tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524197515312389222024-03-14T07:07:43.968+00:00Wasted TimeMy film musings...Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-38005677511497556762013-02-03T00:34:00.003+00:002013-02-03T00:35:56.800+00:00 Do You Hear The People Cry?It was one of the most anticipated movie musical adaptations in recent memory, and has been one of the most successful, recently overtaking <em>Mamma Mia</em> as the highest grossing movie musical in the UK. But does it live up to the hype? I'm personally not a musical fan, and I hadn't seen the West End show but I was still looking forward to seeing it. However, I think people need to calm down about it and stop getting so worked up about a film which they need to accept is flawed.<br />
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Okay, so a spoiler-free plot synopsis for those of you who, like me, have/had only the vaguest idea of what it was about. Convict Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) is granted parole after he served twenty years because he stole a loaf of bread (really!) but skips his parole so that he can live a free life, reinventing himself as mayor of some French town. However, he is soon discovered by police inspector Javert (Russell Crowe) and goes on the run with Cosette, the daughter of factory worker-turned-prostitute Fantine (Anne Hathaway). Then a few years later, there is some political disruption culminating in the June Rebellion of France, led by Marius (Eddie Redmayne), a bunch of students and a young waif. Needless to say, shit proceeds to go down.<br />
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Firstly, if you don't like singing, just turn away now. The film is 99% singing - I'm not exaggerating - with only the odd word or phrase spoken normally, which I don't really understand. Like, go all-in or do like most musicals and spontaneously break into song. Right, now that's out of the way, let's begin.<br />
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There has been a lot of talk about the performances in this film. Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway both recently won Golden Globes and are nominated again for Oscars. I'll get onto hers in a minute, but starting with Jackman, it must be said that clearly he is having the time of his life. It's not a cheerful role by any means (hello, the clue is in the title) but he obviously relishes in what he's doing. However, the fact that I recognised this first time round is not necessarily a good thing. I was just very aware a lot of the time that I was watching him acting, rather than getting lost in his performance. It was good, but I've seen better in the last year that I would have preferred to be recognised over him.<br />
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And hey, speaking of being overrated, please step forward, Anne Hathaway. I'm not saying she's bad or that I didn't like her performance, but I think when you take a step back and look at the film from a wider perspective, for me she didn't actually stand out from everybody else. Yes, her rendition of I Dreamed A Dream was super emotional and brought a tear to my eye, but I don't feel that anyone deserves an Oscar for that alone. I won't say any more because my personal infuriation with her will come out (*coughblandcough*) but even after seeing it I'm still upset that she's the sure thing this awards season.<br />
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I think Russell Crowe has been getting a lot of unnecessary flack for his role. No, he's not a great singer, but he isn't appalling. I went in expecting Pierce Brosnan-in-<em>Mamma Mia</em>-esque screeching and really it wasn't that bad! But maybe that was because my expectations were really that low. Perhaps that should be my advice: expect Brosnan and it won't be awful! The rest of his performance was fine; he does villainy really quite well, probably because he has that sort of face.<br />
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But really the best performance of the film was Eddie Redmayne. I can't believe he isn't getting more recognition for his role as Marius, he was so brilliant. There was one song he did a capella where I was nearly on the floor weeping with how emotional it was. I just wasn't expecting to be so overwhelmed by his acting. He and his merry band of rebels (they're not really merry, of course) were engrossing and I wanted to wave a flag and build a barricade of furniture to help them. In particular Gavroche, the wee little street urchin, was a delight, though I think they maybe just borrowed the Artful Dodger from <em>Oliver!</em> that day because there seemed to be no difference in costume, accent or attitude. But I digress. The rest of the supporting cast are on top form too: Isabelle Allan as the young Cosette was just wonderful and she should have a bright career in theatre ahead of her with a voice like that. Amanda Seyfried is more than acceptable as the older Cosette; relative newcomer Samantha Barks plays her role as lovesick Eponine with grace and she delivers a heartbreaking number; and Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen are predictably wonderful as a couple of innkeepers, and bring some much needed comedy to the proceedings.<br />
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But, as you may have guessed, this is not a happy film. Tom Hooper took the radical decision to record all vocals live to better enhance the performances and ensure the end songs were as raw as they could be. It really works, as for once I actually felt like singing wasn't just random in a film, but that I could feel the emotion and understand it better through song. However, there are some questionable accents, which maybe we should have predicted considering the number of non-Brits who have roles. But really, why did no-one have a word with Hugh Jackman when his singing started to sound a bit Irish... and then got more and more pronounced? And I really have no idea why Sacha Baron Cohen did a French accent when no-one else did. I know that the film is set in France and that they are all French characters but it did sound a bit odd that he was the only one.<br />
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And let's not forget, it's <em>long</em>. Coming in at nearly three hours, it's not an easy ride by any means. However, I think it actually adds to the effect: not only will you be emotionally drained, but you'll feel like you literally sat through the seventeeen years presented in the film until you just feel a sense of relief at the end knowing it's over, which adds to the catharsis. I do hope that is what they were going for and that wasn't just my own experience, because I've just made them sound clever for editing a film to nearly three hours, which no-one should do really. Also, they probably did overstretch it and it ended up kind of taking ages to wind down. I kept thinking, "this is the end now... oh wait, <em>this</em> is the end... okay, <em>this</em> is..." etc. It ended up dragging after the rebellion scenes and they could have probably cut it down into neater, slightly more managable size by doing something about that.<br />
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It's a beautiful film though; the cinematography really makes it feel like you're there, either nearly drowning as you try to haul a ship into dock or wading through a sewer or it gets you so close to the gunfights that you can almost smell the gunpowder. And the attention to detail is stunning, not just in sets but also in the costumes and make-up, and this is something that <em>should</em> be recognised. After seeing the film, where they had the budget and the time etc to do all that, I just don't understand how it could be a theatre production and have the same effect; certainly I don't see how it could be as grand and lavish, but maybe I'll just have to go to the West End and see for myself.<br />
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Verdict: As much as I enjoyed it and got <em>very</em> emotional, I was never 100% absorbed in it. It's like the cinematic equivalent of a teenage boy losing his virginity: it gets overexcited, it climaxes too early and too quickly and spends the remainder of the film dragging out a not-quite satisfying ending. It grabs you by the throat and emotionally punches you repeatedly for nearly three hours until you feel like you need a long lie-down to recover. And my final thought: give Eddie Redmayne some damn awards!<br />
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Trailer:<br />
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<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-12608890976891883752013-01-19T23:29:00.001+00:002013-01-19T23:32:12.753+00:00Verdict: Oscar Nominations 2013I'm annoyed for many reasons right now. The first, most obvious, is to do with my disgust at a lot of the nominations this year, which I'll come onto. But secondly, and most personally, because my first post of 2013 has to be a bitter, angry one about why the Academy has let me down this year, so much so that I'm not even going to watch the ceremony because I just don't care about any of them.<br />
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The Academy has in recent years descended into somewhat of a farce, becoming predictable and sterile and celebrating only a certain selection of films rather than diversifying a bit more. In other words, they're playing it safe, and it's boring.<br />
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So many films and performances have been overlooked this year it's unbelievable. Major unexpected snubs were Ben Affleck's work on <em>Argo</em>, who was omitted from both Acting and Directing awards despite the film itself being up for the big one.<br />
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On the other hand, people were unnecessarily surprised about some of the categories, expecting films to be included that weren't. Mostly I'm talking about <em>Skyfall</em>, which I never even entertained as to get a nomination in any of the major categories. For one thing, the Academy are probably too scared to do something as "out there" as put a Bond film up for major Oscars. But also, the BAFTA nominations were announced the day before, and if Skyfall was not up for Best Film at the BRITISH film awards then why would the American film awards include it? The same goes for Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig for Best Director and Actor respectively.<br />
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Two of my favourite films starring two of my favourite people should have been up. I can't believe that <em>On The Road</em> isn't up for any acting nominations. I know that the film in general divided critics so I wasn't hopeful that it would get any major nods, but whatever you thought about the film, the performances were brilliant. The main trio of Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund and Kristen Stewart deserve recognition, as well as Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst. It's ridiculous that it was overlooked. Also the cinematography was stunning and that should have been up for something too. <br />
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And also <em>Cosmopolis</em> should have been up for, in my opinion, Best Actor for Robert Pattinson, Best Director for David Cronenberg, Best Supporting Actor for Paul Giamatti, Best Supporting Actress fr Sarah Gadon, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score. The fact that this film was so overlooked not just in awards season but throughout the whole year makes me unspeakably sad, because it was genuinely incredible, one of the most intelligent, complex films of this year. I should actually do my own awards this year just to honour it, because I can't actually give it enough praise.<br />
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I was also quite surprised at the lack of recognition for <em>Hitchcock</em>, which I thought would be mingling up there with the rest of them. This isn't just the Academy, I admit - there's nothing at the BAFTAs either and hardly anything at the Golden Globes - but from what I've heard it's meant to be very good. I thought Helen Mirren would get a Best Actress nod, and maybe the film itself. The same goes for <em>The Sessions</em>, which did in fact get Helen Hunt a nomination but I thought would have got more, but that's probably because it wasn't prolific enough. And also <em>The Hunt</em>, which got rave reception at Cannes this year and I thought was a real contender for nods at the Oscars, but apparently they're ignoring most films that aren't major Hollywood blockbusters. I would have liked real recognition for Mads Mikkelsen who I think is brilliant, and also I think it would have done The Academy a favour to acknowledge a film with such sensitive material. <em>The Master</em> wasn't up for nearly as much as I thought it would be, with exclusions on the Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson) and Best Film lists, which was again surprising from the amount of buzz around it and the rave reviews it got from critics.<br />
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Anyway, I'll crack on with discussing the major awards and pointing out why they're wrong and spoiling the ceremony by revealing the the obvious winners for you all.<br />
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<u>Best Film</u><br />
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It will go to either <em>Les Miserables</em> or <em>Zero Dark Thirty</em> because they are the obvious choice. <em>Les Mis</em> is the sort of stylish tragic story the Academy love, though admittedly they haven't held favour with musicals for quite some time. <em>Zero Dark Thirty</em> is the gritty, real-life drama they also appreciate, and you can't overlook the similarities the film has to <em>The Hurt Locker</em>, which of course was also directed by Kathryn Bigelow and about recent wars. However, recent controversy surrounding the film may put it out of favour with the voters, so we'll have to see. I have yet to see any of the nominees (but I plan on seeing <em>Les Mis</em>, <em>Django</em> and <em>Lincoln</em> in the next couple of weeks so look out for reviews of them!) but at the moment I'm just really disappointed at the shortlist.<br />
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<u>Best Actor</u><br />
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Daniel Day-Lewis (<em>Lincoln</em>) seems to be the best bet at the moment, with the closest contender probably Joaquin Phoenix for <em>The Master</em> based on the rave reviews he got (but again, the Academy may be a bit peeved with him after his recent comments about them - he basically told them to shove their egotistic ceremony). The curveball here was probably including Denzel Washington (<em>Flight</em>) where one might have expected Jamie Foxx (<em>Django</em>), Mads Mikkelsen (<em>The</em> <em>Hunt</em>) or Ben Affleck (<em>Argo</em>).<br />
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<u>Best Actress</u><br />
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Jennifer. Bloody. Lawrence. People need to stop going crazy about her. The inclusion of her on this list made me so angry the other day I had a massive rant on Twitter for about 8 hours. I like <em>The</em> <em>Hunger Games</em>, okay? I just don't like her, and I think she's a massively overrated actress. If she wins, I'll never watch the Oscars again and the Academy will have lost all respect from me. I would like to see Jessica Chastain get it for <em>Zero Dark Thirty</em>, but we'll have to see. It's pretty much between those two, though. Well done too to Emmanuelle Riva (<em>Amour</em>) and Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts <em>of the Southern Wild</em>) for being the oldest and youngest nominees respectively in this category, that's quite an achievement. Wallis especially makes me question what I've done with my life if she's nine and has been nominated for an Oscar.<br />
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<u>Best Director</u><br />
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Affleck. Bigelow. Tarantino. Hooper. Where are they on this list? I understand that with five to ten Best Film nominees and only five Director slots, some people are going to miss out, but really, the wrong ones did. I don't understand this at all. David O. Russell (<em>Silver Linings Playbook</em>), really? I can't even say anything else because I'm so surprised and annoyed about the inclusions and exclusions on this list. Affleck has just won a Golden Globe! I would have put money on Bigelow and Tarantino being up. And Tom Hooper has famously been revolutionary with <em>Les Mis</em> by making his cast sing live, apparently with good results. The outcome of this strange list is harder to call than some other categories this year, but I'll go for Spielberg (<em>Lincoln</em>) or Michael Haneke (<em>Amour</em>).<br />
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<u>Best Supporting Actor</u><br />
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I do like the line-up in this category (I know, I'm giving praise!) and I also like the fact that every nominee has already won this award. I don't know why, since maybe some newcomers should have been included, but anyway. The smart money is on Phillip Seymour Hoffman (<em>The Master</em>) but I wouldn't rule any of the contenders out this year. I was expecting Leo DiCaprio to be nominated over Christoph Waltz if one of them was going to be up from <em>Django</em>, but I'll have to reserve judgement on that until I see it. I also personally think Garrett Hedlund should be up for <em>On The</em> <em>Road</em>, or Paul Giamatti for <em>Cosmopolis</em>, but hey, apparently the Academy and I are not on the same wavelength here.<br />
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<u>Best Supporting Actress</u><br />
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It will go to Anne Hathaway. It's the most obvious result in recent Oscar memory, I don't even know why they bothered to nominate anyone else when they're all going to get overlooked anyway. It's another classic Academy view that actresses should suffer for their work (if losing weight and cutting off your hair is "suffering") and that they like tragic stories more than anything else. At least now maybe Hathaway will stop being so unbelievably desperate for recognition. And hey, maybe it will make her more interesting, because right now I find her to be the human equivalent of beige, i.e. so incredibly dull it makes me want to hurt myself to not look at or listen to her. Apparently, it should go to Amy Adams for <em>The Master</em> (but I'm just parroting what other people are saying, I haven't actually seen for myself), but really it's irrelevant, because it's not going to happen.<br />
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<u>Best Adapted Screenplay</u><br />
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Not too sure about this one, because it depends what the Academy members are thinking when they're voting. It could go to <em>Lincoln</em> if they're feeling patriotic, or <em>Life of Pi</em>, which was the supposedly "unfilmable film", or <em>Silver Linings Playbook</em> because apparently they're in love with that. I don't think <em>Argo</em> is in with a chance because they seem to be ignoring this, sadly. Personally I think <em>Perks of Being a Wallflower</em> should be there, because I did not see a better page-to-screen adaptation this year. I think the problem with both screenplay awards is that they forget it's about the script and focus on the finished movie, which really kind of rejects a lot of films which may actually have better scripts than those nominated.<br />
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<u>Best Original Screenplay</u><br />
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I thought for sure this was going to <em>Zero Dark Thirty</em>, but now based on all the incoming reviews and the fact that it won the Golden Globe last Sunday, I'd have to say now it's going to <em>Django</em> <em>Unchained</em>. Which I'm happy about, because any nod for Tarantino is a bonus in my eyes. He is the best writer/director of his generation and I'm glad he's still getting credit where it's due. Again though, a lot of these I can't comment on because I haven't actually seen them, but since the Academy seem to be celebrating the prolific films this year, I think <em>Django</em>'s got this.<br />
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Danny Leigh of BBC Film 2013 basically summed up the main points here, give him a watch. His hatred of <em>Silver Linings Playbook</em> is particularly apparent and he makes an interesting point about Kathryn Bigelow too. Also what he says about the inclusion of foreign and indie films is completely true. Ranting starts around the 13:25 mark (he's just wrapping up talking about <em>The Sessions</em>):<br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01pz82d/Film_2013_Episode_2/">http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01pz82d/Film_2013_Episode_2/</a><br />
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So the question is, will you be tuning in? I know I certainly won't be staying up to watch something I really don't care that much about. If there's a highlight show I might flick over to that but honestly, this "hooray for Hollywood" attitude they have going on right now is getting on my nerves too much to tolerate.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-75687443149004823032012-11-27T00:16:00.000+00:002012-11-27T00:16:29.021+00:003x5I'm very behind on my reviews, I know. I've been insanely busy with work recently, and then I had to deal with the amazing Breaking Dawn week, so I've had hardly any time to do anything. But, I did see three five-star films within the space of five days last month and I feel the need to write about them, so I'm squishing them all into one post. I may expand these reviews some time, but I can't promise anything.<br />
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<em><u>On The Road</u></em><br />
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Firstly, I saw the much-anticipated <em>On The Road.</em> I've been waiting a ridiculously long time to see this, because for some reason they released it two years after filming. After hearing mixed/average reviews from Cannes, I had to lower my previously very high expectations of this film, but as a result, I was very pleasantly surprised.<br />
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This film has been a hell of a long time in the making, over three decades, and a lot of people, including myself, were a bit skeptical about how anyone could adapt an almost plotless 120 foot scroll of narrative onto the screen, and yes, in some ways it fails. But it's bloody difficult to transfer this writing to the screen and still maintain that Beat vibe. Yes, it could have been more wild, more extreme, but really, if it had to be adapted, at least they did a really good job of it.<br />
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The acting is amazing. Just looking at the cast you can understand that statement. The three main stars are perfect in their roles. Sam Riley surprised me, since the last thing I saw him in was the appalling <em>Brighton Rock</em>, and it was very nice to see him in something that actually showcased his ability and didn't make me want to kick the tv at the end of the film. He plays Sal with the perfect naivety, vulnerable with a rebellious streak within, and is someone I think the audience will see themselves in. Kristen Stewart also proves again that she is judged far too harshly just because of her association with the Twilight films; here, she relishes in the character of Marylou, someone who could not be more different from Bella Swan, playing her with wild abandon that really shows her talent. After watching this, and knowing about her absolute commitment to the role, I can't imagine anyone else doing a better job of it. And, for the record, she was cast in this when she was sixteen, before she did <em>Twilight</em>, so shush please haters. It's also great news to hear that they're going to be lobbying for her to get nominated in awards season next year, and she fully deserves that recognition. But really, the real star of this film is Dean, played perfectly by Garrett Hedlund. He is probably the best thing about the film, encapsulating the rebellious and charming character, which I think the film probably hinged on. An actor has to be seriously charismatic and almost overwhelmingly charming to pull this role off, and Hedlund absolutely succeeds, constantly drawing our attention to him whenever he's on screen. The "Beat Camp" that the cast went on for three weeks before the shoot really pays off as well, as the three have great chemistry together and every interaction between them feels very natural.<br />
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The cinematography is amazing - visually, the film is stunning and absolutely transports the audience to an array of locations; you actually feel like you're there, writhing and sweating at a New Year's party, or cold and wet during a stop by the side of a road in the middle of nowhere. I didn't really know of Eric Gautier before this film, but I have massive amounts of respect for him as a cinematographer for what he achieves here.<br />
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The supporting cast are excellent. In some ways, the film reminded me of <em>Cosmopolis</em> with its conveyer-belt of cameos and bit parts - however, like <em>Cosmopolis</em>, everyone here manages to make their mark, whether it's Amy Adams' struggling mother or Steve Buscemi's salesman-with-a-secret-interest - they all stand out. It's lovely to see Tom Sturridge in this, I think he has real potential as an actor and I want to see him do more than just being Sienna Miller's babydaddy. But the biggest highlight was probably Viggo Mortensen, who steals the few small scenes he's in and absolutely dominates the screen when he's actually on it. Kirsten Dunst is another highlight; she brings Camille's character to the audience's attention and underlines the detrimental effects Dean has on himself and others, whereas we might otherwise be too charmed by him to notice. I'd like to see her in more serious roles, she's been a bit absent recently and this proves that she really shouldn't be.<br />
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In terms of sexuality... well, there's a <em>lot</em>. It was a litle disappointing that it didn't bring the undertones of homosexuality up a little more, but therein lies the problems of an adaptation - you just can't fit everything in. I'd also recommend buying the French dvd of this and turning the subtitles off, because the English version was cut (who knows why) and therefore there's more in the French version.<br />
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The question that remains is why Hedlund, Riley and Sturridge haven't been getting acting offers left, right and centre. They all give brilliant performances and I think they're being wasted at the moment.<br />
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Verdict: It's not going to be for everyone, but if you "get" this type of film, you'll absolutely love it. Watch it just for the acting and the beauty of the film itself if nothing else.<br />
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*****<br />
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<em><u>The Perks Of Being A Wallflower</u></em><br />
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After seeing the film, this book is now at the top of my "to-read-for-pleasure" list. This film absolutely blew me away and I wasn't expecting to be touched by it as much as I was, since I didn't really know much about it and it hadn't been that widely publicised. It's probably the best coming-of-age film I've ever seen, and although there isn't a huge amount of plot and nothing much is resolved at the end, the journey is definitely worth taking.<br />
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The primary trio of actors were amazing. The film received quite a lot of attention because it was the first film Emma Watson did post-<em>Potter, </em>and she could not have picked a better film to break away from that franchise. She sheds Hermione within the first minute of being on screen, being able to let go in a way that was always restricted before, being flirtatious and wild but also showing tenderness and vulnerability perfectly. And also, I got so sucked into her performance that I forgot she wasn't actually American, though in hindsight it probably wasn't the best accent in the world. Ezra Miller, previously known as the titular psychopath in <em>We Need To Talk About Kevin</em>, plays basically the complete opposite character and does it just as well. As the giddy and camp Patrick, he steals every scene he's in and I want a best friend like him. And also Logan Lerman, previously of <em>Percy Jackson</em> fame, was wonderfully sweet and naive, likeable and vulnerable. And I checked, he's 20, it's okay to have a little thing for him. And all three are just the right amount of understated - they could have been ridiculously cliched and over the top, but they play their roles with just the correct level of charm and, in Patrick's case especially, flamboyancy. I think a special mention also needs to go out to Paul Rudd, who is refreshingly good in a dramatic role, deviating from comedy but proving that he can do both well. He's gives a likeable and thoughtful performance and I'd love to see him do more dramatic work in the future. And I'd also like it on record how much I think Joan Cusack is an underrated actress. She completely shines through in her two minutes of screen time and she's just wonderful. Hollywood, why are you not employing her more? Get on that.<br />
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I think what makes it so special is the fact that the screenplay was written and the film directed by Stephen Chbosky, the author of the book. You can tell it's been created with such care and precision and every facet is just right. Apparently it's a brilliant adaptation, which I don't doubt, but I'll let you know for sure after I finally get around to reading the book.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someday, somewhere, somehow, I'm doing this.</td></tr>
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In the time it's set, it's completely up my street. The film references are great, the multiple performances of <em>The Rocky Horror Show</em> throughout are really entertaining and the soundtrack is amazing; I had it on repeat for days. If you like that late-80s/early-90s feel about a film, I can't recommend this enough.<br />
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Verdict: Yes, it will probably only connect with a certain audience, but that's purely because of the plot and themes it deals with, not because of the quality of the film. It could have been completely cliche, and appeared to be a product of the overworked imagination of an angsty fifteen-year-old girl because of it's subject matter and themes including social isolation, bulimia, sexual and domestic abuse, homophobia and unrequited love, to name a few, but it gets the tone just right so that it's emotionally raw rather than emotionally overdone. And also, be infinite.<br />
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*****<br />
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<em><u>Skyfall</u></em><br />
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Bond's 26th outing was hyped up from the word "go", with the world and it's mother touting it as the "best one yet" before it even went into production. The secrecy and mystery surrounding the plot and what the title meant and who the new cast were playing and all the rest of it didn't help, with speculation rife about every aspect of the film. I was so worried that it was going to be overhyped for me and that I'd just end up being slightly let down, but I can safely say that it not only met those expectations, but exceeded them beyond belief.<br />
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I'll try not to spoil it for any of you who have been living in a cave and have yet to see it, but there are some truly epic moments in it.<br />
