major color in this film. It gave the feel of airiness but it was also an earth tone. The best way to describe how the movie looked is that each scene appeared to be lighted by the sun on different days. 

RECAP:

Plot had both good and weird parts. One moment you were thinking how adorable this movie was and the next you are sitting in your chair thinking, "What am I watching?" I was left feeling happy but not in a normal way. Kind of like if you were complimented on something bad; it feels good but was it really a good thing? The music fit alright and the camera work/cinematography fit the mood of the movie. Overall, this is a really weird romance, good or bad...no one knows.

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V For Vendetta

On a Scale of 1-10...With 10 Being the Best

10

Plot: As Stefon would say from Saturday Night Live...this movie has everything. Love, coincidences, war, an evil government, and of course a REVOLUTION! This movie has many characters who are all intertwined with each other without knowing it. V is the main character of this film and is both victim and villain who is out for vengeance.  He is going out to create "music" when he stumbles upon Evey who was on her way to a date. From there, they and a police officer named Finch, discover how awful their futuristic British fascist government really is. Lots of great dialogue, lots of action, and a lot of thought provoking ideas. (Basically the bomb diggity.)

Characters/Actors of Note:

Hugo Weaving playing V: One of the most unusual characters on the silver screen is V. He spends the entire movie wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. Hugo Weaving pulls this off though, I'm watching the movie going, "Who is Hugo Weaving because V is obviously a real person." This guy cries, gets angry, is happy, is dorky, and embarrassed without ever using facial expressions. This character is also complex AS HECK! It can be frustrating if you are watching it for the first time as you never really know much about this guy but at the same time you know a lot about him. You think he is a good guy but then he does some seriously messed up things but he does it all for, what he thinks, is good. The point is that it doesn't really matter what he is, but what he represents. What he represents is up to the viewer. 

Natalie Portman playing Evey: This woman is extremely talented. She was in Star Wars, Black Swan, and Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. In V for Vendetta she plays a girl who starts as scared as can be. After meeting V, she is a changed person that went from obeying all the rules to perhaps starting a revolution. Evey isn't a typical romance-lover-stupid-thingy that is stereotypical for action movies...she grows to be independent and free. Mrs. Natalie Portman makes a person think deeply on issues explored in this film in ways that V cannot provoke. Her transformation is vastly different but is in a way that flows and is completely understandable. No choppiness or wishy washiness for this film.  I wish I could say more on this great character but I'm afraid I would give spoilers. 

I wish I could comment on all the cast members but that would make this blog sooooo long so here is a brief talk about them. Stephen Rea is Detective Finch who works for the government and is in charge of figuring out V and how to stop him, but is not the bad guy in this movie. John Hurt plays the EVIL dictator Adam Sutler who wants power above all else no matter how many lives are in the way. These lives include but are not limited to Muslims, homosexuals, and immigrants. Did I mention that this guy is evil? The next really bad guy, I'm talking so evil that the dictator in this movie is almost scared of him, is Creedy who is played by Tim Pigott-Smith. Is it a coincidence that his name is similar to creepy? I think not. Then there is Doctor Surridge played by Sinead Cusack who goes from creating evil to detesting everything ever associated with it. Her character is amazing to watch, I was glued to my screen. 

(Though they are talented, be warned though that sometimes the actors mumble and you may lose out on some of the words.)

Music: The music. Ohhhhhh the music. The music is great. It reminds me of grinding gears, like a clock, to marching, to a sound that can only be described as uplifting. I listen to this in my free time and downloaded it my iTunes. Dario Marianelli composed the score and I have a link below for you. If you listen to a movie and notice how bad it is, usually it's a bad movie. If you listen to a movie and it blends in, it's usually a pretty good movie. If you watch a movie and JAM to it or listen to it constantly, the movie will be awesome. This movie is awesome therefore...

Camera Work/Cinematography: Colors used for this film include red, white, and black. Usually, such pronounced colors make the movie boring but the Wachowski Brothers make it work. This movie is based off of the graphic novel by the same name. A person can tell as the colors are bright and capturing.  Angles and lighting are used well. If you froze every part of this film and looked at every singular picture, it would look like a professional photographer took them. It does get border line cheesy with one of the action scenes as the slow motion makes weird smears. Otherwise, lovely work.

RECAP TIME:

Sad but true. Time for recap time. (First time, I've ever thought that.) I really could watch or listen to V for Vendetta every day. Wonderful use of colors, lights, and angles. Music is MAGNIFICENT. Characters are in depth without every getting boring or choppy. Lots of plot and themes to keep you thinking even when the movie is over. Dialogue is great. Here is just a clip of alliteration that is used in the film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6Q0dfrbr10 This movie is lovely and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. 