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The cast are exceptional: Daniel Craig, returning for his third stint as 007, gives his best performance so far. There isn't really a lot else to say about it; if you've seen his other two outings, it's more of the same, in a good way. He's charming, debonair, deadly, and every other trait you've come to expect from Bond. What's really great in this one is the interaction he has with Dame Judi Dench's M, and we see a lot more of their relationship. Their closeness is really touching. She's the real Bond girl of this film, and I'm so happy she got a really dense part to get her teeth into, and of course she delivers with perfection, as you would expect. Again, I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say much else, but their performances are very special. The best new addition has to be Javier Bardem's villain, Silva, a creepy, camp, obsessive maniac (sounds like me) with terrible hair (not like me at all). There hasn't ever been a Bond villain like him, but he's one of the best yet. Not hellbent on world domination or anything like we've seen in the past, his vendetta is a personal grudge against M, exposing a lot of her secrets and drawing worrying parallels to Bond. I think the best scene in the whole film is Silva's interrogation of Bond, where both men showcase their fantastic acting talent. The chemistry between the three of them (and no, it's not sexual, that would be wrong - though Silva... well, you'll see) is electric, and though it is approaching two and a half hours, they make it go by so quickly that you don't even notice time passing.<br />
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One complaint I do have is about Bérénice Marlohe. I have nothing against her, I just don't understand why her part was advertised so much when she's only in the film for a total of about five minutes. Other additions aren't as disappointing, and include Naomi Harris' field agent Eve, Ralph Fiennes' government pen pusher Mallory and Ben Whishaw's new, young Q, who are particular highlights. What I think will excite true Bond fans is the fact that, without giving too much away, they'll all be back in the future, and that this is going back to classic Bond films, but with a cool, modern-day edge. There are even jokes about it between Bond and Q.<br />
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And that's the other thing - though it's very serious for a lot of the film, it's also very funny, mostly because of the one-liners and conversations between Bond and the bumbling Q. One other stand-out moment is Bond's reaction to (VERY MILD SPOILER) the destruction of his precious Aston Martin DB5 (also a hilarious moment when you see it in a screen full of die-hard male Bond fans - their gasps of horror and outrage made me laugh for about ten minutes). And also there's a bit of sexual tension between Bond and Eve, though I can't see anything ever coming of that if they stick to Bond canon.<br />
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Plot-wise, I understand now why Craig said he was even more excited after reading this script than he was about <em>Casino Royale</em>, which was previously my favourite. It's tense, and captivating, and most importantly, it doesn't feel like there are any redundant parts to it (well, maybe the whole fight with Ola Rapace which feels only very very slightly unnecessary). The whole film is very polished but it's still raw, especially when they get up to Scotland and there's none of this usual technology to help them out.<br />
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Verdict: I wish I could think of more to say but it's now been a month since I saw it and I've forgotten most of the points I had to make about it. But essentially, all you need to know is that it's amazing and even if you aren't a Bond fan you should see it. It's brilliant, and I hope Sam Mendes does come back to direct the next installment because he did such a fantastic job of it. Anyone who knows my film tastes well enough knows that it's a big deal for me to say that I prefer this to <em>Casino Royale</em>, and it's even more emotional, but it truly does deserve all the hype it got. Go see it now or I'll set Silva on you (some of you might not mind that wink wink). Seriously, go.<br />
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*****Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-90612198124029315872012-11-23T01:05:00.001+00:002012-11-25T14:03:14.426+00:00Breaking Down Breaking Dawn Part 2Was it seriously a year ago that I posted my review of <em>Breaking Dawn Part 1</em>? I can't believe how quickly this time has gone, it felt like a year was unbearably far away when we left off. And here it is, the final installment of a franchise that, like it or not, has changed the face of cinema. And hell, does it bow out well.<br />
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For the record, I'm going to try my utmost to make this spoiler-free - or as spoiler-free as an adaptation can be - because I'm so happy I didn't know what they had changed. I'd advise anyone who doesn't already know the big twist to really try to not find out before they see it, because the impact will be so much more massive.<br />
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For those of you who don't know (i.e. non-fans or those who have been living in a cave), <em>Breaking Dawn Part 2</em> begins immediately after <em>Part 1</em> leaves off: Bella has awakened as a vampire and is living happily with her new husband, hybrid baby and the baby's boyfriend, until a big misunderstanding puts the whole family in danger of elimination from the vampire head honchos, the Volturi. They therefore need to gather as many "witnesses" (a slew of new, previously unmentioned vampire characters) to come and fight with them. Then shit goes down, and surprisingly, it's brilliant.<br />
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Having seen it now four times, with a further two cinema trips planned, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this film is the best of the series, and it is my favourite. What is absolutely astonishing is that they were able to make an utter turd of a book into a very enjoyable, engaging and emotional film. Every part of the film is at the peak of its brilliance, whether it be the acting (impeccable), the effects, the music, and actually, the story. This is one of those very rare occasions where the film <em>is</em> better than the book. Seriously.<br />
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We'll start with the acting. The central cast have had five films now with their characters, and the polished performances really shine through. Everyone seems a lot more relaxed, and that's probably because of the more light-hearted nature this film takes. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart again showcase their chemistry and give their best performances of the series, probably because they're actually allowed a whole range of emotions (happiness, for example). Even Jacob gets to calm down and, excluding the weird paedophilia (try and explain it all you want, it's still not okay), he's actually quite amusing. I can't imagine Team Jacob will be too impressed with his comparitively limited screen time (Jacob's a wolf for a lot of the film), but to be honest, I didn't really care, I'm not a huge fan of his anyway, as you well know. Also, Michael Sheen is back! Yay! And he's even more mental than he was in <em>New Moon</em>. I'm a big fan of his anyway, he always puts so much into his work. He's ridiculously camp and creepy and wonderful, and deserves awards. And <em>that</em> <em>laugh</em>! You thought the one in <em>New Moon</em> was creepy... just wait. All the supporting cast are good too, but no-one really stands out, save for maybe Peter Facinelli (Carlisle). But you can tell everyone is giving their all and making the most out of their small roles. Finally though, I have to give a special mention to Billy Burke, who has played Bella's father, Charlie, so well for five films. He always makes me laugh so much and he can also make me cry, and he's just so lovely in this. I'm just sad we don't get to see more of him.<br />
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Without trying to sound pervy, I'd have liked to have seen more sex. It's mentioned a lot in the book, and I just don't understand how anyone can think that one scene would suffice, when they're meant to be at it like rabbits constantly. One scene fifteen minutes in and then tantalising teases throughout disappoints me slightly. And whilst I'm at it, another thing that annoyed me was the complete dismissal of the love triangle that's been going on for four films. I get that Jacob now has something new to obsess over (it's a <em>baby</em>! It's still creepy!) but seriously, there's only one very subtle reference about the fact that not two days ago (in the time of the plot) he was completely in love with his new love-interest's mother! I'm not saying that they had to keep bringing it up, but really, they needed to mention it in some way.<br />
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One of the things I was most nervous about before I saw this was how they were going to introduce the abundance of new characters in this film. I've never liked that aspect of the book, and seeing all the promotional posters for each individual new character (there are <em>lots</em>)<em> </em>made me wonder how on earth it was going to work. But actually, I was mildly surprised, in a good way. I thought they were all going to be badly underwritten and underdeveloped spare parts, which most of them are, to be fair. But they have some stand-out additions who I'm sad we won't actually get to see more of. In particular Garrett, played by the lovely Lee Pace (can he be in more stuff, thanks), who brought some nice humour and became one of the very (<em>very</em>) few new vampires we actually care about<em>.</em> I see potential for a spin-off with him if Lionsgate decide to actually go ahead and make more Twilight films (please God don't do that). But overall, not a bad job. Yes there are blatant racial stereotypes (the Irish are ginger and wear green, one of the Romanians looks and sounds like the Count from Sesame Street and the Amazonians are accompanied by tribal music). And no, you won't even remember 90% of their names but actually it doesn't really matter; they're no more than glorified extras. It's just a little frustrating that these people take up screen time that could be spent on others (read: Edward and Bella).<br />
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Now, Renesmee. This was going to be tricky however they decided to do it. Stephenie Meyer famously delayed signing over the film rights to the final book because she didn't believe that special effects in films were developed enough to portray the baby realistically. Well, they still aren't. The baby/toddler just didn't look real, and therefore just looked bloody creepy. It's only when Mackenzie Foy actually gets to play her real age that Renesmee doesn't look like a doll or something even I could have whacked out with Photoshop. But on the plus side, she did a good job having to play so many different ages and be somewhat realistic, so kudos to her. And, if you look at Mackenzie, Rob and Kristen all in a row, it's really scary how much she looks like she could actually be their child; they look so similar! And also, Rob and Kristen are super-cute as parents.<br />
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I have to talk about the twist, without talking about the twist so as not to give anything away for those of you who still haven't seen it and haven't found out yet (how either of those things is possible is beyond me). It's really very clever how they manage to make a big event out of the notorious non-finale, and yet they still stay faithful to the book. It's the sort of effect I can only imagine working on screen, in text it just wouldn't have been the same. If you've seen the film, you know what I mean. I bet Stephenie Meyer was over the moon when she found out what they were planning to do since she obviously got bored with the story herself when writing it. But it's very shocking - I sat there the first time I saw it with my mouth agape in shock for about ten minutes, and my friend nearly broke my wrist clutching it so hard. Even second time round, when I knew it was coming, it still managed to shock me again. I'll say no more, but you won't see it coming if you don't already know about it. It's a bold move, and it pays off.<br />
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Not really important, but I wanted to mention the opening and ending credits, which I thought were very stylish and emotional respectively. The production team have never done opening credits before, but the little montage of freezing nature ws very beautiful and ramped up the anxiety for just a couple more minutes. And the ending credits were very special, letting everyone who has appeared in the films have their little shining moment to take a bow. And leaving the big three until the end and doing something even more extra-special for them was pretty much the twisting knife that lets you know it's really over. Sob.<br />
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As ever, I talk about the music. I've always championed the soundtracks and I think that people who don't even watch the films should listen to them because they're brilliant, and I think this one is my favourite. There isn't one song I dislike on it, even the one by Nikki Reed and her husband, who I was livid got on there in the first place. I can actually listen to the soundtrack and picture the scenes and cry because I get so emotional about them ("Ghosts" by James Vincent McMorrow and "Speak Up" by POP ETC are the two that get me every time). And of course, the score. I love it. I'm so happy Carter Burwell, composer of the first film, came back, and he did such a smashing job with it, and also incorporated the <em>New Moon</em> and <em>Eclipse</em> scores in there too even though he wasn't involved in them. I'm just annoyed that the Higher Powers (darn you, Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate!) have delayed releasing it so I can't have it on a loop as I go about my life.<br />
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Last time round, I think I said they did the best with what they had. This time, they took what they had and made it so much better than it is on the page. It may be the best film, but it won't convert any non-fans. But then it doesn't need to. It's just had the eighth biggest US opening ever and the biggest UK opening of an American film ever. It's going to be successful and, as the other films have proved, it doesn't need the approval of petulant, arrogant critics and isn't affected by the petty sniping of haters.<br />
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I debated a lot about what rating I was going to give this film, and in the end I couldn't decide. My head is telling me four stars, my heart is telling me five. So I'm going to compromise, and for the first time in the history of this blog, I'm giving it four and a half stars. Or nine out of ten, whichever works for you.<br />
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P.S. If you're a fan, bring tissues. The end is super emotional.</div>
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Trailer:</div>
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Also, for those interested, here are two interesting articles.</div>
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This one explores the aforementioned impact <em>Twilight</em> has had on cinema.</div>
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<a href="http://www.empireonline.com/features/the-twilight-legacy">http://www.empireonline.com/features/the-twilight-legacy</a></div>
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And this one, by the wonderful Mark Kermode (who I met at the premiere!), tries to defend <em>Twilight</em> from all you haters out there, and he makes some very interesting points.</div>
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<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2012/nov/10/twilight-breaking-dawn-better-than-star-wars?intcmp=ILCMUSTXT9386">http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2012/nov/10/twilight-breaking-dawn-better-than-star-wars?intcmp=ILCMUSTXT9386</a></div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-73718083749404783252012-10-10T23:14:00.000+01:002012-10-10T23:14:11.330+01:00Scores of ScoresI start again with another apology - sadly real life has got in the way again (new semester, moving out, the piles and piles of reading that comes with studying for an English degree...) and I haven't updated the blog in a long time. I'm fully aware of this, and I do want to be able to write more, but for now it's difficult to find times to regularly post. That, and the fact that I'm so rarely going to the cinema now (boo to being poor!) that I don't have anything to write about really any more.<br />
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However, saying that, I have missed writing for the blog, so I'm thinking of new things to post, instead of just film reviews. I had some free time and motivation for once this evening, and also some inspiration. I've been listening to film scores all day, and thought I should do a blog about them.<br />
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Film scores are not to be confused with film soundtracks. Whilst the latter are also an integral part of many films, I'm talking about all the orchestral music. I don't know how many times I've mentioned film scores to someone and they've replied "Oh yeah, I love that track that Person X did for that blah blah blah" and I've had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming at them. I know that all the covers say "Original Motion Picture <u>Soundtrack</u>" but it's not a soundtrack. They are NOT the same, and don't piss me off by confusing them.<br />
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Any regular reader of mine knows that I frequently mention a film's score in a review I post here, and for good reason. It's one of the things that I always listen out for in a film, if I haven't heard it before I even see the film, which I sometimes do. To me, the score is something complex and underappreciated in a film, when actually it's a very integral part. I may be making assumptions here when I say that people tend not to pay much attention to it, but I've found that this seems to be the general consensus: I never hear people coming out of a screen and commenting on the score, but rather the bigger picture - the acting, storyline, etc - whereas most of the time I'm thinking about all the little things. Maybe this is down to having a keen interest in the detail, or studying film to a certain extent on my course, but the more "minor" details like the cinematography, editing and scoring all seem to stand out to me just as much as the big details that most other people focus on.<br />
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Yes, it's always in the background, occasionally coming to the forefront in particularly poignant or epic moments, but what would a film be without it? I've watched films before where I've thought, what would this be like without the score? I think about the actors filming with no music going on, and realise just how different it would be. Imagine Harry and Voldemort's final battle in the war-torn grounds of Hogwarts just as it was filmed - it would just be some random yelling and the sound of sparks. Or the sinking of the Titanic - just some splashing around. The score is subtle, altering and emphasising the mood and tone of a scene in such a way that most people don't even notice half the time, but often feel the effects of. There are minimalist scores (<em>Alien</em>) and extravagant scores (<em>Titanic</em>)<em>.</em> A score can make you sad (<em>Atonement</em>) or happy (<em>The Artist</em>), or can fill you with the indescribable feeling you only get when thinking of your favourite film. They can emphasise the grandeur and spectacle of a scene (<em>The Dark Knight</em>) and have you on the edge of your seat with tension (<em>Jaws</em> or <em>The Shining</em>). People may be pre-occupied with what they can see on screen, but they miss out on the fact that it's what they can hear that makes a film so special and heightens the movie-watching experience.<br />
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Of course, a good film doesn't always have a good score, and vice versa. <em>X-Men: First Class</em> and 2009's <em>Star Trek</em> were great films really let down by their scores, which were mediocre and forgetful, whereas <em>Tron: Legacy</em> was an average film (only critically - I love it anyway) with a brilliant score by Daft Punk that was actually cheated out of an Oscar (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (<em>The Social Network</em>), with all due respect, jog on). However, a film has to work harder to achieve the same affect on an audience when it doesn't have the adequate score to support it.<br />
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There are obviously plenty of well-known scores that have become ingrained in culture, at least for certain tracks. I was having a conversation a while ago with my wonderful friend and regular blog-reader, Garen, where we discussed remaking the <em>Harry Potter</em> films, and we said that the most difficult thing about it would be the music because the theme is so iconic. It's the same for many other films or film series, such as James Bond, where society just knows the music without even having to think about it, or having seen the film. Think of <em>Jaws</em>, <em>Indiana Jones</em>, <em>Star Wars</em>, <em>Titanic</em>, <em>Psycho</em> and yes, <em>Harry Potter</em> and Bond. I would bet that most of you could hum most of these tunes, but I would bet that it would only be the one track. <br />
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Scores pull many emotions out of me: I can listen to the <em>WALL·E</em> score and laugh at certain tracks, and of course, scores like <em>Pan's Labyrinth</em> and <em>Black Swan </em>have been known to make me cry. There was a time about 18 months ago where I cried in public listening to a score and couldn't even explain why because people would find me even stranger than I already seemed. I know I am an extreme case, but I don't think people take enough time to listen to scores as they do to other music. "Normal" people get excited about their favourite band's new album coming out; I get excited about a new film score - in fact, over a third of my iPod is taken up by scores. I just think that if people gave scores a chance then they would get the appreciation they deserve.<br />
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Going off topic slightly, they are also fantastic to work to (hence the reason I've been listening to them most of the day). I know several people who say they can't work in silence and have to have music or television on in the background for them to be able to get anything done, and I'm the same, except I can't focus on my work if I have any kind of words being spoken at the same time, or I end up writing what I'm hearing instead of what I'm thinking. I've read back through essays on more than one occasion in the past and seen lyrics in there (that don't make sense, otherwise I'd have left them in for a laugh), so it kind of rules out listening to more traditional music. But that's where scores are lovely, because they allow my mind to focus on the work as the music just washes over me. Only very rarely do I get distracted if I have a score playing, and that's usually only if I pause to appreciate a particular part of it.<br />
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So when people ask me what type of music I'm into, I always reply with film scores (and usually get a blank look in reply). You can keep your Adeles, your Rihannas, and *shudder* your One Directions, if you are that so way inclined (if your response was "yes" to the latter then please leave this blog, you are unwelcome). I'll take James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer, Alexandre Desplat and Thomas Newman any day of the week.<br />
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I'll leave you with a few of my favourite tracks from my favourite scores for you to peruse at your own leisure...<br />
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Encom, Part II, from <em>Tron: Legacy</em>, by Daft Punk<br />
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Perfection, from <em>Black Swan</em>, by Clint Mansell</div>
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A Nova Vida, from <em>Breaking Dawn</em>, by Carter Burwell</div>
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Denouement, from <em>Atonement</em>, by Dario Marianelli</div>
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Lily's Theme, from <em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2</em>, by Alexandre Desplat<br />
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Define Dancing, from <em>WALL·E</em>, by Thomas Newman<br />
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Rat Men, from <em>Cosmopolis</em>, by Howard Shore<br />
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Circus Fantasy, from <em>Water for Elephants</em>, by James Newton Howard<br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-16914666935449318642012-08-02T00:46:00.000+01:002012-08-02T00:46:25.989+01:00The Weirdest Film You May Not See This YearIf you follow me on Twitter (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/emsuckle" target="_blank">emsuckle</a>), you'll notice that I've been going on about <em>Cosmopolis</em> a lot recently. I'll admit that it first came to my attention due to a certain leading man who regular readers know I'm a big fan of, but I followed the news about it and read the novel it was based on, and the intrigue only grew from then on. I've probably delayed posting this review for so long that it isn't being shown in UK cinemas anymore (not that it had a wide release anyway), but I still think people should know about it. But I must say before we begin, I am NOT being biased when I write this. I've already had accusations of this, but I absolutely cannot stress enough that it isn't true.<br />
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28 year old billionaire Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) embarks on a cross-town journey to get a haircut. On the way, he encounters many people, including his wife and colleagues, as he travels in his limo, but a "credible threat" to his life and a deliberate loss of billions of dollars mean Packer is soon re-evaluating and questioning a lot of things in his life.<br />
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I can't really give you a lot more plot than that, because it would spoil the film, but it's one hell of a surreal movie to watch.<br />
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I've heard a few people complaining about the fact they "didn't get it"and walked out, but in my honest poinion I think that they just didn't give it enough of a chance, or focus enough. It's challenging, especially with the amount of dialogue and the not-so-coherent plot. I don't think it matters if people don't understand it - Robert Pattinson and David Cronenberg have been very open about the fact that <em>they</em> don't really get it. Also, it's <em>Cronenberg</em>, people! He makes strange films and I don't know why people are surprised that this was weird. I didn't see <em>A Dangerous Method</em>, but I've heard that comparitively <em>Cosmopolis</em> is much more his style, not to mention a lot better than <em>A Dangerous Method</em>, which received very lukewarm reviews. <br />
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Dialogue is a major aspect of the film, and every word out of the actors' mouths sound like poetry. A lot of people who have seen it have said that the dialogue was nearly incomprehensable, and I kind of see why they would say that - it's very dense, and admittedly there is a <em>lot</em> of it, so if concentrating on speech isn't your cup of tea then this maybe isn't a film you will enjoy very much. I seem to be the only person in my screen who followed it, which probably meant that I didn't get the film at all. But hey ho, I still absolutely loved it; it's so different to what I've come to expect in modern cinema - it feels like a film made for intellects, and not for general wide audiences. Yes, that sounds pretentious and elitist, which to some extent the film in general is, but those who get it will really appreciate it, and it's challenging, which is refreshing. Every sentence is carefully structured so it doesn't really sound like normal speech, it's far more stylised. But this synthetic way of talking only heightens the audience's awareness that nothing is natural, yet at the same time beautiful, just like the dialogue itself. But don't miss the humour. There's a lot of it; it's dark but it's there. I think people missed some of it because of the complexity of the vocabulary and the strangeness of the film, but it's something that should be appreciated about the film. (I apologise for all this analysis - I feel like I'm writing an essay - but these are all the thoughts I had whilst watching it. It's probably something to do with the way an English student's mind works.)<br />
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Every member of the cast is brilliant. What has annoyed me a great deal in both my excitement in the build up and the reverence post-viewing is how everyone assumes I'm being biased, but genuinely, Robert Pattinson was brilliant. He's in every scene, which is unusual for a leading actor in films right now, but the charisma he gives off proves he was a fine choice in casting. As Packer, he fantastically pulls off the mean feat of appearing to be cool and aloof to every aspect of his life, but also carefully calculating and energetic under the surface. There are a lot of subtle nuances that may go unnoticed to some people, but they are the difference between looking wooden half the time and actually producing an excellent display of acting ability. The few times he shows strong emotion are actually a bit of a shock, because it's such a contrast to how he is for most of the film, aside from the end where he is clearly full of joy and excitement at having his life threatened. I'm not even joking. From casual twitches to sweeping changes in facial expression, and, later in the film, frenetic energy and carefully placed body movement mean that he totally owns and carries the film. I hope that after seeing this people will stop judging Robert Pattinson solely on his appearances in <em>Twilight</em>, and accept that he actually is not only a very capable actor, but one who has the potential to be brilliant. This is definitely his best performance in a film so far, and I know a lot of you haters will be thinking, "Well, that's not hard," but actually just give him a chance. If people would stop hating and judging him so harshly only because of the franchise that made him famous, they would be able to see that he actually is a very talented actor. And get used to it, because after seeing this I'm thinking he's going to be around for a long time. David Cronenberg clearly thinks so, since he's reportedly cast him in a couple of his upcoming projects and publicly stated how much he enjoyed working with him - Pattinson is basically the next Viggo Mortensen, and that is by no means a bad thing. I spy the beginning of a beautiful partnership.<br />
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As brilliant as I think Pattinson is in this, he doesn't overshadow the other big names in the film. Samantha Morton was a stand-out for me, I'd like to see her in more things, and the banter between her and Pattinson was endlessly watchable. Sarah Gadon, playing Pattinson's detached wife, was another highlight for me, and I predict good things for her in the future. Again, their conversations were wonderful to watch, and their chemistry was great; they were both very convincing in their roles together. There were others like Juliette Binoche and Mathieu Amalric who were just glorified cameos, but that's not to take away from their performances: every single person who appeared in the film for more than 0.3 seconds contributed to it, and it's one of my favourite ensemble casts in recent times, if you can even call it that considering there are only about three or four characters who appear for more than ten minutes in total. All of the different actors, no matter how brief their appearance, made an impact and had the chance to shine.<br />
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I need to give a special mention to Paul Giamatti, who was absolutely superb. I've written about his other work before, and after seeing this I respect him even more as an actor - I think he's seriously underrated and he needs to be in more films, and more people need to be aware of his amazing talent. He and Pattinson are excellent together; they have such a rapport and the last 15 minutes with their one-on-one interaction is definitely the most engaging, helped obviously by the fact that it's the climax of the film and it builds to a massive crescendo. They bounce off each other flawlessly, and watching it, it's even more inconceivable that it was done in only a couple of takes, because that just proves how outstanding they both are in this scene. I shall be watching this scene on repeat a lot when I finally get the dvd.<br />
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Considering the novel on which it was based was written twelve years ago, it's quite eerie how well this film reflects modern times, even mirroring one real-life event. During promotion for this, Cronenberg said how one particular pie-throwing scene was filmed around the same time as Rupert Murdoch's pie-in-the-face incident, which was quite amusing. But really, it says a lot that a novel written a relatively long time ago can comment so accurately on our society today. It's a film that asks more questions than it answers, which I understand may annoy people, but it makes a lot of statements about the world we live in and the consumerist lifestyles we lead.<br />
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One particular aspect of the film I liked was the fact that 90% of the film took place inside Eric's limo. It made the film very claustrophobic in an almost neo-noir kind of way, and heightened the intensity of what was going on, but also it separated the philosophical conversations going on in the limo with Eric and his various escorts with the chaos and destruction that was going on outside, in society. It also added to how surreal the film was, as the rare times when Eric left his car during the film felt strange, that he didn't belong in society, like some kind of demigod. The film is full of contrasts, and asymmetry especially, and the set of the limo is so effective in bringing out these themes and intensifying the action and dialogue. <br />
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I don't write a lot of reviews without mentioning the score, one of my favourite pieces of any film usually, and this is no different. As I write this I'm listening to Howard Shore's (who has worked on every Cronenberg movie for the last thirty years) composition, which I downloaded as soon as I got in from seeing the film. (You should all know by now I have no actual technical knowledge of film scores, I just comment on the way they reflect the film and what they add to it.) It's eerie in a lot of ways, and also succeeds in building up tension, but in a very subtle way. It's obviously synthetic as well, not so much in the way a lot of 80s sci-fis were, but in a way that is clearly reflecting on the film's theme of non-naturalism and the way we live in the electronic era. I really enjoy it; I have some of Shore's other work, but this is among my favourite of his, and one of my favourites of the year so far.<br />
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Verdict: This is a film you will either love or hate, and I get that. Personally, I loved it. I think people judged it badly because of the complex dialogue and surreal plot, and didn't give it enough of a chance. But there's a reason it was selected at Cannes this year; people who are disbelieving of Robert Pattinson's acting ability must watch this, and Cronenberg has a fine return to form. I could not recommend this more, but this really is a film for the adventurous movie-goers out there.<br />
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*****<br />
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Trailer: If I can be bothered, I usually only post one trailer. However, for this, you need to see both. The first 30-second teaser one actually took my breath away the first time I saw it, but I watch the second one occasionally even after seeing the film just to remind myself how much I loved it. But I probably wouldn't watch it if I had epilepsy, just so you know.<br />
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And just another fun fact for you: they filmed every scene in the limo almost in chronological order, which is almost unheard of nowadays.</div>
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<br /></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-40560733897811665152012-07-12T12:13:00.003+01:002012-07-12T12:13:50.283+01:00Some Films I've Seen Recently...I know I've been silent for a long time, but I've been away on holiday and been generally busy, so I can only apologise. But I've seen a few films recently, not new, but that deserve a review, so I'm going to do a few short ones in this post.<br />
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<u>Attack The Block</u><br />
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I watched this film a few weeks ago and I still crack up when I think about it. It was refreshingly funny; the one-liners were superb, and based on this I think first time writer/director Joe Cornish has a bright future in this industry, and I'm excited to see what he's going to do next.<br />
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It was fresh and appealing to a wider range of modern youth, an audience which I don't think is targeted enough. Yes, you have all the franchises and comedies etc, which are supposed to draw in that sort of crowd, but I think a lot of teenagers will actually relate more to this film, mostly due to the fabulous cast and the dialogue, which uses more of the common teenage vernacular, and this use of slang is what is going to make teenagers sit up and take note of films being made if more are done like this.<br />
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I'd have liked it to have been scarier, but the original plot and the look of the aliens more than makes up for that slight disappointment. It is a nice revamp of alien invasion flicks, so much so that it sounds actually believable.<br />
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As for the cast, I think it was a good idea to have a young, relatively unknown cast, and the biggest name was Nick Frost, who isn't in it a great deal, which is good because I having seen it I'm glad that nothing detracted from the main youth cast. John Boyega (who portrayed Moses, the leader of the gang of yoofs), could have a very nice career if he keeps giving performances like this. (Side note: I feel like I should give a special mention to my good friend and regular commentor on the blog, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/garenabelunokan" target="_blank">Garen</a>, who is followed on Twitter by John Boyega. She's immensely proud of this fact.)<br />
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****<br />
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<u>Young Adult</u><br />
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I watched this on the plane to Florida recently, and had to try really hard to control myself so I didn't burst out in uncontrollable fits of laughter. It's very very dark humour, which suits me fine, but <em>Juno</em> writer Diablo Cody delivers another fine script. It's an interesting premise - what happens to that Queen Bee when she grows up? The answer, according to Cody, is a super-bitchy, self-centred immature creature - essentially an older version of the teenage thing.<br />
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Charlize Theron deserved more recognition for her performance as the narcissistic teen-lit author whose writings reflect her own life. I mentioned in a post earlier this year that a lot of people in the industry were confused as to why she hadn't been nominated for awards, and now I can see why - it's probably the best performance I've seen of hers (admittedly, I haven't seen them all, including her Oscar-winning role in <em>Monster</em>). But she gave a better performance than 99% of the other female leads I've seen, and certainly better than at least three of the Oscar-nominated performances this year.<br />
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I like as well that this film isn't predictable. I thought I was able to tell what was going to happen from early on, but it has a surprising ending which isn't necessarily pleasant, but it's certainly a good thing that it didn't go down the obvious route and become another superficial flick.<br />
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****<br />
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<u>We Need To Talk About Kevin</u><br />
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Another of the female performances that was overlooked this year was Tilda Swinton's in this, which is even more of a travesty than Charlize Theron. But not just that, every aspect of this film deserved much, much more recognition than it got; it was virtually flawless.<br />
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It is a truly brutal and horrific film, but the subject matter is handled well, considering how dark it is. I hadn't read the book so I didn't know beforehand what was going to happen, though I was able to guess the general climax of the story.<br />
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Tilda Swinton has never been better, in my opinion, and that is saying a lot considering what a fantastic actress she is. But she was completely convincing and conveyed her character so well. Her supporting cast were also commendable, including John C. Reilly as her husband, who should do more serious roles, as he was a revelation; also, the two actors who played her son at different ages - Jasper Newell as young Kevin gave one of the best child performances I've seen for some time, and Ezra Miller is suitably sinister as the teenage Kevin.<br />
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Essentially, the film is perfect, and it's an absolute travesty that not only was it virtually ignored at the awards this year, but also that it hasn't reached a wider audience. I highly recommend that everyone sees this. It's by no means a cheerful film, but it has stayed with me for a long time.<br />
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*****<br />
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<u>The Descendants</u><br />
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So after all that positivity in my other mini-reviews, I'm closing with highly acclaimed <em>The Descendants</em>, which I did not enjoy by any stretch of the imagination. I went into watching this thinking it must be moderately good based on all the critical acclaim it got, but really, I was incredibly bored after three minutes and it didn't pick up as time dragged on. Yes, it's the hideously pretentious film the academies love, but really, nothing happens. It's slow, without a lot going on, and there's nothing to really engage the audience. The characters are not likeable, the plot is dull as dishwater, and George Clooney is very overrated, as is the whole film. </div>
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I can't believe it won Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars this year over films such as <em>Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy</em>, and films not even nominated such as <em>We Need To Talk About Kevin</em> and <em>The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo</em>, both of which deserved it more. And as for Clooney winning many awards and nominations for his role, well, it's not surprising since the Academy do like him a fair amount, but a lot of other more deserving actors were left out.</div>
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I didn't enjoy it, and personally I thought it was very overrated. I'm glad I didn't spend money going to see it, put it that way, but I'm annoyed I've now lost two hours of my life on this film which I could quite happily have gone the rest of my life without seeing.<br />
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**<br />
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Ok, that's it for now, but since I'm poor and my social life seems to have dried up I'm pretty much constantly watching films, so expect some more posts soon.</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-35421999709089955982012-05-31T16:50:00.001+01:002012-05-31T16:50:43.995+01:00The Fairest Of Them AllThere have been two adaptations of The Grimm's brothers' Snow White this year, and from the moment those two trailers were released everyone knew which one was going to be the better. And I'm very pleased to say that <em>Snow White and the Huntsman</em> more than lives up to the expectations. Yes, there's blood-red lips, snow white skin and raven black hair, there's an evil queen, a mirror, a prince and an apple, but this is genuinely not Snow White as you've ever seen it done before.<br />
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In this re-imagining, the evil Queen Ravenna (played wonderfully by Charlize Theron) tricks the newly bereaved king, kills him on their wedding night and imprisons his daughter in a tower for years. Now, with her powers waning, her magic mirror tells her to consume the heart of the one fairer than her, Snow White (Kristen Stewart). Except, of course, she escapes her prison into the Dark Forest, so Ravenna recruits a widowed alcoholic Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to bring her back. But Snow White's good heart and pure nature make the Huntsman reconsider, and instead helps her lead a rebellion including eight dwarves and Snow's childhood friend, Prince William (Sam Claflin) to bring down the evil tyranny of the Queen...<br />
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It must be said that it's a very beautifully shot film, very artfully done. Director Rupert Sanders, previously a well-respected director of video game commercials, makes his feature-film debut in stunning style, and at times this almost overshadows everything else about the film. The special effects are dazzling, but also imaginative, and so detailed as well, it actually feels like a different world. It's clear to see the influence of other directors on Sanders, especially Guillermo del Toro - the comparisons are easy to make between this and <em>Pan's Labyrinth</em> in terms of style, and as that is also one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen that is by no means a bad thing.<br />
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In terms of performances, it's a little bit of a mixed bag. Charlize Theron basically steals the show - and quite rightly. She is absolutely perfect as the Queen obsessed with aging, power and beauty, and she's very chilling. She's scary, but at the same time she isn't a one-dimensional villain; her backstory actually makes her very believable and it's easy to see why she is the way she is. She's manic and terrifying, and does a lot of screaming at people, but never goes to the point of melodramatic. Even her possible insanity (where did that mirror man come from?) doesn't feel contrived or staged, but completely understandable once you grasp what's gone on in her life. I'm trying not to dwell too much on the borderline incestuous relationship she has with her brother (why is he watching her take a naked milk bath?!), but even that just effectively adds to how creepy the character is. Theron displays a performance here that reminds the audience of what a fantastic actress she is. She is <em>my</em> new queen.<br />
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I was a little concerned about Kristen Stewart, wondering whether she may not become a little annoying as the film goes on, but I'm very pleased to report that she does a fantastic job as the titular heroine. Having heard interviews with Kristen talking about the character, it's nice to actually see her dedication to the development of Snow, and to see that no, she isn't a perfect person as we all believe, and she isn't just a damsel in distress. I was also worried she wasn't going to be believable as a leader in battle, but seeing her journey and what she goes through does make it convincing (as is her accent, I might add!).<br />
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I do have a little bit of a problem with Chris Hemsworth, regretably. I adore him, I do, but he could have done better. It's nice to see his character journey, but I feel like the Huntsman could have been written better. He's definitely a role that could be developed further if the rumoured sequels do happen (more on that in a bit). But he does bring some comedy to the film in his early drunken state, and the relationship between him and Snow White is enjoyable to see unfold, for the most part. Where I have an issue is in the sudden development of a romantic relationship between the two, which feels really random. He says she reminds him of his deceased wife, and she doesn't say anything about her feelings towards him at all, but it keeps being hinted at in the last section of the film and it doesn't really fit. It's much better if they stick with the mentor-student type relationship, or an older brother kind of thing. Also, his accent just barely passable. I know they made him Scottish because they wanted to emphasise difference between him and the nobility of the Queen, Snow White and Prince William, but it just didn't work. Nobody would have questioned why he also had an English accent, they should have just stuck with that since we know he can do it from <em>Thor</em>.<br />
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The dwarves are kind of underused, even if they are brilliant in what we see of them. With the likes of Nick Frost, Ray Winstone and Toby Jones, among others, they bring a large part of the film's comedy in their interactions with each other and the Huntsman, but because they don't come into the film until about half way through, they don't really have time to develop properly; it seems like all the effort the actors exerted to play the roles - going to "dwarf camp" and having small actors teach them the movements - was almost wasted as they weren't really given their chance to shine. To be fair, there are moments when they really engage the audience, in particular Brian Gleeson, who plays Gus, who is so adorable. Now I don't like to say this, because he's a brillaint actor usually, but the one dwarf I didn't like was Bob Hoskins, whose only role seemed to be to repeat "she will end the darkness" and variations thereof constantly every time he's on screen. It didn't need to be said the other 357 times after Chris Hemsworth had got the message.<br />
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As for the more supporting cast, again it's a little mixed. Sam Claflin as Prince William is lovely, breaking the mould of fairy-tale princes and actually getting stuck into the action. His relationship with Snow is adorable and I still root for them to be together; it's helped, I think, by showing them as children, which is so cute and does tie in nicely to some of the stuff that happens later in the film. As for Lily Cole though, I don't know why they made a big deal about her being in it - I'm not a fan of hers really anyway, but she's in all of three scenes and one of those is where she gets the youth sucked out of her by the Queen anyway - she's really very forgettable, and actually <em>not</em> a character I want to be expanded if/when they make the next one.<br />
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Yes, it's a predictable outcome even before the film begins, but the only true rebellion against the original story is to have the Queen win, and that's just a little bleak (although actually there are times when I did root for Ravenna, but that's down to Charlize Theron's fantastic performance really). The ending could have been better - without trying to spoil too much, the "Messiah" comparisons were a little annoying, and the fact that nobody questions how Snow White had suddenly risen from the dead irked me. It was obviously left open for a sequel, but I don't actually know what they could do with it; there's still room for the characters to be developed further, but I don't know what a believable compelling storyline would be - it's all about the Queen really, isn't it?<br />
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Saying that, there were moments which were really special. Parts of the film that were unexpected, such as the encounter with the village of women were surprisingly enjoyable and I liked the way they were embedded into the storyline. The prologue part of the film, in which all the backstory is explained, is a particular highlight, as it's so detailed and perfect to fully understand the rest of the film. The changes in the characters are also welcomed - Snow White is <em>not</em> a damsel in distress, but also she keeps her femininity rather than just becoming a woman-being-a-man action hero. The Queen has such depth that it's hard not to empathise with her at least a little bit; even the prince isn't your ordinary run-of-the-mill fairy tale prince who swans in and saves the day but is actually just the most blah character in history, but he too has proper balls. It's dark stuff, too: Snow White has a mental magic mushroom-enduced trip in the dark forest, the Queen ages rapidly and repulsively and is clearly very mentally unstable, and it doesn't shy away from death and violence (keeping it at 12 levels, though, obviously - though it could have been pushed slightly more, I feel). I also liked the way they redefined all the traditional moments of the story, such as the poisoned apple and the magic mirror; it was refreshing, and it actually resulted in the film deserving to say it's a reimaging, and not just another average adaptation.<br />
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What's really good about this version of the tale is that it's really timeless. There are themes that can be related to modern day life, mostly in terms of feminism and the effect of what a child is told in their youth. Ravenna, having been told by her mother that a woman will only succeed if she is beautiful and young, is shaped into this power-hungry women because she believes that all women are used by men and then discarded - this could not be more relevant in today's society, where women are still valued for their looks and youth. Obviously they are trying to then promote the contrasting upbringing of Snow White, who is told that a good heart will lead you to good places, but both of these really stand out as themes which make what feels on the surface to be a very medieval tale into a timeless message regarding the perception of women.<br />
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In terms of the technical parts of the film, it really is brilliant. The costumes are gorgeous, and the detail they went into on Ravenna's outfits is exceptional - I love how every costume she wears has some sort of dead thing on it, whether it be feathers, fur or bones, to reflect her character bringing death and despair to everything. The sets were all spectacular, with the English coast being transformed perfectly into a battle ground, and the castles giving a striking feel of despair. But also the outdoor settings in the forests are beautiful, with the contrasting dark and blooming environments just emphasising how special both of them are (there's a lot of contrasts in the film, in case you haven't already gathered. I'm pretty sure it's intentional). The score (you know I love the scores!) is simply superb. I'm a big fan of James Newton Howard anyway, and his style really fits this film. It's probably the best score I've heard so far this year, and I will listen to it constantly for about the next month (I'm listening to it as I'm writing this). It matches the mood of each scene perfectly, and really is just triumphant. And it's so sad to know that it probably will not be in contention for any proper awards because of the type of film it is, and will be overlooked when it really is sublime and deserves proper recognition.<br />
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Verdict: Yes, there are parts that are to be expected from a fairy tale adaptation, but the way <em>Snow White and the Huntsman</em> so wonderfully revolutionises the story means that this isn't a standard film. It's genuinely one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Rupert Sanders has to show us next, if this is only his first offering. A dedicated cast and crew must be commended for what they have managed to produce, and strong central performances from the leading ladies are what really make this film a must-see.<br />
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****<br />
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(I don't normally plug stuff like this, but the behind-the-scenes stuff and interviews from this film are really good, so check out the official Youtube channel for all their videos. Though don't if you want to avoid spoilers, because there's <em>lots</em> there.)<br />
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</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-17229425472841532062012-05-30T20:02:00.000+01:002012-05-30T20:02:00.071+01:00And The Award For Most Misleading Trailer Goes To...Dark Shadows! The latest collaboration between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp (and Helena Bonham Carter too, of course) shows nothing more than the typical Burton style and the fact that this feels more like the 118th time they've worked together rather than the 8th. I've actually delayed writing this review because I don't actually want to think too much about the film because it disappointed me so (and also I've been sunbathing). The film failed to meet the expectations of the trailer which made it look so enjoyable and hilarious.<br />
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In 1776, wealthy playboy Barnabus Collins (Depp) spurns the advances of one of his servants, the witch Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), in favour of the vapid Josette. In a jealous rage, Angelique kills his parents and bewitches Josette so she jumps of a cliff to her death, and changes Barnabus into a vampire, and then proceeds to bury him alive with the aid of the townsfolk. Two hundred years later, his casket is discovered and he awakes to a world he is completely unfamiliar with - the early seventies. He returns to his family home to find the family business going under, the house in disrepair and a number of dysfunctional relatives. Whilst adjusting to his new life, Barnabus must also salvage the family's wealth and reputation, and also deal with a familiar face who is out to destroy him.<br />
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It is not only the most disappointing film I've seen in a very long time, but the film is also so falsely advertised in the trailers. The film seems to be confused about what type of film it actually is - it seemed from all the footage released to be a typical fish-out-of-water comedy, but there's family drama added in, there's a supernatural love triangle, there's action, and a little bit of horror, and all in all it seems terribly confused and unfocused. The different plot strands are all over the place because there's just far too much going on; it's like Burton has tried to cram five different films into one, and it's all rather chaotic.<br />
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The performances are all rather so-so as well, disappointingly. Depp's portrayal of the 18th century playboy-turned-vampire living in modern times feels rather restrained compared to what we know he's capable of - at times, it feels like he was filming at the same time as thinking "Why am I actually doing this?" - and that's probably down to the script again - despite having been asleep for two hundred years, he seems to accept all the modern day changes rather easily. Yes, there's the little things we've all seen like him being all confused about the television, and another bit where he gingerly steps onto tarmac, but overall he seems very well adjusted very quickly. Eva Green is actually rather good, and despite being the villain I actually sympathised with her, but that may be because actually all of the other characters were somewhat ghastly. She does do an annoying amount of showing off her looks and attempting to force Barnabus to love her, but compared to the rest of the cast she's probably the most engaging. Michelle Pfeiffer doesn't really do much more than drawl snarky comments occasionally, and her incessant eye-rolling could be down to the fact that she has realised she has absolutely nothing to sink her teeth into here. Jonny Lee Miller is just a horrible representation of a bad father to his poor son, a (slightly irritating) little boy who is seeing a therapist and thinks he can communicate with dead people (don't even ask, it's all moot). All the characters are basically under-developed and though you can see they've tried, it's just impossible to care for any of the characters at all. Whereas in the trailer it looked like Chloe Moretz was going to be an entertaining snarky teen, she ends up just being a whiny and very annoying one instead. She's one of those teenagers you want to slap for taking their angsty moods too far. And don't get me started on Bella Heathcote. She has <em>two</em> characters to play and she's <em>still</em> barely memorable. Both of them are vapid, as I said earlier, and bring absolutely nothing to the table except to be plot catalysts. You could tell she was supposed to be the likeable character in this, and you were supposed to root for her, but she just ended up being irritating and redundant. And of course, there's Helena Bonham Carter, aka, Mrs Burton. I'm pretty sure she's contractually obliged to appear in every film her partner makes - maybe they had that in lieu of a marriage certificate? Who knows, but even she here lacks that special something she so often brings to the screen. <br />
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There is a worrying lack of humour here: all the decent gags were given away in the trailer (and I meant literally <em>all</em> of them). This could even be excused if they made up for it in other ways, but the horror was clearly toned down (though there is one comparitively nasty moment with a blood bag being sucked dry through its user). It's not a love story, really, as the central romance gets overshadowed by too much else going on, and even the sexytimes feel a little too staged and surreal to be enjoyable. Even the end action scene is actually borderline dull, and I found my mind wandering during what I'm sure was actually meant to be the pivotal moment of the film. Where the tension appears to be ramping up, the audience's interest has surely already slipped to far beyond redemption. It's all thrown together so shambolically it's dizzying, and actually ends up feeling like you've stepped into the mind of Tim Burton on acid. Rather concerning, really.<br />
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There were a lot of things hat just never explained. Not to ruin too much, but there's more supernatural beings that just a vampire and a witch, but they seem very random in the grand scheme of things, like they've just been chucked into the film last minute. One of these appearances was actually laughable, it was so ridiculously bad. And it's just frustrating. If some things had been left out, there wouldn't have been any difference really to the plot but other things could have been explained instead. Everything just feels like it's been touched on because so much has been crammed in, and I think that's probably it's major flaw.<br />
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There are <em>some</em> good points I should make clear. The retro style of the film was actually really good, with set, hair and costume actually making me feel rather nostalgic at some points, and that's not to mention the ace songs they embedded in there too. Throwing in a bit of T-Rex and Barry White (actually technically wrong, since "You're the First, My Last, My Everything" was written two years after it was set) really did improve the film, and livened it up somewhat, which it constantly needed. Essentially, it looked good, with a pretty cast and pretty sets and pretty costumes. However, with the seventies feel also comes Burton's own unique style that frankly, is getting a little old. It was absolutely nothing we haven't already seen before from him, with the extreme make up, vivid and contrasting colours and constant gothic feel. <br />