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Enemy at the Gates

On a Scale of 1-10 with 10 Being the Best

Overall: 3

Courtesy of Buzzfeed

Plot: This film is about two snipers on opposing sides during WWII. One of the snipers is a Russian soldier, Vassili Zaitsev (played by Jude Law). The other sniper is German snipe, Major Konig (played by Ed Harris). This movie is based off of the true story of Vassili Zaitsev, who is the best sharp shooter the Russian Soviet Army has known. It was interesting for me, an American, to watch as I knew that America had fought both Russia and Germany during WWII and eventually, Russia did become part of the Allies. The movie was informational as you realized just how desperate both sides were to take Stalingrad. It was also NOT that informational as I learned that most of this movie wasn't historically accurate. Another problem with this movie is that it draaaaaaaaaaaggggggeed on. This story takes over two years. TWO YEARS. It is a lot of waiting, shooting once, missing, waiting, and so on. I would probably watch this on TV if there was nothing else on but wouldn't own it or rent it. Not a lot of dialogue (which I dislike) but if you like action/war/shooting movies, you might like it. I do like action movies, hence the "meh" rating. 

Characters/Actors: Of Note 

Jude Law playing Vassili Zaitsev: I think that his portrayal was very well done. Casting was spot on from other sources that a have read. This character was believable as an uneducated man but played him as sort of a sensitive quiet guy. Probably, so the audience would like him more. Vassili was not like that though. He became a sniper teacher in the Russian army and was stated as being very harsh with his students, including his own girlfriend, Tania (In reality he did not marry her as he thought she had died, married another, then found out that she had lived). I thought the level of emotion worked well with the movie though as did his friendship with Danilov. Well done Jude Law!

Ed Harris playing Major Konig: My first thought of Ed Harris was that he had done a wonderful job. It wasn't until I accidentally read another review (I was trying to find autobiographies on these people) that I changed my mind. It stated that there was an issue with Ed Harris being so heartless. He would not look at fellow hurt soldiers but would do a terrible act to a child, which are contradicting actions. Overall though, I thought he played a tactful and a cold-blooded soldier well. There was even a scene where we understand how he earned one of his medals. I thought it and he were a nice touch. There is evidence that this character was real but there is not much information on him so that touching moment may have been crap. 

Joseph Fiennes playing Commisar Danilov: His friendship with Vassili was great. It thought it was quite genuine and for that I liked his character. The love he had for Tania was a bit excessive to the point of creepy. He tries looking down her shirt, multiple times wants to transfer her to his division (and at one point does), and when she doesn't choose him he loses his mind. It sounds like this guy should be hated but his character was rather passive most of the time, so I never took him as a threat. Which was the point. Most of the other soldiers and even the townspeople kind of shrug of Danilov as he doesn't ever really fight. He's in charge of the propaganda and is boosting Russian moral. He is no hero in more than one way but he still is a large help. Joseph did a fine job acting as Danilov; it's too bad that I never had the chance to love him as a character. It's also a bummer that Commisar Danilov was a totally fictional character but may have been based on General Yuri Danilov. 

Rachel Weisz playing Tania:  This character was a real person that Vassili did date. The romance was real and so was the fact that she was a good soldier. They left out the bit where this girl was TICKED at German soldiers. She wanted them all dead as they had killed most of her family. The girl Rachel Weisz acted along the same route as the other characters as she showed sad emotional sides of herself. Personally, I would have liked to see Tania Chernova, the girl who referred Germans as "sticks" as she would "break them." That would have been a completely different person as was depicted in the movie. This character was mainly in the story for a love triangle bit, which did not occur in reality. That is what really bummed me out about Tania, as her portrayal was mostly fictional even though she was a real person. I thought Ms. Rachel Weisz did well as an actress but wish the script writers weren't so sexist as they made this cold-blooded killer into a weaker love interest. 

Music: I did enjoy the music in this movie. There was definitely a specific tune that, when heard, the listener would realize it was from Enemy at the Gates. There was a moment I worried that the music might be overbearing or not enough but it quickly passed. At times I didn't notice the music as it fit with the film to the point that it merely blended in with the screen and sound effects. Good on you James Horner!

Camera Work/Cinematography: The colors grey and green were used often. This gave the mood effect of being dreary and sad; since this is a war movie the colors worked well. The end scene where Vassili is in the hospital with Tania could have used close-ups. The slow motion worked well in the film as did the camera angles. Very well done. 

RECAP TIME: 

It's another war movie. Nothing really too new if you payed attention in your History classes. I did find watching two enemies, where one wasn't American, to be different and that I did like. Camera work, effects, and colors were well used as was the music. The historical inaccuracies were a bother as was the pace of the film. It moved at the pace of this animal. 

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