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Also, I'm not sure if you can call this a good thing or not, but there's so many twists and turns and random things thrown in that it isn't actually predictable. Well, the outcome is, but not what actually happens along the way. Ok, I've just read that back, and actually that <em>isn't</em> a good thing. I'd much rather it was predictable and entertaining than... <em>this</em>.<br />
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It was left open for a sequel (the final shot felt very gratuitous of Burton... you'll see what I mean), but I emplore anyone who worked on that film to reject that idea. I strongly urge that they leave this alone to rot where it belongs. <br />
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Verdict: It's just shoddy work from people we all know can do better. I watched <em>Sweeney Todd</em> the day before I went to see it, and there was just no comparison. Instead of watching this film, I'd recommend just watching some of Burton's older works, where he was actually fresh and a visionary, and watch the trailer for this over and over again. It would be more enjoyable, trust me. All in all it feels like a very half-hearted, slap-dash film. Burton, where has your sparkle gone?<br />
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**<br />
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Trailer: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isjg9O7ifwM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isjg9O7ifwM</a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-47688117444633731732012-04-28T01:34:00.001+01:002012-04-28T01:34:12.218+01:00Bromance To The ExtremeIt's the mother of all ensemble films, and a fangirl's wet dream: throw together four of the world's greatest heroes, put them in a confined space together and send them off on a mission to destroy a mighty supervillain capable of bringing about the end of the world as we know it. It had the potential to be either a massive disaster or a stunning hit, and I'm pleased to report that <em>Avengers Assemble</em> is most certainly the latter.<br />
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(Side note - do you realise how hard this was to write and keep free of spoilers? Incredibly, that's how hard. But I think I did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself. It was expecially difficult to keep one big thing a secret, but I did it!)<br />
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I won't go into huge detail over the plot, because it would take me bloody ages, but here's the basics for those who didn't already know. The ever egotistic Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the newly-unfrozen Captain America (Chris Evans) and the reclusive Dr Banner, aka the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) are recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. to retrieve the Tesseract (a shiny cube thing from Asgard - that's Thor's home planet to the uneducated - which contains unlimited amounts of energy... blah blah blah) which has been stolen by the nefarious Loki (Tom Hiddleston) as part of his plot to take over the world and rule as its king. Well, as you can imagine, there are ups and downs from the get-go, and a lot of butting heads over how to deal with Loki and the brainwashed Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). But hang on, isn't there one missing? Oh yes, as if things couldn't get more complicated, in flies the aesthetically-pleasing Thor (we forgive the hair, Chris Hemsworth) to take his brother back to Asgard, and the situation becomes more action-packed - and hilarious. Just FYI, it's a lot more complicated than it looks in the trailers, which suggests that a lot of the film is spent in the increasingly apocalyptic-looking Manhatten but actually is mostly spent on board a "helicarrier" (which is essentially a big flying aircraft carrier-slash-strategy base-slash-prison-slash-laboratory). Quite rightly, the fighting all comes to a head in an action-heavy finale which maybe feels <em>slightly</em> too long and drawn out but is pleasing all the same.<br />
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Ok, where to begin? A lot of people were concerned that this was going to be 'The Iron Man Show featuring other Avengers', but I'm very pleased to report that this really isn't the case; they all really get their moments to shine, even those who would be considered more supporting roles such as Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (can we please see an origins film for these two?). The humour in this film defies belief, and again everyone gets their comic moment, even the lovely Marvel stalwart, Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg). As ever, Robert Downey Jr. is brilliantly charismatic and delivers all his lines with wonderful dryness that undercuts everything and everyone. Chris Evans may be slightly stiff, but plays the "man from a different time" very well, and since he's the one who gets exasperated with everyone easiest, we also relate to that when we want to bang everyone's heads together and shout "JUST PLAY NICELY, CHILDREN!" Chris Hemsworth is likewise very good at playing his part of someone who doesn't really fit in with the rest, and maintains his "I am a God" swagger whilst working out some sibling rivalry issues and trying to protect the Earth. Naww. The revelation is Mark Ruffalo, who finally manages to prove to the world that the Hulk <em>can</em> be a success! He brings such an endearing, sweet and sensitive vulnerability to Bruce Banner that audiences should like him very quickly and very easily, as well as also having great banter with the rest of the team. I would gladly go and see a Hulk film if he were to star in it again.<br />
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As for the "supporting" cast members (I use inverted commas because really they all play such a large role that they are more than just supporting), they too also bring great depth and layers to the film. Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury gets to do more than turn up at the end of a film, swish his coat and ramble about "The Initiative" as he has done in all the prequel films, and audiences will either like him or dislike him a lot more after seeing the film - I was the latter, because really I saw him as just a smug prick in this, though some would say he proved himself finally by getting it together and not just standing there. Whatever your opinion, he's still no more interesting, really. Note to Marvel: don't make a Nick Fury origins film, please. As for Black Widow and Hawkeye, they are lovely, and it would be wonderful to see more of them in the future. Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, redeems herself after her mediocre performance in <em>Iron Man 2</em> by integrating some actual emotion into her character, and she's actually really likeable. Her chemistry with Hawkeye is also really nice - I could sit there and watch them for hours (read: make a film!). And as for Hawkeye himself, it's nice that we finally get to see him in action, since all he had before was an uncredited cameo in <em>Thor</em>. He is so unbelievably cool with a bow-and-arrow, even better than <a href="http://wastedtimefilm.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/happy-hunger-games.html" target="_blank">Katniss</a>. There's one particular shot, and you'll know when you see it, that I felt like applauding. I wanted to cry with envy at how cool he was. But the one who <em>actually </em>made me cry and stole every seen he was in was Agent Phil Coulson. If you've seen the other films you know how amazing he is anyway, but here he really shines. Whether it's being a total fanboy over Captain America (so adorable) or standing up to Loki, he gives a really wonderful performance that makes him one of the best characters in this whole franchise. <br />
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And last but certainly not least, is the one, the only, the Asgardian reject, Loki! My first question is: why would anyone oppose a world ruled by Loki? I'm definitely on his side in this one, I would welcome this, but I may be biased because I absolutely adore him. He's developed further in his emotional and injust situation of being the illigitimate brother, though maybe trying to take the world by force wasn't necessarily such a good idea - I'm sure everyone would have come round if he explained his plight nicely. Yes, he apparently hasn't cut his hair since the <em>Thor</em> and he looks ill most of the time, but his mischievious ways are still so charming, and I still held out a tiny bit of hope that he would win in the end. Funnily enough, when his plan comes to fruition and the Chitauri (some form of aliens to you and I) come to Earth through the magic portal (don't ask), it's actually then that he becomes most... dull, for lack of a better word - he's obviously not dull, because it's Loki, but his spark has kind of gone by the time his plan is in motion. Loki is much better at ranting manically and riling up every character he comes across rather than putting any plan into action.<br />
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Really what is great about this film is the interaction between the four heroes. There's a <em>lot</em> of bickering which often results in hilarious one-liners and one hero making a jab at another, escalating into fights some of the time (the Thor and Iron Man one is both great action and comic genuis at the same time). And really, Total Film were right when they said that it isn't the best superhero film ever (duh, Christopher Nolan's <em>Batman</em> films, anyone?) but may well be the funniest, and not just in dialogue but also in action - see: Loki and the Hulk... actually a lot of Hulk moments. It had me in stitches an insane amount. But also the bromance between the characters when they finally come together as a team is really something special. Bruce and Tony have a very touching moment where the two genius minds come together and form an endearing bond - and watch them at the end, it's almost enough to make you go "awwwww" (I actually did, silently). Even the relationship between Black Widow and the Hulk is nice. It's so heartwarming to see them working together when they finally pull it off.<br />
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There are only two small things wrong with the film: I don't particularly care for Cobie Smulders' Maria Hill, who doesn't do anything really except strut around in a catsuit and be Nick Fury's lackie. And secondly, Loki's alien army are threatening, I suppose, as a whole, but are kind of forgettable and seem to be taken out very easily. It's only the giant... flying... creature... things that you've all seen in the trailer, that seem like they could actually cause quite a bit of damage.<br />
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The film redeems itself from these small niggles by doing something that most films can't, which is to make the clichéd moments fun and to twist them into the unconventional. There's a particular sign on the side of a particular building at the end, which instead of being cheesy is just cool, and moments like Loki bringing forth a deep, dark moment in Black Widow's past is turned on its head to become something entirely different than angsty. Even the jokes that come after Bruce being discovered naked in a barn after a round as "the other guy", as he likes to call him, are funny rather than done-to-the-death.<br />
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It could have gone so wrong to have four big characters like this all in one film, but it did so well to pull off being an actual ensemble cast, with each character getting their deserved amount of screen time and nobody (read: Tony Stark) hogging the limelight. And nobody is made to feel unimportant or unnecessary; they all have a role to play and writer/director Joss Whedon hits the nail dead on the head in getting it so right. All of the different backstories are hinted at and the different plots fit together seamlessly where it could have been disastrous otherwise. It's also not just a showcase for the heroes' talents, as we also get to see their weaknesses and vulnerabilities - there's a revelatory moment when Tony is talking to Bruce that makes us see him in a different light than we might have in his other two outings, and we also get to see Steve "Captain America" Rogers trying to adjust to a new life he is so unfamiliar with, among other moments. It's clever, and though it's been compared with the <em>Transformers</em> films for the levels of destruction it causes, it isn't daft and bland like that particular franchise - this actually has brains and uses them. There's a lot more talking that one would expect, but that's really a good thing, as we get to know each and every character better than we did before. This feels like just the beginning.<br />
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Verdict: A film which is visually stunning, intelligent, endearing, hilarious and, at times, heartbreaking. It more than lived up to my expectations. You really have to see the other films before this to properly appreciate it, but for fans, it doesn't get much better. On behalf of fans everywhere I can only say one thing: Thank you, Joss Whedon. Please come again.<br />
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*****Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-41285652073673103892012-04-26T00:55:00.000+01:002012-04-26T00:56:02.639+01:00Get Your Rods OutLast week I attended an advance screening of <em>Salmon Fishing in the Yemen</em>, an adaptation of the 2007 satirical book of the same name.<br />
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I haven't read the book - hell, before I saw the film I didn't even know it <em>was</em> a book - but apparently if you have read it the film doesn't really live up to it (which of course is true for 98.9% of book-to-film adaptations). However, if like me you haven't read the book then the film really is a treat; this review will be based solely on the film, since, duh, like I just said, I have nothing else to base it on, so don't get all hissy with me if you have indeed read the book and disagree with everything I say: just disregard it, I'm used to that.<br />
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Government fishing expert Fred Jones (Ewan McGregor) is approached by consultant Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt - I had to look up how to spell her character's name, it was tricky) on behalf of a wealthy sheikh who wants to introduce salmon fishing to the Yemen (see, the film does what it says on the tin). At first dismissing it as impossible, Fred is forced into working on the project by the government, and specifically, Patricia Maxwell, the Prime Minister's Press Secretary (a wonderful Kristen Scott Thomas) who is looking for a good news story to boost Anglo-Arab relations and to counteract the ongoings of the action in Afghanistan, conveniently where Harriet's soldier boyfriend has just been reported as missing.<br />
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I didn't really have any expectations going into it, and it turned out I was really very pleasantly surprised by it. Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt actually make a really lovely couple, and coming out of it I'm slightly sad that they aren't together in real life. The film is a lot more complex than it looks in the trailer, but no less enjoyable, which is good, so I definitely wasn't disappointed in it.<br />
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Kristen Scott Thomas is without a shadow of a doubt the best part of the film, with the most hilarious lines - whether she's shouting at her son for treating her "like one of his hoes", flirting with the sheikh's security, or typing hilarious putdowns to the PM, she gets it pitch-perfect.. When the film starts to take a dip around the half-way point, she is the one to pick it back up again. Considering the last review I gave of her acting was <a href="http://wastedtimefilm.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/bel-ami.html" target="_blank">less than favourable</a>, I can safely say she is forgiven for her wrongdoings and I am happily reminded of what a fabulous comic actress she is - I hope to see more of this soon; it's made me want to watch <em>Four Weddings and a Funeral</em> again just to see her in action.<br />
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Ewan McGregor, too, was a wonderful surprise, and I finally see why people like him as an actor. I've never been impressed with him really before this, and I don't think I'll ever fully forgive him for <em>Moulin Rouge</em>, but he won me over very quickly in this. His cynical view of the plan for the first chunk of the film is so funny, and one of the highlights of the film is him drawing little (very good) pictures whilst explaining how badly he thinks the plan will fail (it's in the trailer, but somehow seeing it in the context of the rest of the film makes it even funnier). You end up rooting for him when he finally escapes his marriage and comes out of his shell, and his chemistry with Blunt is excellent; they bounce off each other really well.<br />
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Blunt is also very good, and like Scott Thomas, I'm reminded of her brilliance in this, even if she doesn't fully shine like she does in, say, <em>The Devil Wears Prada</em>. Aside from the annoying segment of the film where she inexplicably has a complete breakdown (more on that below), she is really lovely, and she appears to be the obvious choice for Fred over his bitch of a wife, even if they don't actually have much in common other than their attachment to the project. She slips between comedy and tragedy very well for the most part, and I think that has to be applauded. Altogether, though they are the two main roles, McGregor and Blunt give very subtle performances that will entertain more mature audiences, but that's what they're going for (I think. It's quite hard to tell who this is aimed at, actually. I'd say older audiences, definitely).<br />
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There are some flaws with the film. The treatment of Fred's marriage breakdown (which you will hope for, because his wife is a mega-bitch who doesn't appreciate him at all) and Harriet's boyfriend's disappearance are never really treated with the depth and seriousness they require to be entirely believable. Even though Fred's separation from his wife is inevitable, it feels very muted, and he seems to get over it entirely too quickly. And yes, Emily Blunt spends ten minutes of the film crying and moping around her designer flat, but as soon as she gets on a plane to Yemen she seems to have forgotten all about her missing boyfriend. You question why she even has such an extreme reaction, considering they were only going out for a month; she acts like a grieving widow when his parents didn't even know she existed.<br />
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I also think the sub-plot of the local militants' sabotage plan of the project was kind of unnecessary; there were enough other obstacles to overcome without the added threat of a group of men trying to destroy their work. Um, I suppose I should say that this is a big SPOILER, but you feel let down and unfulfilled at the end as all of their work kind of goes up in smoke and they have to start all over again, even if it is kind of supposed to be uplifting and hopeful.<br />
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I didn't really know what sort of film it was trying to be, as it has defining elements of comedy, drama, and romance whilst dealing with issues like the crisis in the Middle East and the breakdown of marriages, but somehow it mostlyworks. I think if they had cut the whole sabotage bit out, they could have dedicated more time to dealing with the issues I think got overlooked somewhat - it's like there was a bit too much going on to fully get stuck in ro one particular bit.<br />
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Saying that, it is a lovely, feel-good film that brightened my week, and I'd still recommend it. It hasn't made me desperate to read the book, and I don't have hugely strong urges to go and see it again straight away, but it still was lovely to watch and I'm very glad I did see it, even if to only have discovered a new-found love for Ewan McGregor.<br />
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Verdict: a genuinely very sweet film that, although is predictable, is a wonderful piece of light entertainment that will cheer you up on a cloudy day. And make you want a holiday. I'm not feeling generous today, so I'll stick with the three stars, but there were definitely five-star moments in there; it just never packs the punch I think it needed to truly make it brilliant.<br />
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***Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-13184436988876685192012-03-31T23:57:00.000+01:002012-04-01T02:06:34.200+01:00Happy Hunger Games!The anticipation for this film was ridiculous, with people making statements that it was the new must-see teen franchise. Already having a wide fanbase due to the popularity of the books, the film had a lot to live up to, and it's safe to say it more than met expectations.<br />
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In a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world, the nation of Panem, the remains of North America, is divided up into twelve districts who each offer to the controlling Capitol city one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to compete in the annual Hunger Games, a reminder of the Capitol's dictatorial control over the nation after a rebellion by the districts. In these Games, the twenty-four "tributes" are placed into an arena to fight to the death, until one victor remains. It's the 74th Games, and Katniss Everdeen of the poverty-stricken District 12 has volunteered to take the place of her sister. Despite being a skilled hunter (that girl is mighty handy with a bow and arrow), she must fight bloodthirsty teenagers and the Capitol, whilst also battling with her feelings for fellow competitor Peeta.<br />
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Firstly, I do apologise for the delay in publishing this post; I was busy reading the last book and then I had work to do, so... yeah, anyway. It also gave me time to go and see it for a second time, which I think always helps before properly forming an opinion about a film. Anyway, I commence.<br />
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I've openly discussed my disdain at Jennifer Lawrence; although I haven't seen her in her Oscar nominated role in <em>Winter's Bone</em> she did not impress me in <em>X-Men: First Class </em>and I've never understood the hype about her. When I first read the book I was outraged that she had been cast, but I take back every bad thing I've said about her casting in this because really she was brilliant. I overlook the fact that she's really too old to be playing 16 year old Katniss, because I couldn't imagine anyone embodying the character better really. <br />
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As for the other of the three young leads, I can't say I was hugely impressed with their casting either, but they both made the most of their roles. Josh Hutcherson, despite looking gormless for the first third of the film because of his gaping mouth, redeems himself with being unbelievably sweet as Peeta. I quite like the fact he's shorter than Lawrence (even if it does make me laugh a little) because it's true that the traditional role of boy-saves-girl is reversed in this, and it's nice to have a strong female lead; the differences in their stature really only emphasise this. Liam Hemsworth's Gale doesn't play a huge part in this film (though his role is expanded in the future) but his chemistry with Lawrence makes me think he'll have promise for the future.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The supporting cast was also really incredible; all the older cast members were so perfect for their roles: Donald Sutherland as the sinister President Snow was so inspired the character could have been written with him in mind. The same goes for Woody Harrelson's alcoholic mentor, Haymitch (who I would have liked to see more of), Stanley Tucci's Hunger Games host, Caeser Flickerman, and Elizabeth Banks as Katniss and Peeta's escort, Effie Trinket; the latter two in particular should be applauded because they play their characters in such an extreme way that they are very nearly going overboard, but just stopping short of that so they are just perfectly eccentric. I also want Katniss' stylist Cinna, played by Lenny Kravitz, to be my friend and just dress me all the time; he was wonderful, and refreshing as seemingly the only normal person from the Capitol. I have to say though, I don't really understand why Toby Jones' co-commentator Claudius Templesmith was there, considering he had about four words in the entire film; I suppose he was just there to make Stanley Tucci seem as though he's not talking to himself. Harsh, but true.<br />
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</div></div>In terms of being a film adaptation, it's superb. It IS the book, almost exactly as it's written; the parts that are taken out or changed are so miniscule that really it doesn't have any impact whatsoever on the film. It does help, I suppose, that Suzanne Collins (author of the books) wrote the screenplay; it will be a challenge to continue the brilliance if she doesn't write for the sequels. It is one of the best ever book adaptations I've seen, which is really saying something considering how many there are to choose from. It's challenging, both to reality television, corrupt governments and to teenage violence; it <em>is</em> a violent film, but that's the point: the shock of seeing children killing each other is at the heart of the story, and creates the events for the next two films.<br />
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</div>Into my technical opinion of the film, I have to say that the production design on this film is beautiful. From poverty-stricken District 12's ramshackle houses and dilapidated Hob (the black market where Katniss gets her iconic Mockingjay pin towards the start of the film), to the weird and wonderful excessive luxury of the Capitol, every set is perfect. The costumes are brilliant, especially those of the Capitol's residents who dress so eccentrically and brightly that it's almost painful to look at; because they are so strange and colourful we share Katniss' feelings of being in a completely different world. The score also fits the film very well; James Newton Howard gets the mood just right in each scene. It's nice as well that not every scene has music in, as this really emphasises certain moments and often creates the tension needed in the arena.<br />
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One thing I don't understand is all the comparisons to The Twilight Saga - as Danny Leigh of <em>Film 2012</em> said, the comparison just doesn't hold. Aside from the fact there's a developing love-triangle and it's aimed at the teen market, there are no other similarities. It doesn't even really have the same audience - everyone knows that <em>Twilight's</em> audience is over 80% female, but the people in my first viewing of this film were very mixed, from elderly ladies to groups of young guys; I was expecting mainly girls there, but it was refreshing to see such a varied audience. Yes, <em>Twilight</em> is a massive franchise with an overly-devout fanbase, and I feel that <em>The Hunger Games </em>is going to go the same way, but really the supposed "rivalry" between them is nonsense; as if either of them cares how the other does? They are both major money spinners, they don't need to ramp up rivalry for publicity. And believe it or not, people <em>can</em> like both! I do! It's one of the biggest irritants to me, when people say that you can only really like one or the other, or that you're "betraying" one by liking the other. There was the same issue with <em>Harry Potter</em> and <em>Twilight</em>, where fans of one were slating fans of the other - it's not illegal to be a fan of both! Please, people, stop this. Let them both stand on their own and be individually successful, as they obviously will be.<br />
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Another thing that has confused me is the major backlash about the supposed extreme levels of gore and violence in the film. I don't really understand the big fuss about cutting out seven seconds of footage and digitally removing gore from the film to keep to its 12A rating; it could have been quite a bit worse before it became questionable. The warnings are sufficient enough, and if parents don't look at them properly before allowing younger children to go and see it then that's their fault, not the film's. Lord knows what they're going to do in the future films, which, if they stick well to the book, will only become more violent and gory. But I like that; to take that away would take away the brutality of the situation, which is essentially what the story is about. I really pray that the filmmakers don't make any stupid decisions with how they make the films just to gain a bigger audience.<br />
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Verdict: the most perfect adaptation of the book possible. Even if you aren't a fan of the books (why the hell aren't you?!), it would still be an extremely enjoyable film even if there may be some slightly confusing parts. I definitely recommend everyone sees it immediately. The sequel cannot come quick enough, and since the film broke box office records on its opening weekend (it brought in $155 million in America alone - the third biggest opening for a film ever behind <em>The Dark Knight </em>and <em>Deathly Hallows part 2</em>, and biggest opening for a non-sequel film), be assured that a sequel will indeed happen. As Humphrey Bogart said, "this could be the start of a beautiful franchise." Or something like that.</div>*****Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-52064141149158671652012-03-07T12:08:00.000+00:002012-03-08T01:11:19.167+00:00Mon Dieu!Last night, I went to a preview screening of Bel Ami at the Soho Hotel in London. After waiting two years since the filming for its release, I was quite looking forward to it, though based on the not-so-overwhelming critical response to it my hopes weren't up exceedingly high, and that turned out to be quite a good thing. Also, as readers know, I make no secret of the fact I'm quite the Robert Pattinson fan, but I'm at least trying to be unbiased.<br />
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In 1890s Paris, penniless ex-soldier Georges Duroy (Pattinson) has a chance encounter with Charles Forestiere (Philip Glenister), a fellow ex-soldier who sets him up writing articles about his time in Algeria despite him being barely literate. He soon begins a career as a journalist and slowly he begins to climb the social ladder via the seduction of the wives of powerful men (including Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci and Kristen Scott Thomas), and begins his quest for wealth and notoriety, at whatever cost. <br />
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I'll start off with my main issue with the film, which is why it wasn't French. It was based on a French book by a French author with French characters and set in Paris, so it didn't really make sense to me why they made it with a British/American cast and crew whilst keeping all the same French elements. The British accents with French pronunciations became quite grating rather quickly which put a dampener on things, and really you just forget the film is meant to be set in Paris.<br />
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Saying that, the acting wasn't terrible; most of the cast gave acceptable if not stellar performances. I have to say that I'm disappointed that this wasn't released before Pattinson's previous work, <em>Water for Elephants</em>, which was filmed afterwards, released sooner and showed a much better performance from him. I'm afraid that this makes it seem like his acting talent has gone downhill, whereas in fact if his work is seen in chronological order of filming it is easy to see the improvement in his skills. Still, he was convincing as a ruthless womaniser, and successfully made the character detestable, which I think was the aim at least, and he has proved that he can play a complex character well. Even though this wasn't his best performance, it gives a taste of what he is capable of, even if he did go a bit overboard with the facial expressions at times. I'm looking forward to seeing him in David Cronenberg's <em>Cosmopolis</em>, his next post-<em>Twilight </em>attempt, to see what he can do under the guidance of a well-respected and established director.<br />
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The supporting cast were also mostly good. Uma Thurman gave a credible if dismissable performance as Duroy's love interest and later-wife, a woman who is the brains behind her husband, and her British accent is very believable. It's Christina Ricci who is the surprise talent here, giving her best performance for years (as long as you ignore the shrill giggling). Her character Clotilde's relationship with Duroy is one of the best things in the whole film, and she becomes one of the most interesting characters as ultimately she is the only person Duroy actually cares about. Their scenes together are fun and the chemistry is great, and Ricci plays the part stunningly well.<br />
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But there were also problems with the cast. Kristen Scott Thomas, usually a reliable actress, was convincing only for the first half in which she didn't really feature heavily, but as soon as Duroy captures the attention of her vulnerable aging socialite Virginie, she turns into a complete mess, and it's not entirely clear if her clingy and pathetic behaviour is supposed to be that ridiculous or whether it just comes across that way. The uncertainty annoyed me more than if it was a straight-up bad performance, but it actually became hysterical, if not for the right reasons. Philip Glenister, though, I can safely say was terrible. I've not seen huge amounts of his other work, but from what I have seen he's given no indication that he has any talent whatsoever, and this performance just cements that opinion. His character was also horrid, and I actually forgave Duroy for his despicable behaviour towards him because of this. Natalia Tena (<em>Harry Potter</em>) was also forgettable, and her prostitute character served merely as a catalyst for an argument between Clotilde and Duroy. (Side note, if anyone saw her on the Sky Movies Oscars coverage this year you'll understand why I struggled to contain laughter every time she popped up on screen.) And Holliday Grainger was beyond irritating. She contributed nothing to the film at all except as a plot device, and really the little she did act was not convincing at all.<br />
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I will definitely say that the producers know how to cater for their audience. They clearly knew that this would appeal to the older <em>Twilight</em> fans, and they delivered on the extensive use of Robert Pattinson. He's in every scene and... shall we say, <em>does things</em> we haven't seen from him yet: within the first ten minutes there's a shot of his naked backside and the whole of the first third of the film is basically him whoring around. Still, it's nice to see him diversifying in his acting and taking on a challenge, and it's lovely to hear him acting with his English accent for the first time in a very long time. That being said, this <em>isn't</em> for <em>Twilight</em> fans. He's a villain who Robert Pattinson himself described as "amoral", which really couldn't sum up the character better. He's manipulative, merciless and definitely not a hero in any sense of the word. People who are essentially watching this to see what we didn't see in <em>Breaking Dawn</em> (i.e. any actual sex) will be disappointed if they are expecting any romance, because these are emotionally cold encounters even if they physically smoulder.<br />
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The film is good though with its mix of drama and comedy, even if the intentionally funny moments are overshadowed by the unintentional parts, which become more frequent towards the end of the film. However, I think the problems essentially lie in the actual production side. The screenplay was drab, which is a major issue. This film could have been so relevant to today's issues with the newspapers and journalists, as it's supposed to deal with the backhand dealings of politics and the media, but really it just isn't as hard-hitting as it could be and that means the film lacks any real impact; it basically just chooses to focus instead on the romantic relationships between the characters rather than exploring the impact of these interactions. The direction wasn't great either. It seemed that Nick Ormerod and Declan Donnellan didn't have a lot of control over the performances, and because they don't appear to have reigned any of them in when the majority needed to be, they did descend almost into the ridiculous towards the end. If they perhaps had directed the actors better then the subtlety would have made for a better film. I can probably count on one hand how many films have been well-received that have been directed by two people, it doesn't tend to end well. On the other hand, the costumes by Odile Dicks-Mireaux were beautiful, as were the sets, and they gave the film an authenticity that it perhaps lacked in other aspects. Also to be praised is the score, which reflected the film perfectly and was just right, enough to notice it and its contribution to certain scenes, but not enough to distract from the action. It's one I shall definitely be downloading when it finally gets released.<br />
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Now I have to say this, and it's hard for me to do. Robert Pattinson was not attractive in this. I'm not sure if it was deliberately to reflect Duroy's poverty and the way he rose to fame, or to show his ugly personality, but despite his looks, he appears dirty and greasy a lot of the time, even when he's rich and well dressed. The poster is the best he looks as his character, and even that has been doctored. However, his character was interesting enough though that I overlook this. Duroy's complete lack of remorse, his greediness and selfishness, and the fact he gets no comeuppance add to the complexity of his character, and it's refreshing to see a character in film that is so dastardly and doesn't get justice. It's nice to see something other than a predictable storyline where the character has an epiphany and is changed, or is ruined and loses everything so that balance is restored. This is one of the only parts that I feel reflects the book and tells the story of a man who will do anything to get power and gets away with it.<br />
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Verdict: All in all, it was a disappointment. A stellar cast is let down by poor direction and a less-than-worthy script, even though most of them do the best with what they have. Considering I am a fan of Rob, and because I've waited for two years for this film to be released, it was an anticlimax. My suggestion is to go into this film with low expectations and it turns out ot be much more enjoyable. I'd recommend seeing it becase it is an interesting storyline, even if it's not as challenging as it has the potential to be, but I don't think any of the aspects of this film were as good as they could be, and if they were then it would have been much better overall. Christina Ricci gives her best performance for years and we do get to a glimpse at what Robert Pattinson can do even if he isn't fulfilling his whole potential here and ends up going a bit overboard in his attempt to showcase his talent. <br />
***Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-68155953105713663732012-02-22T22:20:00.000+00:002012-02-22T22:20:55.572+00:00Oscar Nominations Report 2012Okay, I know this is a ridiculously delayed reaction, for various reasons which I won't go into, and I apologise most profusely on behalf of my hectic life that wouldn't allow me to finish writing this (I've actually been writing bits and pieces of this post since the Oscar nominations were announced three weeks ago) but here, I give you my view on this years Oscar nominations.<br />
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Since the Academy Award nominations were announced, the general reaction has been that there were huge injustices throughout many categories. Many people and films were expected to feature in the shortlists which didn't, and other cast, crew and films appeared which were a complete surprise, and, in some cases, perhaps undeserved.<br />
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Before I begin my long rambling about the nominations, I should say that I haven't seen the majority of the nominated films and actors this year, unlike last year where I'd seen nine out of ten of the nominated films for best picture by the time the awards came around. Yes, I'm disappointed with myself, and my OCD is screaming at me a little, but my point is, I can't give much of a personal opinion on this matter because I haven't seen all of the performances or films for myself. I will, however, discuss films I have seen that I think deserved a nomination, and of course those who I think are undeserving.<br />
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We'll start with the verdict on the Best Actor category.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two on the left are the most suave men on Earth.</td></tr>
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There was no surprise when Jean Dujardin (<em>The Artist</em>) and George Clooney (<em>The Descendants</em>) were announced, and they are both fully deserving of their nominations, as is Gary Oldman, who I was worried was going to get overlooked as he did at the Golden Globes. But, even though he has only a slim chance of winning when he's up against Dujardin and Clooney, it's lovely to see him get his first-time recognition in a role that he really deserves it for. Brad Pitt was always in contention for the Best Actor nod, but really he probably didn't deserve it as much as some other actors who were left off, and only got recognised because he's such a big name and there was a lot of publicity surrounding the film. I haven't seen him in <em>Moneyball</em> but, from what I've read, although he was good, he didn't give the best performance of the year. And finally, we have Demian Bichir, who really came out of nowhere to grab that last Academy acknowledgement. Now I know a lot of people aren't aware of him at all. I'd heard of the film (<em>A Better Life</em>) but that wasn't seen by many people and there was absolutely no hint beforehand that he was even being considered. Though I would say it is nice to see an underdog come and steal some spotlight, I do feel that some performances were completely overlooked, and, though I haven't seen his performance, I think a lot of people are asking what he's doing on the list.<br />
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As for the actors that were overlooked, I think we need to start with one of the most surprising. <br />
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About 98.542% of people I spoke to, as well as critics I've read, expected Michael Fassbender to be on this list for his role in <em>Shame</em>, which garnered him near-universal acclaim. Now I haven't seen the film myself yet, though I definitely want to get round to that (I shall be watching this alone, in a dark room), but I can't really understand why he was left off the shortlist. My only guesses would be that either it was too risque a subject for the Academy to award the proper attention to, or it wasn't widely publicised enough and therefore didn't get the attention it seemed to deserve. Another guess would be that he's too young for the Academy to really consider, as they do have a terrible track record for acknowledging actors that aren't middle-aged. But whichever way you look at it, this was quite a shock, and personally I think there are at least one or two actors that could have been bumped for him instead.<br />
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The other actor that had been surrounded by major Oscar buzz was Leonardo DiCaprio. Before <em>J. Edgar</em> came out, there were talks of this being his year, and finally getting the recognition he deserved. Again, this is a film I haven't yet seen, but it seems the view is that although his performance is very good, it wasn't <em>as</em> amazing as everyone was expecting. This is probably because it was hyped up <em>so</em> much that it was such a tall order to fill everyone's expectations, but still, most people thought he was a shoe-in for a nomination.<br />
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Onto Best Actress now, and, like its male equivalent, there was a mix of "well obviously!" nominations and "why her?" nods. There was absolutely no surprises at Meryl Streep collecting her record 17th nomination for <em>The Iron Lady</em>, which she's widely expected to win. Also, Michelle Williams was an unsurprising nomination for <em>My Week With Marilyn</em>. Viola Davis' performance in <em>The Help</em> seems to have gained her very good reviews, and she's been recognised by other organisations and academies for her role, even picking up a SAG award (don't get me started...) so it wasn't unexpected. The two surprises were Rooney Mara for <em>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</em> which, although she was brilliant in, was a bit surprising because although there were a few murmurings about a nomination, there weren't any big indications that she was actually going to get one. And lastly, Glenn Close, who is indeed a fantastic actress, snagged a nomination for <em>Albert Nobbs</em>. Now I know I'm not the only one who hasn't heard of this film before, but since it's Glenn Close I'm putting money on the fact it's probably a deserved nomination. Still, that doesn't really make up for the fact other actresses were consequently overlooked.<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Charlize Theron's role in <em>Young Adult</em> has gained her some spectacular reviews, and I honestly cannot wait to see this film. A few critics have said she's better in this than she was in <em>Monster</em>, in the role that gained her an Academy Award in 2003. There has been quite a bit of outcry about her exclusion not just from this shortlist, but from many others this year too. So, although the Academy are just following in the footsteps of the other awards this year, it seems like Charlize has been done a great disservice.</div>Another actress who has been overlooked is Tilda Swinton for her role in <em>We Need to Talk About Kevin </em>(a film which itself was overlooked, but we'll come to that later). We know that the Academy is very aware of her, considering they gave her an award back in 2007. Again, her snub is probably due to lack of promotion and awareness in America. No, she probably wouldn't have won if she had been nominated, considering who she would have been up against, but it would have been nice to see her acknowledged.<br />
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And lastly, there has been a ridiculous amount of backlash at the fact Olivia Colman was left off the list for <em>Tyrannosaur </em>(still unsure whether she's a Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress contender - she's been nominated for both in other awards). Her performance has been named as outstanding by basically every critic I've heard talk about her, and even from the little clips I've seen she does seem quite deserving of a nomination. Still, again it's probably due to lack of awareness on the Acadamy's part (though that doesn't excuse BAFTA, who should be aware of such homegrown talent).<br />
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I'll move onto films now. For those who don't know, the rules changed this year regarding Best Picture nominations, where there could be a shortlist of between five and ten films, as opposed to the ten it has been in previous years. I don't really know why this is - surely just stick to ten and give more films the recognition? But anyway, nine films were announced, some deserving, some really, really not, and again, others completely overlooked.<br />
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<em>The Artist</em>, <em>The Descendants</em>, <em>The Help</em>, <em>Hugo</em>, and <em>War Horse</em> were all pretty much expected, with <em>The Artist</em> being the early favourite to win, and <em>War Horse</em>, in my opinion, not really deserving to be there but not unexpected. Other nominees <em>Midnight in Paris</em> and <em>The Tree of Life</em> were also not hugely surprising considering the favourable reviews they've been given, especially the latter. <em>Moneyball</em> and <em>Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close</em> were the most surprising, having been given less acclaim than the other nominees; as for the last one, as far as I can tell it's about some irritating boy obsessing over a key, even if it does contain 9/11 themes and stars Oscar winners Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock. But this only adds up to nine. Why would they not only exclude extremely worthy nominees, but not even fill the potential ten spaces? My theory is that they wanted to leave at least one space free to prove that the new rules aren't completely redundant - after all, if ten films were nominated everyone would have been questioning why the new rules needed to be put in place. Yet at the same time it feels like some were nominated for the sake of it - I'm almost certain that <em>Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close</em> was nominated based on it's summary, because I haven't heard great things about the film itself. But this doesn't excuse the fact that other more deserving films were left off the list in favour of some of these which actually made me quite angry when they were announced.<br />
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We'll start with <em>Super 8</em>, which anyone who has read this blog knows I'm a huge fan of. It's genuinely one of the best films of last year, and received critical acclaim. There's not a fault in the entire film, and in my opinion this is the biggest crime the Academy have carried out this year. It just proves that they are complete snobs when it comes to sci-fi films, prefering them to the challenging dramas, some of which are on the list undeservingly. I am disgusted. But again, the Academy are not the only ones who've done this, so actually I take back what I said; sci-fis are overlooked and unappreciated in the film industry full stop, and that is a major issue that needs to be sorted out. After the success of <em>Lord of the Rings</em>, I thought we would see a change in this, but apparently not.<br />
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<em>Shame</em> is another film that most people thought would get the nod, but, like it's star Michael Fassbender, it has been cast aside for less worthy films, probably for the same reasons that Fassbender was snubbed. There's not really a lot else to say about this one except the Academy really need to widen their range of consideration and look beyond the obvious.<br />
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The same goes for <em>Drive</em>, Ryan Gosling's most acclaimed offering this year (for the record, he should probably have been nominated too either for this or <em>The Ides of March</em>). Other films include <em>We Need To Talk About Kevin</em> and <em>Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy</em>, but my theory is that they just weren't as embraced in America like they were over here, and that's a real shame because they are both fully deserving films.<br />
And what's with <em>The Adventures of Tin Tin</em> being left off the animated film shortlist? As much as I like <em>Rango</em> and am now rooting for it to win, surely <em>Tin Tin</em> was the most heralded animation of last year? Maybe it's more American snobbery over including the British, who this year have been so strong that perhaps they merely feel intimidated and overwhelmed by our brilliance. Or maybe I'm making excuses that make us look good. But still.<br />
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Okay, other nominations for some of the more random categories: Where was Alan Menkel's Best Song nomination for 'Star-Spangled Man' from <em>Captain America</em>? I know I personally didn't hear a better song in film this year - it's on my iPod. It's probably the fact that the film itself would never have been taken seriously for awards consideration, and therefore one of the most deserving aspects got overlooked in the process. Such a shame.<br />
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Another one is for Diablo Cody for Best Original Screenplay for <em>Young Adult</em>. I've already spoken about Charlize Theron's oversight, but I've heard that Cody's script is better than her <em>Juno</em> one, for which she picked up her first Oscar. It's another one I'm not really understanding and am struggling to explain. Also for that category is J.J. Abrams for <em>Super 8</em>. It would fit right into the apparent theme of nostalgia the Academy seem to have this year, since it's basically a tribute to the 70s and Abrams' own childhood. And it's so brilliantly witty, heartwarming, and tragic all at the same time, it literally has everything. Why, Academy, why?!<br />
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I have another suggestion which I know I will probably result in me accused of being biased and showing favouritism towards, but <em>Water for Elephants</em> deserved some awards in the technical categories. I said in my very first review that it would no way win awards for screenplay, directing or acting, but the sets and costumes were stunning, and so realistic. It does deserve recognition for it's art design and costume design (maybe even make up as well, though <em>The Iron Lady </em>will most certainly win that anyway). Also it perhaps should have been recognised for its cinematography, which is really visually stunning. It makes the film look so good without the use of special effects or cheap tricks, just amazing camera work. I think it's an underrated category anyway, but this film really should have been included in the shortlist.<br />
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I could go on for days about the many injustices, but I'm going to wrap it up now. I just have one last point to make, that really needs to be said and that I've been getting mildly irritated by for weeks now.<br />
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Why are people getting upset and angry about the fact that <em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2</em> wasn't nominated for Best Film? It wasn't even the best film in the franchise (controversial!), and none of the others were nominated, so why would this one be? It was nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects, and it's unlikely to win either of those anyway (Art Direction will go to <em>The Artist</em> if there's any justice, and Visual Effects will <em>should</em> go to <em>Rise of the Planet of the Apes</em>, because that was truly incredible). So, ridiculously obsessive and oversensitive fans, just enjoy the films and revel in the knowledge that it's the most successful film franchise of all time, and stop getting all shirty about the little things like undeserved Oscar nominations.<br />
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Okay, I'm stopping now. I may post my predictions up here in a couple of days, but I've pretty much said here who I think will win so it all depends on whether I can find the time. And if you're planning to watch on Sunday, let me know! Kathryn and I will be watching it live all night, so feel free to get in touch.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-88718967361270126392012-01-30T20:48:00.000+00:002012-01-30T20:48:38.107+00:00Everyone's Talking About ItI've made it quite public that I had my reservations about <em>The Artist. </em>I wasn't a huge fan of silent films, and I had an irrational dislike of the fact that it's won big at every awards show so far (except the SAG Awards... but I'll come to that in a different post because that's a whole different issue). But I thought since there was so much hype about it that it probably needed to be watched, so off Kathryn and I went to the cinema this weekend to see it. And I am so glad we did.<br />
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The plot is one of those ones which is mostly lighthearted when played out on screen, but has some quite serious undertones to it. In Hollywood, 1927, silent film star George Valentin (Jean Dujarin) is the most sought-after and successful actor out there, until the birth of the talkies puts a stop to his career. Meanwhile, upcoming actress Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo, wife of director Michel Hazanavicius) becomes a household name whilst riding the wave of this new generation of film, but still finds time to provide support for Valentin, who has become financially ruined trying to make his own silent films to compete with the talkies, and consequently sinking into a deep depression.<br />
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It's so wonderfully done. Not having lots of experience with silent films, I was unsure as to whether maybe I'd be bored or perhaps unable to follow it with the lack of dialogue (and indeed, colour), but the intertitles are frequent enough to help the audience without appearing so often that it feels like a subtitled film. The two scenes which aren't silent - Valentin's dream scene where everything around him is making noise, yet he cannot speak, and the very last 20 seconds or so of the film - only highlight how wonderful the silent film is. The musical accompaniment is a delight to listen to, reflecting, like a good score should, the emotion and action of the scenes.<br />
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The acting is superb. With a silent film, I imagine most actors would tend to exaggerate their physical performances to compensate for the lack of dialogue, but then overdo it and make it look ridiculous. Obviously it's slightly melodramatic because it's all physical performance and facial expressions, but Dujardin and Bejo, as well as the other big-name stars such as James Cromwell, John Goodman and Missi Pyle, don't make it look contrived at all. There's still subtlety about their acting, which from an audience's perspective is a positive because it still seems realistic and therefore still hooks you, whereas if you were constantly looking at someone making grand gestures throughout the film I know I personally would not be able to either take it seriously or even focus on what was actually going on. I also think it's a testament to Dujardin and Bejo for being nominated for a lot of acting awards, considering he only says two words in the whole film and she doesn't speak at all. I think maybe all actors should make a silent film to hone their own acting skills and learn not to rely on a good, wordy script to get them through a film.<br />
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If you've read anything about this film, you'll know that the performance of the dog steals the show. I didn't really understand how this could be before I saw it, and kept wondering how an animal could overshadow the human actors - did the other actors lack that much presence or skill that they were outdone by a dog? Well, no, as I've said the actors all give outstanding performances in their own right and should be proud of what they brought to the film, no matter how big their role. But seriously, Uggie the dog is excellent. He got some of the biggest laughs from the audience, and is so talented it makes me feel like I've achieved nothing in my life. I think maybe animals are better suited to silent films since they can't talk anyway, and therefore none of their performance is really lost with the lack of dialogue. That's not to say I'm taking anything away from Uggie, he is splendid and an absolute joy to watch - he's truly one of the most talented actors I've seen in a long time, and the fact he isn't Academy Awards eligable is a crime. It's just nice to know that I'm not the only one who feels this way, as there has been general outcry from the public about his lack of Oscar recognition, but this brings all the more appreciation to his talent, which is a good thing anyway.<br />
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I thought before I saw this that Hollywood were getting all dewy-eyed over this because it's nostalgic, much like they did with <em>My Week With Marilyn</em>, I think. I still think this, but I now understand how incredibly charming it is too. Every aspect of the film is exceptional. It's refreshing to see a film that doesn't need to resort to violence, graphic scenes, swearing or any other lower-level techniques to get people's attention and adoration. It's a PG, and it's a real feel-good film, which the Academy don't have a great track record of properly acknowedging, preferring grittier and more challenging material. But really, this is a film that the whole family can see - which usually makes me avoid films, but in this case is a good thing because it can get as wide an audience as possible - and is pretty much flawless.<br />
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The one thing I would say, and it's not a criticism of the film really, is don't watch it with other people. Not because it's awkward or embarassing, but because other people can put you off. With a silent film, even with the music, you hear a lot of what's going on around you that you wouldn't necessarily hear otherwise. When people in front of you are rustling a food wrapper loudly, or the old biddies behind you are clucking every two minutes about how glorious it is (which I agree with, but don't voice it during the film!), it can get quite distracting, especially in the scenes where there is no sound at all. One or two other people is fine, as long as you have an agreement not to make noise unless you're laughing/crying/other general reactions to the film.<br />
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Actually, another not-so-positive thing I have to say, and again, I'm not taking anything away from the film (well, maybe slightly) is that the novelty of it has probably helped it be as successful as it has been, not just financially but with it's reception. And this makes me wonder whether there can be more like this. As much as I'd love to spend a whole week watching new-age silent films like this one, will any of them do as well as <em>The Artist</em>? Look at <em>Avatar</em>: that was revolutionary in terms of cinema, and so well received, yet 3D films that have followed haven't fared nearly as well, with critics and audiences already turning against it. If they tried to have a wave of silent films, which now I'm thinking they shouldn't, how long would it be before people were complaining about them and longing for "the good old days" of the talkies? Novelty does win people over, but when that novelty wears off, where does it leave the film? Just something to think about.<br />
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Verdict: If you haven't seen this yet, you must. It's the most charming film I've seen in a long time, it's absolutely delightful, and adorable, and, as I've proved, will win over even the most skeptical of audiences. Top marks!<br />
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*****Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-5842777702949754282012-01-09T23:09:00.003+00:002012-01-09T23:38:55.439+00:00My Top 11 Films of '11Happy new year to all my wonderful followers and readers!<br />
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At this time of year, critics tend to post their lists of their favourite films from the last year, and I thought I'd hop on this bandwagon now that I have an appropriate outlet for this. So without further ado, my top 11 films of 2011 (apparently also known as "films most overlooked in 2011").<br />
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11. <em>Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy</em><br />
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As a Gary 'G-Man' Oldman lover, I was anticipating this film because his performance had been so hyped up in it, with many people calling this the role that will finally give him that long overdue Oscar nomination. Suffice to say, I was very impressed with him. He may not win the Academy Award, and possibly won't even be nominated (he's almost guaranteed to win the BAFTA though, because they are <em>the</em> most biased organisation I've seen in the film industry), but it was good. The cast was amazing, and I think actually Benedict Cumberbatch stole it for me, with his incredibly underrated performance. Overall, it was a <em>little</em> disappointing considering all the hype and anticipation, but definitely still worth a watch for anyone who hasn't already seen it.<br />
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10. <em>Source Code</em><br />
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This could quite easily have gone either way in how I reacted to this film. A Groundhog Day-esque narrative with a female lead who I wasn't keen on wasn't getting me overly excited for this before I saw it, but damn was it good. Duncan '<em>Moon</em>' Jones proves again that he is <em>the</em> sci-fi director of the moment, and Jake Gyllenhaal gives a wonderfully moving turn as a confused army pilot forced to ride the same exploding train over and over again to find the bomber. It's one of the smartest action sci-fi thrillers I've seen in a long time.<br />
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9. <em>Thor</em><br />
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Easily the second-best superhero film offered this year (see number 7 for my favourite), <a href="http://wastedtimefilm.blogspot.com/2011/05/stop-hammer-time.html"><em>Thor</em></a><em> </em>gave Chris Hemsworth his first proper leading man role, and he does it perfectly. The film blends comedy, action, family fueds and drama wonderfully, and the special effects are mesmerising. But really, the reason this made my top 11 films of this year is because of Tom Hiddleston's Loki, who steals the entire show, and is the loveliest, most misunderstood supervillain ever. The fact he is returning for <em>The Avengers</em> makes me so excited I could bounce around. And I think I did when I found that out. The odd choice of Kenneth Brannagh as director pays off, and I'm a little disappointed he isn't returning for the sequel. But still, enjoy this one, and watch as a very enjoyable prequel to <em>The Avengers</em> in the spring.<br />
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8. <em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2</em><br />
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Surely everyone's most anticipated film of 2011, there was so much pressure on this film to be good, and it mostly didn't disappoint. I've already written a lengthy <a href="http://wastedtimefilm.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-goodbye.html">blog post</a> containing my thoughts on this, so just refer back to that to see what my verdict was. But still, having grown up with Harry, I couldn't wait for this film, and to use the much-overused-but-very-appropriate-phrase, it was the end of an era. There were tears. There were laughs. There was an unwanted amount of disbelief. But I think it would be doing it a discredit to say it wasn't a great way to say goodbye, and for that reason, it made my list.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.liveforfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Harry-Potter-and-the-Deathly-Hallows-Part-2-Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="http://www.liveforfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Harry-Potter-and-the-Deathly-Hallows-Part-2-Poster.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
7. <em>X-Men: First Class</em><br />
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The number 1 superhero movie of the year goes to <a href="http://wastedtimefilm.blogspot.com/2011/06/mutant-fan-and-proud.html"><em>X-Men: First Class</em></a>. Absolutely superb acting from the two leads, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender (we forgive the accent) made it compelling to watch, and it was lovely to see the return of strength to this franchise which had been diminshed somewhat by the previous two offerings. It earned my first five-star review on my blog, with good reason. The plot is engaging, Kevin Bacon clearly relishes in playing a hideous villain, but really it is the chemistry and bromance between McAvoy and Fassbender that seal the deal.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/images/2011/04/Xmen_1st_Class_1Sht_E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/images/2011/04/Xmen_1st_Class_1Sht_E.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br />
6. <em>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</em><br />
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I haven't done a blog post on this yet and I don't know whether I'll actually get around to doing it, so I'll put my general thoughts here now. Lots of people, including myself, were a bit skeptical when the Hollywood remake of the cult Swedish thriller was announced to be in production, but as more information came through I began to get a little optimistic that maybe it wouldn't be a remake that completely destroys the foreign original and gets completely slated. David Fincher is one of my favourite directors, so that was the first promising tidbit, and then the cast was announced, it was revealed that it was staying true to the books, and it was being filmed and set in Sweden, as the novels state. It's a very dark film that deals with subject matters that made me feel quite uncomfortable at times, and was clearly given an 18-rating here for a reason. But the whole cast are terrific, Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara in particular, and the plot was very engaging. Yes, anyone who's read the book and/or seen the original film (which I must point out, I haven't yet done either) before knows the outcome of the mystery, and actually it was rather predictable once it got to a certain point within the film, but it was very stylish and I hope they do make the sequels, with the original cast and crew. The titles alone - which were very Bond-esque in the fact that they were put at the start of the film overlaid with a cracking song (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who actually deserve an Oscar for the soundtrack this time, did a great remix of Led Zeppelin's 'Immigration Song') and weird silhouettes of contortionists - deserve a place on the list.<br />
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5. <em>True Grit</em><br />
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One of the most overlooked films of this year, especially when awards season approached last January, was this one. Like <em>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</em>, I'd never seen the original, but as a big fan of the Coen brothers I was excited to see their latest offering, which was brilliant. Jeff Bridges was outstanding as Marshal Rooster Cogburn, and I actually think Hailee Steinfeld deserved the Best Supporting Actress awards over Melissa Leo, but hey, I seem to be one of the only people giving this film the attention it deserves. Unorthodox casting of Matt Damon was pulled off completely, and he was another one who didn't get the recognition he deserved this year, with <em>The Adjustment Bureau</em> also getting overlooked. It's definitely awarded my "Most Underrated Film of 2011" award (that I just made up. <em>The King's Speech</em> probably gets the most overrated award).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flicksandbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/true-grit-international-poster-2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="http://www.flicksandbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/true-grit-international-poster-2010.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br />
4. <em>Black Swan</em><br />
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Yes, the "lesbian ballet film" earns a space in my top 11 this year. Watching it first time round, I was impressed, especially by Natalie Portman who completely deserved her awards for this, but it didn't strike me as being absolutely amazing. After watching it again (and again and again...) though, it was brilliant. Darren Aronofsky should have won all the best director awards for this. The cinematography and special effects are stunning, but really it's the engaging, original script of a mentally unstable athlete striving for glory, which Aronofsky of course has previous experience with, having directed <em>The Wrestler</em>, that really sells the film. It's dark, disturbing, but beautifully made and with an amazing score that I'm actually listening to as I write this. Just don't watch it with your family. Especially your mother.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/black-swan_poster-535x792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/black-swan_poster-535x792.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br />
3. <em>The Fighter</em><br />
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Another film about an athlete striving to succeed! Except of course, this is completely different to <em>Black Swan</em>, and not just in terms of their athletic fields. This is much more of a drama focusing on the complexity of family life and the conflicts between the family members. Mark Wahlberg was snubbed after not getting nominated for this role, though I think his quiet voice of reason in this gets overshadowed by loud, brash but wonderful performances by the supporing cast of Christian 'Jesus' Bale, Amy Adams (in a career-best, I think) and Melissa Leo, with the former and latter of course walking away with many awards. Truly an amazing film to watch; if you haven't seen it yet, do it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://hollywoodmoviez.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/The%20hollywood%20Movie%20The%20Fighter%20Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://hollywoodmoviez.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/The%20hollywood%20Movie%20The%20Fighter%20Poster.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />
2. <em>Water for Elephants</em><br />
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No, this was not the best film of the year, on my list or many other people's. But it makes number 2 on my list because it really was <a href="http://wastedtimefilm.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-first-review-is-special-one.html">very special to me</a>. It was based on one of my all-time favourite books, starring some of my all-time favourite actors, and subsequently containing one of my all-time favourite scores. It was my first ever review on this blog, and if that wasn't enough, I also got tickets to the premiere, to walk the red carpet and see it before anybody else. But aside from that, it's the most visually stylish film I've seen this year, and certainly my favourite period-piece. The acting was superb, with Robert Pattinson in particular shining in his first big role since <em>Twilight</em> began. It's no secret that I'm a fan of his, and I was so pleased that he was able to properly showcase his acting ability in this. Also, I think it has been overlooked in the 2012 awards season in terms of the technical side of it: the cinematography is beautiful and the costumes are splendid. I also think I felt every emotion it's possible to feel during a film during this, and I've never cried so much inexplicably watching a film before. I honestly can't even explain why, but the ending sets me off every time I watch this. Kathryn and I were weeping for about half an hour after it finished, and that isn't even an exaggeration; they were cleaning the theatre around us. So, because it was so personal to me, it's ranks as my number two film of the year.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lovingrob.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/pattinsonlife-w4e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="http://lovingrob.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/pattinsonlife-w4e.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br />
<br />
And number one?<br />
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1. <em>Super 8</em><br />
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It was <em>the</em> <a href="http://wastedtimefilm.blogspot.com/2011/09/really-super-8.html">most flawless film of the year</a>. I cannot fault it at all. The acting is amazing, the special effects are stunning, the banter between the young characters is a highlight, and it's so refreshing to have a truly brilliant original script from Hollywood. And what have they done? OVERLOOKED IT. I cannot comprehend how this isn't sweeping the boards. Everything about it is perfect. This is a prime example of the hatred that academies seem to have for sci-fi films. But you forget it's even catagorised as that, because for the most part it's a mystery, a suspense, and a comedy, with a side of tween love-triangle thrown in there. Writer/director JJ Abrams (<em>Lost</em>, <em>Star Trek</em>) is fast becoming one of my favourite directors, and his creativity and originality is incredible. Filled with fantastic one-liners as well, it's suitable for pretty much everyone over the age of 10, and everyone should see it. The fact that I cannot find a fault in it at all, and that it's one of my absolute favourite films ever now, is why it clinches the top spot on my list.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/super-8-movie-poster-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/super-8-movie-poster-01.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br />
Do you agree? Drop me a comment below and share your thoughts.<br />
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See you in 12 months for this year's summary!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-30662909111641728862011-12-30T23:39:00.002+00:002011-12-30T23:45:08.955+00:00Films We Want To See Christian Bale DoKathryn and I had a long phone call a couple of weeks ago where we discussed our favourite actor and insane person, Christian Bale. We decided to help him with his future career since Batman is soon finishing (sob), and came up with some options for films using genres he hasn't yet tackled. <br />
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i2.listal.com/image/2085179/500full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="http://i2.listal.com/image/2085179/500full.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This just made me laugh</td></tr>
</tbody></table><em>Note: you may only find this amusing if you know Christian Bale. If not you will just think we are a bit messed up. Meant for amusement only! (Though obviously it would be amazing if he did actually star in any films like these).</em><br />
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Kathryn wrote up some of of our favourite picks:<br />
<br />
1. Rom-com starring Bale, with Jennfier Aniston as the love interest.<br />
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2. Teen body swap comedy<em>.</em> Bale and his daughter, or just some random girl he knows, swap bodies <em>Freaky</em> <em>Friday</em> style. Hilarious consequences. Suggested actress to play girl – Miley Cyrus, who can then also do a musical number.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3. Modern day remake of the classic musical <em>Brigadoon</em>,<em> </em>directed by Christopher Nolan. Also starring Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine of course, as is always the case in a Nolan film. Suggested female lead - Marion Cotillard (depending on how good her Scottish accent is).</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">4. <em>Mannequin 3</em>. Again, produced by Nolan. Bale is the mannequin. Suggested co-stars - Eddie Murphy or Jim Carrey as an updated version of Hollywood. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">5. Buddy movie comedy starring Bale and Will Ferrell. Bale is released from a psychiatric institute and taken on a road trip by his best friend (Ferrell). Along the way Bale snaps and thinks he's Batman (basically he seems to be playing himself).</div><br />
6. Sequel to <em>Elf</em> as Bale plays a baby raised by elves in the same way as Buddy in the first film but is evil. OR when he finally clicks that he's not an elf he attempts to a) kill parents or b) ruin Christmas.<br />
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7. Bale as Dr Doolittle but with a sinister edge. Perhaps as a taxidermist who only speaks to the animals he stuffs.<br />
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8. As a serious suggestion, any film with Jeff Bridges. We honestly don't know why this pairing hasn't happened yet in this industry.<br />
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Come on now, who wouldn't want to see at least half of these films?!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2011/02/christian_bale_oscars_2011_a_p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2011/02/christian_bale_oscars_2011_a_p.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-46194128948208428712011-12-30T23:35:00.000+00:002011-12-30T23:35:24.294+00:00A Look at Upcoming Films: Jan-Jun 2012Earlier this year, I published my list of upcoming films of 2011 to look out for. Admittedly, some errors were made (the fact that <em>Green Lantern </em>and <em>The Three Musketeers </em>were awful and that <em>On The Road</em> now won't be released this year), but some, I think, were pretty accurate. I also promised a list of films to watch out for in 2012. Kathryn and I both agree it's going to be pretty amazing in terms of the epic films that are going to be released, but we also say (at this point) that there aren't going to be the same number of amazing films that there have been this year. We shall see. I shall be brief with each one because I have a lot to get through. On with the list!<br />
<br />
Firstly, there's <em>The Avengers</em>. If you've seen <em>Thor</em>/<em>Iron Man</em>/<em>Iron Man </em>2/<em>Captain America</em> and enjoyed them, or are a fan of superhero movies in general, you need to see this. It's going to be incredible (Hulk. Excuse the pun). There is a great cast, one of the best ensembles I've seen for a while, and it has one of my favourite ever film villains in it, because Loki is back! (See <em>Thor</em> if you don't know what I'm talking about.)<em> </em>It's constantly a toss-up between this and <em>Dark Knight Rises</em> (see future blog posts for more information) for my most-anticipated film of next year, and I think it's going to be a really difficult choice as to what my favourite is going to be.<br />
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<em>ETA: April 27</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/24700000/The-Avengers-poster-the-avengers-24746041-1557-2250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/24700000/The-Avengers-poster-the-avengers-24746041-1557-2250.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><br />
Another film I'm incredibly excited for is <em>Snow White and the Huntsman</em>. The trailer alone for this film is one of the most impressive I've seen in a very long time, and I've watched it over and over again just absorbing the brilliance of it. Charlize Theron looks like she's going to be amazing as the Evil Queen (and does a British accent very well!), and the special effects look incredible. Again, the supporting cast are amazing on paper, with the likes of Bob Hoskins, Eddie Marsan, Eddie Izzard and Nick Frost as some of the eight dwarves (Disney apparently own the rights to Seven Dwarves!), and of course Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth (looking very much like a brunette Thor who has replaced his hammer with an axe) as Snow White and the huntsman respectively. Let's put it this way: at the very least, this film looks miles better than the appalling <em>Mirror Mirror</em>. I already hope the rumours of a trilogy are true.<br />
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<em>ETA: June 1</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flicksandbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" rea="true" src="http://www.flicksandbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
In a completely different direction, I'm very much looking forward to <em>The Woman in Black</em>. I absolutely love the play, and if it's faithful to that then the film will be very good. Though saying that, I'm unsure as to how some aspects of the play are going to translate into films and still be as effective. But the trailer looks like the film will still deliver all of the terrifying moments well, and I'm interested to see what Daniel Radcliffe is going to do in his first post-Hogwarts role. And <em>Total Film</em> have already dubbed it as 'The Year's Creepiest Film' so that sounds promising!<br />
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<em>ETA: Feb 3</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.onlinemovieshut.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/the-woman-in-black-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" rea="true" src="http://www.onlinemovieshut.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/the-woman-in-black-poster.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Coming quite soon is <em>J. Edgar</em>, Clint Eastwood's biopic of controversial FBI founder J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio). The screenwriter, Dustin Lance Black, also wrote the screenplay for <em>Milk</em>, a film I watched relatively recently and was impressed by, so I have high hopes for this based on the cast (also including Dame Judi Dench and Naomi Watts) and crew. Admittedly, I don't know much about the subject, but Hollywood do love a good biopic and it's already been nominated for a couple of awards, including Golden Globes. It's had mixed reviews so far, so I'll have to see for myself, but it's one I definitely want to catch at some point.<br />
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<em>ETA: January 20</em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/j-edgar-poster-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/j-edgar-poster-01.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One film which I'm told I should be excited about, and based on the trailer alone, I am a little, is <em>The Hunger Games</em>. I haven't read the books yet, but I've heard they are addictive and very good, so I shall get round to it hopefully some point before the film comes out. I'm not particularly excited about the cast, especially Jennifer Lawrence, who most people know I'm not a fan of, but the actual plot, from what I can tell from the trailer, looks quite gripping and I'm looking forward to something quite new and fresh from Hollywood.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>ETA: March 23</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/42/HungerGamesPoster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/42/HungerGamesPoster.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left">In May comes what has been described as "possibly the most Tim Burtonish Tim Burton film ever", <em>Dark Shadows</em>. Containing the usual cast members of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, this sounds right up my street. It's got vampires. It's got Johnny (my birthday sharer!). It's a Tim Burton film. Just the look of the pictures makes me giggle with how weird and wonderful it is. I don't know what it will be like in terms of quality, of course, but stylistically it's hard to beat Burton, and this looks very much like his signature style.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><em>ETA: May 11</em></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://darkarchivist.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/dark-shadows-unveils-first-cast-photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" rea="true" src="http://darkarchivist.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/dark-shadows-unveils-first-cast-photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">One film which I think will hoard a lot of awards, and has already started actually, is <em>Shame</em>. It sounds very dark, very characterised (which is usually the type of film that the Acadamies love), and from what I've heard has already had high critical praise. Michael Fassbender is definitely an actor on the rise and someone to watch, as is director Steve McQueen, so I'm very much looking forward to seeing this. I think Fassbender sounds like the perfect actor to portray a troubled young man, and we know he does good characters from his previous work. Oscar nomination, anyone?</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><em>ETA: January 13</em></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3b/Shame2011Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" rea="true" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3b/Shame2011Poster.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Continuing on the line of sex- and character-orientated films starring Michael Fassbender is <em>A Dangerous Method</em>, one of two David Cronenberg films this year (the other being <em>Cosmopolis</em>, see upcoming blog post for more details). This one tells the story of the relationship between psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung (played by Viggo Mortensen and Fassbender respectively) and the young woman (Keira Knightley) who comes between them. I have every confidence that this film will be interesting and engaging at the very least.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>ETA: February 10</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0f/A_Dangerous_Method_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0f/A_Dangerous_Method_Poster.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I shall end this post on a light note with <em>This Means War</em>. Any reader of this blog and/or person that knows me to any degree will know that I am in love with Reese Witherspoon, and to see her in a film with Tom Hardy and Chris Pine pretty much blows my mind. Three of my favourite actors in one film! Yes, it looks ridiculous, but it also looks very fun and entertaining, and sometimes, once in a while, that's what you want for a film. Although Reese clearly hasn't been listening to my advice (<a href="http://wastedtimefilm.blogspot.com/2011/10/open-letter-to-reese-witherspoon.html">Career advice for Reese</a>), this does look better than the recent films she's been doing (with the exception of <em>Water for Elephants</em>), and I'm looking forward to this offering of light entertainment from Hollywood. Also, 2012 has been dubbed as Tom Hardy's year, with other films including <em>The Dark Knight Rises</em> on the horizon, so let's enjoy him as many times as we can.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>ETA: February 17</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/55/This_Means_War_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/55/This_Means_War_Poster.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Other films I haven't mentioned are <em>The Descendants</em>, <em>Bel Ami</em>,<em> The Iron Lady</em>, <em>Martha Macy Mae Marlene</em>, <em>Like Crazy</em>, <em>The Muppets</em>, <em>The Raven</em>, <em>Young Adult</em>, and countless others I've no doubt forgotten and will kick myself later for.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Look out for part 2, July-December, at some point in the future!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">(P.S. Can we <em>please please please</em> have some information on <em>On The Road</em>? Please? It's been in post-production for a year and a half now. What are they doing to it?!</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-58913360841000019642011-12-08T22:31:00.000+00:002011-12-08T22:31:39.313+00:00Twilight: A DefenceWith the release of the latest <em>Twilight</em> film, <em>Breaking Dawn Part 1</em>, came the usual mess of needless abuse, pompous criticism and general hate. People have slated this film franchise so much over the years (it's only been around for just over 3) that I feel like I need to defend it from all the people who hate the series just for the sake of it, without properly thinking about it.<br />
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Firstly, as some of you are aware, I am a proud <em>Twilight</em> fan. Note I didn't say "Twihard", because I feel that a lot of stigma comes associated with that word. People hear "<em>Twilight</em>" and assume that everyone is a teenage girl who spends their time hyperventilating, screaming, or crying over the films and everything to do with it. In actual fact, we're not. I read somewhere that over 50% of people who went to see <em>Breaking Dawn</em> in its opening weekend were over 25. It's just because the idiotic teenage girls are the most publically vocal part of the community that they are the only ones anyone ever pays attention to, when actually those hysterical little girls only represent a small portion of the fanbase. I do understand a lot of people's hatred for these people, it irritates me beyond belief too. It's these fans that make me really pity the stars who have to stand there and endure having people scream in their faces... who would want to go through that? I don't envy them in the slightest. But I do disagree with the fact that non-fans seem to group all fans together with these hideous people. We aren't all like that. The day I turn into one of those fans, I want someone to shoot me in the head. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ji461pVyCqI/TfTn3M2smAI/AAAAAAAAAb0/3unDx0xW1hc/s640/crazysmiley.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" mda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ji461pVyCqI/TfTn3M2smAI/AAAAAAAAAb0/3unDx0xW1hc/s320/crazysmiley.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, this represents how most people see <em>Twilight</em> fans. It's untrue (for the most part).</td></tr>
</tbody></table> As much as it has a huge number of people who dislike the books and films, I think people can't ignore the massive cultural impact it's had on the world. As someone who was quite into vampires before the <em>Twilight</em> series even came to my attention, I have seen, as I'm sure everyone else in Western civilisation has, the recent insurgance of fascination with vampires and the supernatural in fiction. The novels of <em>The Southern Vampire Mysteries</em> and <em>The Vampire Diaries</em> may have come out before the <em>Twilight</em> books, but have grown massively in popularity since the success of <em>Twilight</em>, with shows being made out of both of them following this success (<em>True Blood</em> from <em>The Southern Vampire Mysteries </em>in 2008 and <em>The Vampire Diaries</em> from... well, <em>The Vampire Diaries</em> in 2009). There are also now sections in bookshops called "Supernatural Romance" and "Teenage Fantasy" etc. that were not there before, but because there is such a huge demand now for books such as these that it's become necessary to have them.<br />
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It cannot be denied, therefore, that these books and films have power. They have caused massive levels of obsession which has lead to it being one of the most popular franchises of recent times, with merchandise everywhere, t-shirts on the chests of fans who wave their posters and scarves and the like. Their premieres are beaten only by <em>Harry Potter</em> in terms of turnout, and new films are often one of the most anticipated of the year. Celebrities are very vocal in their support of the series. Journalists would sell their mothers if it meant a decent interview with one of the stars. They are influential and powerful, and critics aren't going to put a stop to that any time soon, whether they like it or not.<br />
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I'd also like to point out the records that these films have broken. It has the second biggest midnight release and opening day ever (<em>Eclipse</em>, broken only by <em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2</em>, which I think is something it can be very proud of), the third and fourth highest opening weekends in history (<em>New Moon</em> and <em>Eclipse </em>respectively), as well as winning many other awards. These awards may not be the most prestigious or even credible, but they really prove the success of the franchise. They may be mostly voted for by fans, but that just proves the dedication and commitment they have, that I think even outshines <em>Harry Potter</em> fans at times. These fans have ensured that, at the time of writing, the films have made over $2.4 million. Not too shabby, really.<br />
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Now we come to the acting, which has suffered more than its fair share of abuse. No, it's not the best, hence they haven't won any major awards, but I really think it's been blown out of proportion. If you go in and watch one of the films with a clear head and without any preconceptions (ok, maybe not the first one), you can see there are some moments that are actually quite good, especially in the latest instalment, <em>Breaking Dawn</em>. I've always said, the leads do the best with what they are given, considering the storylines and script they have to work with. It's unsurprising they get labelled as "wooden" or "limited" when they have very little wiggle room to show what they are actually capable of. Watch some of their other work (<em>Water For Elephants</em>, <em>Panic Room</em>, <em>Adventureland</em>, <em>Bel Ami</em>) and you will see that they are not limited actors at all, they are just limited in terms of what they can do in the constraints of these films at times. <br />
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Plus, just think about how much money they have now. Robert Pattinson is the third-richest Brit in the industry, and he was recently named as third in Forbes' "Hollywood's Best Actors for the Buck", meaning for every dollar he makes, his films make a lot back. Kristen Stewart was first on this list; this says a lot. These films propelled them from relative unknowns to superstardom, and they now have international recognition and are well-respected by other people in the industry, including high-profile actors and directors. David Cronenberg cast Rob in one of his new films (<em>Cosmopolis</em>) and has publically praised him many times on his performence, and basically every actor and director Kristen has ever worked with, from Jodie Foster to Garrett Hedlund to Melissa Leo to David Fincher, has had only glowing things to say about her. You cannot deny that they are two of the hardest working people in the industry and the effort they put into making these films and promoting them needs to be admired. It must be absolutely draining for them to do, and they deserve more than the casual panning they get in return.<br />
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I fully admit that the books and films are not amazing - far from it, in fact - but when they aren't taken too seriously, they are fun. And I think that's another big problem, that people are just too serious about them. Yes, it can be argued that they take themselves too seriously sometimes, but we all now know the sort of thing we're going to get when we watch them, and therefore we know what to expect and have a vague idea of how we're going to react generally. They are always going to be attacked by prissy pretentious critics who prefer works submitted to Cannes or Sundance, but these are big-budget Hollywood movies who aren't out to impress the critics, but rather the fans. Cast and crew have said repeatedly that they make the films for the fans, and to be honest, do we really think they take the criticism to heart? They know the films will be successful in the box office and in the eyes of their fans, and that's what matters to them the most. They wouldn't have continued to make them otherwise.<br />
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On a positive note, it needs to be said that no matter what you say about the films, they always have amazing soundtracks and that cannot be denied by anyone. Hundreds of very well respected artists submit songs to be considered for inclusion on them, including Florence and the Machine (best song on any of the soundtracks I think), Beck, Paramore (the less said about that the better really, in my opinion, but I hate them for different reasons), Bon Iver, Bruno Mars, Death Cab for Cutie, The Killers, UNKLE, and of course, Muse, to name a few. The soundtracks have all been in the top 5 on the Billboard 100, and have basically provided a platform for artists both well-known and rising to showcase their work. Bon Iver were on the first soundtrack before they were really big, and have provided what is probably the ultimate song of the series. So really, the films not only help to propel actors into the public eye, but also musicians, which should not be scoffed at, to be honest. It's ended up being a prestigious thing to end up on a <em>Twilight</em> soundtrack.<br />
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I don't understand really why people have singled out these films to consistently debunk and criticise. Ok professional critics, I get that it's your job to give your opinion on the film, but then just leave it there. There is no need to constantly go on and on about how bad you think it is, and give it worse reviews than you ordinarily would have because you have previous misconceptions and views on it. Other films don't get this type of abuse. There have been much worse films released this year that haven't had this much attention drawn to their flaws (*cough<em>GreenLantern</em>cough*), yet people repeat themselves over again when it comes to this series. Why? You're entitled to your opinions, of course, but stop banging people over the head with them. It's at the stage where everyone now has their opinions on the films and nothing is going to change it, so stop harping on.<br />
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What I'm trying to get at, really, is that you don't have to like the series. Just accept that it's popular and there is a big fanbase out there and leave it be. There is no need to constantly debase and ridicule it, it just ends up irritating people (and also riling up the crazies even more, so don't encourage them!). It's just a waste of your own time and energy. We all know it's flawed, but it has such a massive following that clearly a lot of people don't care. So you shouldn't either.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-1359637863299744522011-11-21T22:15:00.003+00:002011-11-21T23:04:26.177+00:00Breaking Down Breaking DawnBefore I wrote anything for this review, I had to sit and think if I could actually give a fair judgement for this film, considering what a fan I am of this whole series. And the conclusion was yes, I can. I've never claimed to be a professional critic, I just write what I think about films for my own enjoyment, but I think I can do this one justice.<br />
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First off, this film was a lot better than I was anticipating, considering what we all knew was going to happen in it. The (professional!) reviews I've read so far for this film have been rather negative, but I think that's rather unfair because they often slate the plot, which really is not the film's fault. The general consensus is that the book upon which it's based was a huge letdown for fans and is the least favourite, and everyone knows it's a ridiculous plot, but I think they did the best with that they had to work with and overall I think it turned out very well, for the most part.<br />
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I don't even know if I can say this review will have spoilers, because we all know what happens in this film, but I'll put the little warning there anyway.<br />
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Let's start with the good bits, shall we? <br />
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The much anticipated wedding and honeymoon of Kristen Stewart's Bella and Robert Pattinson's Edward were beautiful. To be honest, I think I was so absorbed with the more dramatic moments of the film I kind of overlooked this when making expectations, but really, it was lovely. Yes, it was extremely mushy, but it also stayed very faithful to the books and the wedding was pretty much exactly as I pictured it. Bella looked stunning in her dress, and the whole set was gorgeous. The wedding itself was very sweet to watch, and very satisfying for all the fans who have been waiting so long for it to finally happen. I found the whole thing actually quite emotional. The honeymoon too was well done, considering they had to stay within the boundaries of a PG13/12 certificate (though I read somewhere that nearly 50% of people who saw it this weekend were over-25... don't know if that's accurate, but still, they could have pushed it to a 15 and given us some more action). There are also some very (intentionally) humorous moments which made a welcome change to the usual mopey, angsty films produced so far in this series. The wedding speeches in particular were brilliant, showing off the talents of the wonderful Billy Burke (as Charlie, Bella's father) and Anna Kendrick (Jessica, Bella's not-so-subtly bitter friend), as well as some of Bella's attempted seduction on the honeymoon. But it doesn't stay that way.<br />
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Of course, it starts to get a little freaky. Bella's horrific, accelerated pregnancy was actually awful to watch, not because it was badly done but because the visual effects made her painful to look at, as she should be. People have asked if Kristen Stewart actually lost that much weight for the role, but she didn't, it's just the CGI and make-up making her look skeletal and near-death. But I will admit that the pregnancy was a very weird thing to watch, though the actors did it really well. Which brings me onto their performances.<br />
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I think every single person unanimously agrees that they are the best they've been all series. The range of emotions Stewart and Pattinson have to cover (Edward and Bella are actually allowed to be happy for the first time!) show how skilled they are as actors. Because it's such an intense film in terms of emotion, I think it really stresses each and every one so you kind of empathise with them at certain points. Certainly the climactic birth scene made me genuinely cry both times I've seen it (so far), as Edward tries desperately to save Bella's life. It really does tug on the heartstrings. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the other performances in the film. Most of them are up to scratch, though nobody else really stands out. But really, everyone else is just a supporting role in this, including Jacob, who wasn't in it as much as I thought he would be, probably because the script has clearly cut a lot from the books. However, Taylor Lautner's Jacob pretty much just mopes for the entire film and he doesn't even do that very well, just coming across as a brat most of the time. And the wolves... well, that's a different matter altogether.<br />
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I've said from the very start of becoming a fan of both the films and books, that the series would be a whole lot better without the werewolves/shapeshifters/whatever-you-want-to-call-them. But I think this film really emphasises that point. None of them were really credible actors in the previous films, and they haven't become any better since then. Thankfully they aren't in it a great deal, at least as humans, though it has to be said that the scene where they're having a conversation in their wolf forms has to be the worst one of the entire series to date. I was actually hiding behind my hands at how appallingly bad it was. And the imprinting scene! (For those who don't know, imprinting is the process where a werewolf finds their soulmate and forms some kind of unbreakable bond. Or something.) Reading the book I thought the scene where Jacob imprints on his best friend/love interest's newborn baby was creepy, but actually seeing it was something else. It was a whole new level of paedophile.<br />
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In terms of production, you can see the improvement from previous films. The dialogue is much improved, not so much the stilted, awkward conversation from before, though that's not to say there aren't still some questionable parts. What's good is that the screenplay has cut out huge chunks of the book, which would otherwise have made a three-hour film that was dragged out beyond belief. And I thank Melissa Rosenberg (screenwriter) for cutting some parts, most notably the awful scene in the book where Edward asks Jacob, his love rival, to procreate with his new wife. Awks. But I also liked some of the additional parts, such as the speeches in the wedding, as well as one scene at the beginning where we see Edward's pre-"vegetarian" vampire lifestyle. It was a bit unnecessary for this film (don't know whether it will be relevant in the next one) but it was nice to see all the same, because it hadn't been discussed before. <br />
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The special effects were also great. I've already mentioned the hideous transformation seen in Bella's body during her pregnancy, but the wolves were very convincing (sadly, only in appearance), and I thought the scene towards the end as we see the vampire venom travelling through Bella's bloodstream was actually very effective, though I understand why people feel it was a little strange to see.<br />
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The whole birth scene was done very well, I thought. I wasn't sure how they were going to be able to do it and stick to the film's rating, but I thought it was effective in the way they showed it from Bella's perspective so the action wasn't as bad due to her semi-conscious state. I heard that loads of people passed out when they first saw it because of the gore, but I don't understand how because really it wasn't that bad at all. But I think the best thing about the whole scene was Edward's reaction to Bella's subsequent death, which was haunting, I don't think Robert Pattinson has ever been better in the whole series. I actually cried when he was trying to save her. And I was genuinely terrified for her, even though I knew what was going to happen. It was done by the actors so well, especially when it's just Edward and Bella towards the end, because really, this film is about them, and the possibility of their separation is heartbreaking.<br />
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One thing I don't understand is how people can call it "slow". It was slowER in some places, definitely, particularly towards the beginning with the wedding and honeymoon, but it was always a nice pace. The plot was constantly moving foward smoothly, and actually I felt like I'd only been sitting for 15 minutes before the credits started rolling. And the ending of the film was obvious - we all knew from the moment they said they were splitting it that it would end with that shot of Bella's red vampire eyes opening. But I also don't know how they're going to fill two hours with what they have left to cover in the book. As far as I can tell, it's just going to be Bella adjusting to being a vampire, more sexy times in a different place, and an extremely long and dragged out, anti-climactic conversation with those Italians with the bad wigs. I also don't understand why we have to wait a year to see this when they filmed it nearly a year ago (<em>On the Road</em>, anyone?).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vuh7WqFYMN8/TsrKOkCJr5I/AAAAAAAAACM/4guoFXUYzqo/s1600/breakingdawntrailer02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vuh7WqFYMN8/TsrKOkCJr5I/AAAAAAAAACM/4guoFXUYzqo/s400/breakingdawntrailer02.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I've also always said that no matter what you say about the Twilight films, you cannot deny that they have amazing soundtracks. This one is no different. Every song fits the scene it's in perfectly, and I have to say that actually it's my favourite one to date. I'm annoyed that the score hasn't been released yet, because that was also very good, and I'm glad Carter Burwell (composer of the first film) returned for this one. I liked how in the wedding they played music from the others, particularly the vows being done to 'Flightless Bird, American Mouth', the music they danced to at prom in the first one, and that Bella's Lullaby was included in the memory-montage at the end. I thought it was very appropriate.<br />
<br />
Verdict: Almost everyone involved in the production did the best with the material they had. It's not going to win over any non-fans, but fans should be very pleased with it. It was beautifully shot, and both remains faithful to and deviates from the book enough that it's satisfying, and leaves people just curious enough to remain interested for the second part. They've obviously done something right if they've made my least favourite book of the franchise into my favourite film.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l-Vt0xHVgwY/TsrKgXgTcgI/AAAAAAAAACU/MxetvafATRA/s1600/breakingdawnstill05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="255" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l-Vt0xHVgwY/TsrKgXgTcgI/AAAAAAAAACU/MxetvafATRA/s400/breakingdawnstill05.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Trailer: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1OHXR63a38">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1OHXR63a38</a><br />
<br />
****Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-46057042267385806392011-10-25T20:13:00.000+01:002011-10-25T20:13:04.579+01:00An Open Letter to Reese WitherspoonDear Reese,<br />
<br />
We need to talk about your career. What's going on? What direction are you going in? What do you want to achieve? Because, at the moment, I can't understand what's happening with you. You know I have massive amounts of respect for you, and I think you're a fantastic actress, but I think you need to sack your agent and listen to my advice when it comes to your career.<br />
<br />
When you first started, it was going so well, and you earned many award nominations including a Golden Globe nomination (for <em>Election</em>) in the 90s. And then <em>Legally Blonde</em> came along, and, although really not the best film in the world, it became your turning point as you received greater recognition and acclaim for your work; this was followed by <em>Sweet Home Alabama</em>, your biggest box office hit to date and what you describe as a "personal role" to you.<br />
<br />
All looking very good in terms of career - let's not forget that you were also married and had a family at this point too. Everything is looking rosy.<br />
<br />
And in 2005, <em>Walk the Line</em> happens, and finally, <em>finally</em>, you get the awards, all the big ones, and quite rightly. But what happens now? Surely amazing offers are flooding in for the woman who will now forever have "Academy Award winner" in front of her name? Well, apparently not, and this is the reason your agent needs to be ditched. You really chose some stinkers after <em>Walk the Line</em>, and I don't understand why. Aren't all doors open to you now? You can now be a really credible actress taken very seriously for her dramatic work as well as comedy, but no, instead you appear in films like <em>Four Christmases</em> and do voice work for family film <em>Monsters vs. Aliens</em>. What's going on?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.corusent.com/Home/images/ImageLibrary/RealImage/2009/11/c48b21c7-7026-40e3-ba04-d7b91d7d2061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://www.corusent.com/Home/images/ImageLibrary/RealImage/2009/11/c48b21c7-7026-40e3-ba04-d7b91d7d2061.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><br />
As you have proved on numerous occasions, you have the potential to be such a brilliant actress. I am just so disappointed you never fully took advantage of the recognition you received earlier on in your career, especially after your Oscar/BAFTA/Golden Globe/SAG Award wins.<br />
<br />
However, things are looking up. <em>Water for Elephants</em> was released this year and was one of my favourite films of 2011 (I may be biased but let's not get into that), and finally you were back on track. You have <em>This Means War</em> coming up, and if the trailer is anything to go by, it looks like it will be really good - Tom Hardy and Chris Pine are always a plus as well. Is your career finally on the mend? Have you gone back to making films that aren't slated?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MeJtc_KEuNc/TqcF3ce2L0I/AAAAAAAAAB8/dEsddOn8SPo/s1600/jacobmarlena02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MeJtc_KEuNc/TqcF3ce2L0I/AAAAAAAAAB8/dEsddOn8SPo/s400/jacobmarlena02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
You know I love you anyway, no matter what you choose to do (I sound like a parent) but I do worry about your decisions sometimes. I think you need to diversify (i.e. stop appearing in sappy love films where you're the centre of a love triangle - three in two years is quite enough, I think) and be daring - that's what happened with <em>Walk the Line</em>, which you didn't even want to do at first, and look where that got you! I know you think it's important to choose roles that have a personal meaning to you and that you can relate to, but you also need to be sensible when deciding. Are people going to actually like this? What are they going to think of my talent after watching this? Will offers still keep coming in? You haven't really changed a whole lot as an actress since starting, and the film choices you've made which are the most acclaimed are the ones where you do something a little different that usual - just something to think about.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thirdage.com/files/originals/best-supporting-actor-christian-bale-poses-his-oscar-at-83rd-annual-academy-awards-hollywood-338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://www.thirdage.com/files/originals/best-supporting-actor-christian-bale-poses-his-oscar-at-83rd-annual-academy-awards-hollywood-338.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a nice gratuitous shot of lovely Reese with Christian "Jesus" Bale, after presenting him with his Academy Award this year</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Basically, please Reese, start picking good films! You are so wonderfully talented - <em>Walk the Line</em> and <em>Water for Elephants</em> make the list of my favourite films of all time, so I know you can do it! You're just such a lovely person and a brilliant actress, and I don't want to see that go to waste or see other people judging you because you keep making the wrong choices. Make the right ones and you'll be recognised with the great actors in the industry again.<br />
<br />
Your trusted friend, <br />
Emily<br />
<br />
P.S. I also love your singing voice. Your doubts over singing for <em>Walk the Line</em> were completely unnecessary.<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxkvHmc2qZM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxkvHmc2qZM</a><br />
<br />
Trailers:<br />
<em>Legally Blonde</em>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18cRPnOdQHU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18cRPnOdQHU</a><br />
<em>Walk the Line</em>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydrr5zDJGzA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydrr5zDJGzA</a><br />
<em>Water for Elephants</em>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuKY9kuLWvU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuKY9kuLWvU</a><br />
<em>This Means War</em>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsAqVvlR5DQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsAqVvlR5DQ</a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-64942880950794306302011-10-13T19:22:00.000+01:002011-10-13T19:22:39.238+01:00Apologies and an Abundance of AnnouncementsHello again!<br />
<br />
Firstly, MASSIVE apologies for being MIA for over a month. If you're following me on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/emsuckle">Twitter</a> you'll know that I just started university, so my life's been a bit up in the air recently. But I'm settled in mostly now, so updates <em>should</em> be more regular (though saying that, my workload is already up to my eyeballs so I shall be playing it by ear).<br />
<br />
There's lots in the works, both in the blog and elsewhere. I have plenty of upcoming posts that should be up soon(ish), including some long overdue film reviews that I never got around to posting and are still sitting in my drafts box (<em>Rise of the Planet of the Apes</em>, <em>Cowboys and Aliens</em>, <em>Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy</em>) as well as some new ones, and also some other articles including my tribute to Pixar, the best film studio out there at the moment, and my pick of upcoming films for the rest of this year and 2012 (there's <em>lots</em>).<br />
<br />
Also, and I'm rather excited for this, I've been recruited for the university radio station to be a panellist on a film show. Details are still unclear at the moment re. times etc, but I'm hoping once I start, the four people that still pay any attention to this will tune in. It's a great chance for me to put my film opinions out there to a larger audience, so I can't wait. Details will be posted when I know them. It's all very exciting. Big thanks to <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><a href="http://www.twitter.com/BrenWay">Brendan</a> for the opportunity!<br />
<br />
Ok, I'm off again (hopefully not for another month!). Thanks to all the readers who have stuck with the blog during my much too lengthy absence!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-24330129921337211572011-09-02T00:07:00.000+01:002011-09-02T00:07:53.069+01:00Really Super 8I wasn't sure if one of the most anticipated films of the summer could live up to the expectations that have been created through the film industry, but <em>Super 8</em> more than exceeds the hype.<br />
<br />
(<em>The usual spoiler warning... yeah yeah yeah. Though saying that, this time I'm not going to say much, because part of the film is a mystery and not knowing is what makes it so intense.</em>)<br />
<br />
Set in 1979, the story follows a group of children as they innocently try to film a low-budget zombie movie for a local competition. However, whilst at a late night shoot at an old railway station, our protagonist, 13 year old Joe sees a truck drive onto the tracks just as a freight train is going by, causing a massive derailment. Soon after, their little town in Ohio is plagued by inexplicable occurrences, such as disappearing people and dogs, as well as machinery going missing. The mysterious presence that has been released into the town has something to do with the crash, and footage from the kids' discarded camera at the scene may hold answers...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Elle-Fanning-in-Super-8-movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212px" src="http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Elle-Fanning-in-Super-8-movie.jpg" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
I have to say from the beginning that I found this film basically flawless, and that it is my favourite film of the year so far, so don't expect much criticism at all in this blog.<br />
<br />
I think the main success of this film is down to its young actors. The performances are amazing, even more so when you realise that this the debut feature for most of them, and the chemistry between them is brilliant to watch - they spark off each other so naturally it's as though they really have been friends their whole lives. Particular highlights of the film are when we are merely observing their banter and the camaraderie between them. But what's really good about them is that they don't let us forget that they are young children, not big action heroes (at one point, Charles, the director of the would-be film, shouts out "I don't want to die!", something which you would of course expect a thirteen year old to say). They act like children, not adults, as is so often portrayed in modern cinema, and it's refreshing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Super-8-Kids-cast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232px" src="http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Super-8-Kids-cast.jpg" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
Another brilliant aspect of the film is that although it is essentially a sci-fi, there are moments of absolute humour that had the whole screen in stitches when I saw it. This is again down to the kids, who deliver the one-liners ("Drugs are SO bad!") so well that again we forget that they are just acting and we are not just watching a documentary about a day in the lives of some kids. The dialogue, even when it's not particularly trying to be funny, makes us laugh because of the time setting. Just saying "Mint!" takes us back to an earlier time and makes us smile. It's extraordinary.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Super-8-Train-Crash-scene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195px" src="http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Super-8-Train-Crash-scene.jpg" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
I should also say that this is the most tense I have ever been in a film. The sense of anticipation and tension that builds up for the first two-thirds or so is surely down to the fact that although we see the destruction caused by this presence, it goes unseen for a long time, and when we first see it it's only glimpsed and out of focus. There are genuine moments where you forget to breathe because you are there in the action, with the kids, and you don't know what's coming either. <br />
<br />
<em>SPOILERS IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH! SKIP IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE SUSPENSE WHEN YOU SEE IT.</em><br />
<br />
The special effects in this film must too be applauded. It shows what surely must be the most detailed train crash in the history of film, one which lasts for minutes and literally leaves you breathless, as you too feel like you are running with the kids away from the carnage. There's also the "monster", which is one alien I approve of. It's not the sort of alien you often see in films nowadays, which just look like humans but green, or a little distorted. It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen, which gets a huge thumbs-up from me. But this also brings me to my one and only quibble: the eyes of the alien. I won't spoil it too much, but the eyes distract from what is otherwise one of the best aliens in recent cinema.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BEL6dQE4NkE/TdevEJCAk5I/AAAAAAAAAE8/mlC8CrIQ57E/s640/super-8-movie-photo-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BEL6dQE4NkE/TdevEJCAk5I/AAAAAAAAAE8/mlC8CrIQ57E/s400/super-8-movie-photo-02.jpg" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
But it's the human moments that really make this film shine. As well as the humour that often occurs in the film, there are also genuinely sad bits that made me cry, such as when Elle Fanning's Alice and Joel Courtney's Joe have a conversation about the death of his mother and the neglect of her father. I even cried at the end, just because it was cathartic, and I haven't done that in a <em>really</em> long time. There's also the love-triangle between Joe, Alice and Charles ("Production value!"), which is just the right amount of angsty to be realistic for thirteen year old boys fighting over a girl. It's moments like this that make the film so special, and reflect real life enough to make you forget it's a sci-fi at times.<br />
<br />
Verdict: In my opinion, it's the best film I've seen so far this year. I want to see it get Oscars. JJ Abrams is one of my new film heroes and, bearing in mind he wrote it, produced it and directed it, I want to see him get the acclaim he deserves and I look forward to seeing his future work. It's original, could not have been better executed, has a brilliant cast and crew, and outshines anything else this year so far. If you see one film this year, make sure it's this one.<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Trailer: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCRQQCKS7go">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCRQQCKS7go</a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-80868950269503456882011-08-21T23:02:00.000+01:002011-08-21T23:02:26.117+01:0050 Greatest Harry Potter Moments: 10-1Here it is, the final part! Now is probably a good time to mention that there will be an outtake post or two, for the moments that we thought were worth being recognised but didn't quite make the final cut.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Also, another reminder that this is a <em>personal</em> list for <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lucybarratt_">Lucy</a> and I, and you may disagree. That's ok, just don't give me abuse for it when I've already warned you. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Again, check out Lucy's <a href="http://thelightthatshines.tumblr.com/">here</a>. I think we may have diverged whilst writing up the list, so there may be some differences, but otherwise they're very similar.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Ok, it's the final countdown!<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><em>Spoiler warning, again. You know the drill.</em><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>10. Fred and George leave Hogwarts - <em>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</em><br />
<br />
The Situation: It's one of the twins' best moments - fed up of being stuck under the control of Umbridge, they decide that their "futures lay outside the world of academic achievement" and do a bunk. In style.<br />
<br />
Why we love it: Why couldn't this happen at our school? In the middle of what is the equivalent to a GCSE exam, the twins ride around on their brooms, set off a massive amount of fireworks (one of which eats Umbridge!) and end up destroying most of the Great Hall. It's a terrific feat of anarchy that really should be done more often in real life. Though of course this would be without magic.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lizv029OOu1qcdhei.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244px" qaa="true" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lizv029OOu1qcdhei.gif" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
9. The Triwizard Tasks - <em>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</em><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UlhIyswwE6c/TUEvFGOEIlI/AAAAAAAAA8k/SkR9hz2FlJw/s1600/hp4gf_072HungarianHorntail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170px" qaa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UlhIyswwE6c/TUEvFGOEIlI/AAAAAAAAA8k/SkR9hz2FlJw/s400/hp4gf_072HungarianHorntail.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
The Situation: Yes, we're putting three into one, because we have a limited number of spaces. Basically, it's the three tasks of the Triwizard tournament. <br />
<br />
<ol><li>The First Task - Though none of the four champions are supposed to know, they all find out one way or another that the task involves dragons: namely, to get past the dragon and capture the Golden Egg.</li>
<li>The Second Task - After working out the clue from the Golden Egg, the champions must search the lake for something dear to them which has been taken, encountering plenty of unpleasant things down there as well as having to find a way to hold their breaths for an hour.</li>
<li>The Third Task - The premise is simple - the champions must find their way to the centre of the maze where the Triwizard Cup is located, and the first one there wins. Of course, it's not that easy, and they come across hedges that attack them as well as the Imperius Curse which makes things a little tricky. And then, to make matters worse, the cup is a portkey. But that's a separate issue.</li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.mos.totalfilm.com/images/b/beneath-the-black-lake-630-75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177px" qaa="true" src="http://cdn.mos.totalfilm.com/images/b/beneath-the-black-lake-630-75.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
Why we love it: How many reasons do you want? Yes, it's not done in as much detail as the book which makes them less effective (the third task in particular, where is isn't nearly as dangerous as it should be), but it shows magic at a complexity like we haven't seen before, plus the four champions really show feats of endurance, talent, strength and bravery to get through the tasks. They are dramatic, entertaining and they make us feel all anxious and concerned for the champions.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.wikia.com/harrypotter/images/b/b7/Triwizard_cup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275px" qaa="true" src="http://images.wikia.com/harrypotter/images/b/b7/Triwizard_cup.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
8. Dobby's death - <em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1</em><br />
<br />
The Situation: After saving Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Ollivander and Griphook from the Malfoys' dungeon, Dobby meets his end by the dagger of Bellatrix Lestrange. Tears ensue.<br />
<br />
Why we love it: Because honestly, who didn't cry? (You are a heartless thing not worthy of being called human if your answer is "me".) Innocent little Dobby lays down his life for the one wizard who showed him real kindness and pays the ultimate price for helping him out. It's a most fitting end for him to die in the arms of Harry. RIP Dobby, the free elf. You were the magical being we always wanted as a friend.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lk0pnjN9PU1qfjbhyo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lk0pnjN9PU1qfjbhyo1_500.gif" /></a></div><br />
7. Dumbledore and Voldemort duel - <em>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</em><br />
<br />
The Situation: Harry and co have rushed to the Ministry of Magic, soon joined by Death Eaters and then the Order of the Phoenix. Chaos is occuring. Then, to make matters worse, Voldemort appears! Dun dun dun. But no matter, Dumbledore arrives at the battle in the Ministry just as Voldemort is getting ready to do some serious damage to Harry. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnww73Xo441qkwc9zo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168px" qaa="true" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnww73Xo441qkwc9zo1_500.gif" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
Why we love it: It's basically the two greatest wizards alive in an epic duel. Voldemort breathes fire in the shape of a snake, Dumbledore engulfs Voldemort in a ball of water until he nearly drowns, Voldemort basically destroys the Ministry, and then, when we think it's all over, he possesses Harry to taunt Dumbledore. It's all very exciting stuff. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://26.media.tumblr.com/nL8ifMmiFqbzs9ns4NHg9Livo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223px" qaa="true" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/nL8ifMmiFqbzs9ns4NHg9Livo1_500.jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's also sexy biceps!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
6. Sirius' death - <em>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</em><br />
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The Situation: Prior to all this Voldemort/Dumbledore action, Harry thought that Voldemort was keeping Sirius hostage so rushed down to the Ministry to save him. He hadn't been captured by Voldemort, as Harry thought, instead having seen a vision of this placed into his head by Voldemort, but since he's now in a sticky spot with Death Eaters and the like, Sirius turns up at the Ministry to help the Order of the Phoenix fight anyway, and Bellatrix finishes him off.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnq7f7pqFJ1qbv7fko1_500.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166px" qaa="true" src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnq7f7pqFJ1qbv7fko1_500.png" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
Why we love it: It's a very emotional moment. Harry and Sirius are fighting side-by-side, and then Bellatrix comes along and does away with her cousin. The seconds after in which Lupin restrains Harry, and there is no sound, is almost operatic in how the sadness is portrayed. Daniel Radcliffe is very good at showing anguish. But really it's the fact that Sirius, and therefore Gary Oldman, is gone, and we feel the injustice that he was never free after he was framed for murder, as well as the fact that Harry was finally going to get to leave the Dursleys and be with the closest thing to family he ever felt like he had. It's heartwrenching stuff.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lby5hwzYpA1qcmuo4.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167px" qaa="true" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lby5hwzYpA1qcmuo4.gif" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
5. Fred and George - <em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows parts 1 and 2</em><br />
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The Situation: Yes, we have grouped their suffering, but only because they should not be parted! In the first part, George's ear is cursed off by Snape, and we see the tender affection Fred shows to him, despite his awful joke ("I'm holey, Fred!"). They then have a little moment in <em>DH2</em> before it all kicks off, and it's the last time we see them together, because, alas, JK breaks our hearts and kills off Fred. It's incredibly sad, even if we wish to have actually seen it happen.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.wikia.com/harrypotter/images/7/75/HPDH_Fred_and_George.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171px" qaa="true" src="http://images.wikia.com/harrypotter/images/7/75/HPDH_Fred_and_George.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
Why we love it: Because it's the twins! These moments evoke such reactions in us that we <em>had</em> to put it on the list. It's bad enough that we see one twin damaged in <em>Part 1</em>, and then they are cruelly parted forever as Fred becomes a fatality in the Battle of Hogwarts. They are genuinely two of the saddest moments in the entire series. We tear up at George's ear because we see the connection the twins have in the moments afterwards, and then full-out sob in <em>Part 2</em> when we see them together for the last time ever as Geroge mourns his other half. JK, how could you do this!? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkcl74I1Cz1qd5ljyo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170px" qaa="true" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkcl74I1Cz1qd5ljyo1_500.gif" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
4. McGonagall and Snape duel - <em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2</em><br />
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The Situation: Harry has infiltrated the school and the Order of the Phoenix have arrived. Snape makes a move to attack Harry, but McGonagall's having none of it. They then fight it out in the middle of the Great Hall, watched by all the students, before Snape bottles it and flees.<br />
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Why we love it: It's two of our favourite characters battling it out over Harry! McGonagall shows the true level of loyalty to her students, and Badass Minerva comes out! To see the two best teachers at the school go head-to-head is really something to behold, and it's actually rather satisfying to see McGonagall take down Snape!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-urETvI8XdOg/TikYlvGlmfI/AAAAAAAAA18/xNfrxBtjEWA/s1600/mcgonagall+vs+snape.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-urETvI8XdOg/TikYlvGlmfI/AAAAAAAAA18/xNfrxBtjEWA/s1600/mcgonagall+vs+snape.gif" /></a></div><br />
3. Neville's speech - <em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2</em><br />
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The Situation: Harry is presumed dead by everyone in the battle. Voldemort seems to be on the verge of victory and is calling for anyone to come forward and join him before he kills the remaining people defying him. Neville steps forward and there is an intake of shocked breath, before we learn he is to make a truly heartfelt speech about death not being the end of people, and that they live on through others' memories of them.<br />
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In fact, here is a transcript of what he says, because it's so lovely:<br />
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"It doesn't matter that Harry's gone. People die everyday. Friends, family. Yeah, we lost Harry tonight. But he's still with us, in here <i>[gestures to chest].</i> So's Fred, Remus, Tonks... all of them! They didn't die in vain! <i>[to Voldemort]</i> But you will, cause you're wrong! Harry's heart did beat for us, for all of us. It's not over!" <br />
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Why we love it: It pretty much seals the deal on Neville being in the top three characters in the whole series. We see how much Neville has developed as a character, since the first film where he was a little tubby boy who was so nervous he could barely stand up to Harry, Ron and Hermione, to someone who steps forward in front of Voldemort and demonstrates his loyalty to Harry and the side of good. The Neville love peaks here. He is truly a wonderful character, and will forever be one of the favourites in the series.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thescribesdesk.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-2-neville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265px" qaa="true" src="http://www.thescribesdesk.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-2-neville.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
2. The Final Duel - <em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2</em><br />
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The Situation: It's the end! The very end! Starting inside the school, Voldemort seems to have the upper hand, but gets carried away with his gloating and showboating, giving Harry time to move outside to a balcony. Once Voldemort has him cornered, he decides to fling them both over the edge (in a hug!) where they then continue brawling mid-air as they fly around the grounds. As they land, the final duel occurs, but, since the Elder Wand's allegiance lies with Harry (unbeknownst to Voldy), his spell backfires and he finally meets his end. Once Voldemort floats away as a million little flakes, it's really over. But it's so epic while it lasts.<br />
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Why we love it: It's the climax of the climax! We know that it's going to be over with this battle, and it has us on the edge of our seats the entire time (though everybody knows the outcome). It's fraught with tension, and was done really well in terms of giving it the full attention it deserves. Harry emerges victorious, and that's the series over, really. No more conflicts. <br />
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<em>Our one slight quibble about this is the fact that Voldemort does turn into little flakes and floats away. Harry therefore has no proof that he's actually gone, as nobody witnessed the fight and there is no evidence to say he's dead. Hey ho.</em><br />
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And now... dun dun dun... Number 1!<br />
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1. Snape's backstory - <em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i2.cdnds.net/10/26/movies_harry_potter_deathly_hallows_29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210px" qaa="true" src="http://i2.cdnds.net/10/26/movies_harry_potter_deathly_hallows_29.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Situation: Having just been fatally injured by Voldemort in a move he thinks will give him control of the Elder, one of the Deathly Hallows, Snape gives Harry his memories which shows his true allegiance. We finally find out what's been driving Snape throughout the films and uncover the complexity of his character. And love him for it.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XLLNjJbwKKU/TiDPitPtWXI/AAAAAAAAAOw/GwMEM6vSSj4/s1600/lily+and+snape.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171px" qaa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XLLNjJbwKKU/TiDPitPtWXI/AAAAAAAAAOw/GwMEM6vSSj4/s400/lily+and+snape.jpeg" width="400px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Why we love it: We always knew Snape was good! Alan Rickman deserves at least an Oscar nomination for his performance at this bit, where we see him grieving over Lily Potter's death, clutching her body as baby Harry continues to cry in the background. The level of devotion he has to a woman that was never his is beyond words. Both us and Harry have new respect for him and his bravery, going double-double-agent all to protect the son of the love of his life. The emotion here is through the roof, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house when we saw it. It shows why he is the best character in the series, really.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lodqo8ZxMO1qdg7hho1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168px" qaa="true" src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lodqo8ZxMO1qdg7hho1_500.gif" width="400px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So, that's that. All done. That's our top 50! Again, there will be outtakes posted in the next week or so, so look out for them too.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Hopefully this was better than the ITV one and left you a little more satisfied. Do you agree/disagree? Leave us a comment with your thoughts!<br />
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I leave you with... the evolution of our trio throughout the films.<br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.movieprints.co.uk/lowres/57/main/1/198868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261px" qaa="true" src="http://www.movieprints.co.uk/lowres/57/main/1/198868.jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f5yiprY0y-k/TiQwuXKafwI/AAAAAAAAAhY/vJnT6rCedN8/s1600/harry_potter_with_ron_and_hermione2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220px" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f5yiprY0y-k/TiQwuXKafwI/AAAAAAAAAhY/vJnT6rCedN8/s400/harry_potter_with_ron_and_hermione2.jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets3.indiemoviesonline.com/files/editorspics/harry-potter-and-the-prison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283px" qaa="true" src="http://assets3.indiemoviesonline.com/files/editorspics/harry-potter-and-the-prison.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/661/661287/harry-potter-and-the-goblet-of-fire-20051025084450581-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266px" qaa="true" src="http://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/661/661287/harry-potter-and-the-goblet-of-fire-20051025084450581-001.jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.harry-potter-movie-buzz.com/wp-content/uploads/harrypotter/large_Harry,%20Ron%20and%20Hermione-yuhk9blp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300px" qaa="true" src="http://www.harry-potter-movie-buzz.com/wp-content/uploads/harrypotter/large_Harry,%20Ron%20and%20Hermione-yuhk9blp.jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogoncherry.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/harry-potter_half-blood-prince_ron-harry-hermione.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207px" qaa="true" src="http://www.blogoncherry.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/harry-potter_half-blood-prince_ron-harry-hermione.png" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lifeisreallybeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/The-gangs-all-here....-Harry-Ron-and-Hermione-in-a-scene-from-Harry-Potter-and-the-Deathly-Hallows-Part-I..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257px" qaa="true" src="http://lifeisreallybeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/The-gangs-all-here....-Harry-Ron-and-Hermione-in-a-scene-from-Harry-Potter-and-the-Deathly-Hallows-Part-I..jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://geektyrant.com/storage/post-images-2011/triobright.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1296099902036" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261px" qaa="true" src="http://geektyrant.com/storage/post-images-2011/triobright.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1296099902036" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Adios for now!</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652419751531238922.post-34559920339757746222011-08-15T23:51:00.000+01:002011-08-15T23:51:16.574+01:0050 Greatest Harry Potter Moments: 20-11Major apologies for the delay in getting this out, but I've been very busy. It's here now and we should be back to normal posting schedule. Plus, there's much more coming up on the blog soon, including a couple of reviews for you lovely people.<br />
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We're getting close now! Enjoy part 4! As ever, Lucy's version is <a href="http://thelightthatshines.tumblr.com/">here</a>.<br />
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<em>Spoiler warning... yada yada yada.</em><br />
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20. The Quidditch World Cup - <em>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</em><br />
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The Situation: For the first time in many years, the Quidditch World Cup final is being held in England, and the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione head on over. It's all jolly good fun until those blasted Death Eaters make their debut and spoil it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.wikia.com/harrypotter/images/e/ef/Stadium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227px" naa="true" src="http://images.wikia.com/harrypotter/images/e/ef/Stadium.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Why we love it: It's the first major spectacle of the wizarding world, and the introduction to foreign wizards, which of course plays an important role in this film. It's also the first appearance of the Death Eaters and the Dark Mark, suggesting from an early stage that the film will be dark and dangerous, just as we like it. The effects are breathtaking, from the stadium itself to the Krum showing off on his broom. He's a magical equivalent of an exhibitionist footballer. Plus, there's the great post-match celebration in the Time Lord tent with Harry and the twins singing at Ron, which is a bonus.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmqb18ilNW1qcm4vyo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" naa="true" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmqb18ilNW1qcm4vyo1_500.gif" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>19. "Kill the spare!" - <em>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</em><br />
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The Situation: Thinking it's another part of the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament, Harry and Cedric are transported to a graveyard that Harry recognises as being horribly familiar. Wormtail then appears, carrying what appears to be an infant Voldemort, and kills Cedric. As if it could get any worse, Harry is then trapped and forced to aid Voldemort in gaining a full "human" (is it? Who the hell knows?) body again. The Dark Lord is back...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llcqkdZBIz1qbkepco1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" naa="true" src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llcqkdZBIz1qbkepco1_500.gif" /></a></div><br />
Why we love it: It's the moment everyone has been waiting for for three and a half films - the return of Voldemort. And there's so much going on in this scene. It's the first major death in the film series, another indicator that the series is now probably beyond children's film level. Voldemort returns! And with a SEXY V-NECK! Massive duel ensues. It's all very epic, to say the least.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs/88932_o.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" naa="true" src="http://www.gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs/88932_o.gif" /></a></div><br />
18. Felix Felicis - <em>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</em><br />
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The Situation: Harry finds himself in a pickle as he tries to work out how to get Slughorn to relinquish his mysterious memory, until he remembers that he has a bottle of "Liquid Luck". <br />
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Why we love it: Apparently there is some kind of super-strength alcohol in Felix Felicis, as Harry becomes ridiculously comic. It is one of Daniel Radcliffe's best performances in the whole series, and you have to laugh every time you see it. But not only that, but this part also reveals maybe the most major plot development: the revelation of the Horcruxes. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_li12xtMfLN1qht1fyo1_r1_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" naa="true" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_li12xtMfLN1qht1fyo1_r1_250.gif" /></a></div><br />
17. Harry's First Quidditch Match - <em>Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone</em><br />
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The Situation: It's Harry's first time playing Quidditch as the Seeker of Gryffindor, and the first opponents are Slytherin. It's an action-packed game, to say the least.<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Why we love it: There's just so much going on! Blatant fouling on the Slytherin's part as they swiftly knock captain Oliver Wood and another Chaser unconcious, taking the lead in the match, and then Harry's broom is jinxed, supposedly by Snape! Golly. But it's victory for Harry in his first ever game as he plays a determined game (despite the fact he spends most of it dangling precariously from a broom or watching the match instead of doing his job), and he catches the Snitch. In his mouth. Don't worry, it's relevant later.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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16. Dance Lessons with McGonagall - <em>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</em><br />
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The Situation: To prepare her house for the upcoming Yule Ball, McGonagall takes it upon herself to teach the Gryffindors how to dance. Ron ends up as her dance partner. Hilarity ensues.<br />
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Why we love it: It's one of the best scenes in the whole series for comedy genuis. Fred and George quite rightly take this immediately as an opportunity to mock Ron, encouraged by Harry. But we mustn't forget Neville. Bless Neville. When all other boys refuse to partake in the dancing, Neville stands up, defiant, and learn how to dance. Reason number 3973 to love him.<br />
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15. The Seven Potters - <em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1</em><br />
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The Situation: To act as diversions in order to get Harry out of Privet Drive safely, Moody gives six other poor people Polyjuice potion to look exactly like him. They then set off to the Burrow, until they are attacked by Death Eaters who have heard that Harry is to be moved that night. And Voldemort comes along too.<br />
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Why we love it: Besides the visual comedy of the characters all changing into Harry doppelgangers, Daniel Radcliffe is actually very good at getting everyone's little mannerisms down, and it is quite hilarious to see them all react to looking like him ("Bill, don't look at me, I'm 'ideous!"; "We're identical!") The battle then provides a nice dose of action early on in the film as we get stuck straight in, which tells us from the start that this film is going to be action-packed and non-stop*. There is also the loss of Mad-Eye, a major blow for the Order of the Phoenix, and an indication of the dangers ahead of our three heroes.<br />
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*<em>it isn't. This is one of the best bits of action in the whole film.</em><br />
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14. Lupin and Tonks' death - <em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2</em><br />
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The Situation: Being part of the Order of the Phoenix, the couple fight valiently side by side. And then, during an intermission where Voldemort allows Hogwarts to treat their injured and dispose of their dead, we see them lying together, having died in battle. Sad stuff.<br />
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Why we love it: It's a very emotional scene, where we can see the human suffering of the battle so far as well as some of the destruction of the castle too. It may be more emotional in the books due to the film almost completely cutting out the fact that Lupin and Tonks have a son (one little line in the forest does <em>not</em> excuse that!), but it is still sad to see, especially because, let's face it, Lupin was the best DADA teacher. The emotion is heightened through Harry as we see him taking in the deaths around him, and as he spots his former mentor lying dead, it's a very sad moment.<br />
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13. The Shrieking Shack - <em>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</em><br />
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The Situation: It's the big reveal of the film: a dog has inexplicably dragged Ron and his rat into the Whomping Willow, Harry and Hermione persue, and the dog turns out to be escaped killer Sirius Black. Not looking good. But then Lupin turns up, and everything that Harry thought he knew about these men is completely turned on it's head.<br />
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Why we love it: It's Gary "G-Man" Oldman's first real appearance in the films, and he's wonderful. His interaction with Lupin and Snape is so believable, and even at this early stage we start to fall in love with Sirius. But his innocence is only one secret that comes out in the Shrieking Shack: Ron's rat, Scabbers, is an Animagus named Peter Pettigrew, the one who really betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort, and Lupin is actually a werewolf. The remaining Marauders are together again! But not for long...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>12. The Sexy Malfoy Bathroom Scene - <em>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</em><br />
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The Situation: Malfoy's all angsty again, and then Harry goes and attacks him because he knows he's done some bad, bad things. But that's not the real reason... it has to be Draco leaning over the sink, looking beautifully troubled. We even overlook his crying because he's that damn sexy.<br />
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</div>Why we love it: Um... basically Draco looking sexy! And brooding, that too. But not only that, but tension between Harry and Draco comes to a head (maybe not in the way some shippers want, but in a way appropriate for a family film). They end up destroying the bathroom as they each take their frustrations out on each other, until Harry nearly kills Draco by using an unknown spell he found in his little potions book. Not cool, Harry. Snape to the rescue!<br />
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11. Gilderoy Lockhart - <em>Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</em><br />
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The Situation: Like David Tennant (see <a href="http://wastedtimefilm.blogspot.com/2011/08/50-greatest-harry-potter-moments-40-31.html">here</a>), it's not really a moment so much as a celebration of a brilliant performance that should be recognised in it's own right. Kenneth Branagh was absolutely amazing as the conceited, arrogant Lockhart.<br />
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Why we love it: He was essentially the best part of this whole film. A vain, lying fraud who takes claim for other wizards' achievements, as well as claiming multiple times that he has knowledge that he clearly doesn't (read: Harry's arm), he finally gets his comeuppance when his memory charm backfires and, in possibly the best part of the entire film, he questions Ron on who he is. Genius acting. It's sad that he never came back, really.<br />
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That's it for this post! Next will be the top ten, the final installment, the Big One. Have you guessed the top spot yet?<br />
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And here's another little treat for you... I leave you with this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.wikia.com/harrypotter/images/b/b5/Draco_Malfoy_mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="194px" naa="true" src="http://images.wikia.com/harrypotter/images/b/b5/Draco_Malfoy_mirror.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div> Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978889345589331877noreply@blogger.com2