Movie Review 4 - Heat

  Heat, directed by Michael Mann, is truly a spectacle.  The 1995 film starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer tells the story of a group of highly skilled thieves as they are tracked down by a veteran detective.  Even with the film's menacing 3 hour run time, it manages to entrance the audience in its epic plot and intricately woven characters.

  Heat tells the story of Neil McCauley (De Niro) and his crew of highly professional thieves during a series of robberies, relentlessly tracked by homicide detective Vincent Hanna (Pacino).  The film opens with the robbery of an armored car, performed flawlessly until the newcomer into McCauley's gang accidentally kills a guard.  The gang is forced to kill the remaining guards because of this, which infuriates McCauley.  These thieves run a tightly woven routine, highly practiced in their line of work, without room for error, so when a hiccup like this occurs it is truly a big deal for them.  The caliber of these thieves is matched by detective Hanna's relentlessness in his line of work.  On his third marriage, Hanna is a man who has only one love, and it's to his line of work.  His current wife is unsatisfied because Hanna never has time for her, but he doesn't have any other options; tracking down criminals is all he knows how to do.  It's the clash between these two unstoppable forces that creates such an interesting film.  The film does an excellent job in creating anti heroes, making the audience question who they should be cheering for.  Mann creates two leads, one "good" and one "bad", completely similar in their personalities and motivation but opposite in their morals.  He separates the line between good guy and bad guy, making the audience as attached the murderous robber as they are to the virtuous detective.

  The cast is the real backbone to this compelling story.  Both Pacino and De Niro are amazing in their performances.  They both portray men who, although they're almost on opposite sides of the spectrum, share a lot of the same problems.  They're troubled men with troubled relationships, and Pacino and De Niro show this perfectly, combining their brooding attitude with their strong willingness and relentlessness.  The rest of the cast does a fine job, with Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo and the violent and disturbed character of  Kevin Gage rounding out of the crew of thieves quite well.  The main thing I liked about the film was the chemistry between De Niro and Pacino.  There is a scene in the film where Pacino and De Niro talk over coffee, discussing their lives and professions.  Both men explain that although they do not wish it, if in a tight situation they would not hesitate to kill the other.  The men truly respect each other, because they aren't very different from each other.  To Hanna and McCauley, tracking criminals and stealing are the only things they know how to do. 

  In conclusion, I'd like to say that you should definitely watch Heat.  You may be turned off by it's long run-time or it's cheesy or cliché appearance, but I'd insist that once you see the film, you'll be pleasantly surprised.  It has fantastic actions scenes, it has compelling characters and it has an epic plot that will leave you satisfied.  So I insist, as long as you can take the Heat, you need to view this film. 

Old vs New - The Count of Monte Cristo

  Some things get better with age and other things don't.  Although the 2002 Count of Monte Cristo had a higher budget and the benefits of modern day filmmaking, I would still have to say that I enjoyed the 1934 version more.  To me, the original Count of Monte Cristo was much more entertaining because of the characters.  The Count himself was much more suave in the original, and I generally enjoyed his character much more because he seemed more virtuous and badass.  In the remake, I found the Count to be a less likeable character, for he didn't have the swashbuckling qualities that Robert Donat showed in his portrayal.  This goes for the rest of the characters as well, as while in the original they seemed much more unique and lively, while in the remake I found the supporting cast to be boring and unlikeable.  This to me, ultimatemly boiled down to the new film being too edgy for my liking.  While the original had so much character, the new version always seemed to be trying to hard to be dark.  For example, in the original the Abbe's room was very bright and exciting, while in the new version it was blander and darker.  The new film's darker tone could be attributed to it's vision of realism in comparison to the original, but I personally would still favor the original's personality over bland realism.  I was also dissapointed by the new versions conclusion, as it felt clumsy and less satisfying than the original film's.  In the original, the Count had a proper punishment for each of the antagonists, exploiting each of their deepest flaws and hubris perfectly, which was incredibly satisfying to watch.  In the new version however, it didn't feel as satisfying, for the punishments didn't feel as perfectly coordinated.  In comparison, the newer film is technically superior: the sets are more elaborate, the plot is streamlined and the budget is enormous, but all of these still can't trump the original film's undeniable charm and satisfying conclusion. 

Night of the Living Dead Impressions

  Overall, I found Night of the Living Dead to be a very interesting and atmospheric film, but I didn't find it very entertaining.  I thought the film had it's strengths and weaknesses.  On one hand I thought that the make-up and the overall uneasy and claustrophobic atmosphere were done very well, but on the other I believe that the pacing and the characters brought the film down.  I never found myself liking any of the characters in particular, with the exception of Ben.  The women were all typical and helpless, and the other men in the film were either too arrogant or too foolish.  I even found Ben to be a little unbelievable, as he was too dominant and controlling in the way he bossed around the father.  I found every one of the characters be as unrealistic as they were unlikeable.  The pacing of the film also seemed off to me, as the action was too up and down; it was like a roller coaster ride that ended right before the drop.  What I did enjoy were the make up, the music and the set.  The scenes which showed the zombie hobbling towards the house were fantastic, as the ominous music in combination with the grotesque and shocking zombies were truly scary.  This in combination with the hectic and tightly packed house work well to create the feeling of claustrophobia and impending doom.  I have to give credit to the film for it's originality.  Although it wasn't the first zombie film, it's undeniably influential in its vision of the slow, shambling flesh eating zombie and the zombie apocalypse, without this film, we wouldn't have the strong zombie genre that we have today.  It isn't the best acted film, or outstanding in terms of plot, but Night of the Living Dead is oozing with creativity.  

Cinematic Elements of Super 8

  In Super 8 I noticed that there are a lot of cinematic elements present throughout the film, such as the lighting, the camera shots, special effects and sound effects. There was a strong use of lightning throughout the film. The majority of the major events in the film are at night, such as the train crash, Alice's abduction and the film's finale. The lighting helps paint a tone of mysteriousness and ominousness, especially with the first two scenes I listed. During the train scene for example, the Key light would be the large light that the kids brought themselves. The back light would be the lights above them on the train station, and the fill would be the lights next to them near the phone booth.

   There are also multiple instances when shots use focus in order to convey something that would be normally evident. Another use of the darkness was the amount of lens flares, and how much they stood out. Because it was dark during the major scenes, the lens flares were way more evident. These lens flares are useful to immerse the viewer more, as it's something you would see if you were actually there. For example, during the scene where the camera focus' the cube in the foreground, rather than on Joe in the background. This is an example of soft focus. An example of deep focus would be when they're filming the scene in front of the train crash, which shows both them and the crash in the background.

   Throughout the film, there is an emphasis on camera shots where it moves with the characters. These are point of view shots, as they make the viewer feel as if they're running with the characters on screen. There are also a lot of different angles used throughout the film. An example of a low angle shot in the film would be when Alice and Joe are standing together, staring at the alien's ship at the end of the film. This creates a hopeful and triumphant mood, as the characters appear more dominant. There are also a lot of scenes in the film where

The diegetic music of the film is late 70's music, typical of the time period, while there is also use of nondiegetic, ominous music during suspenseful scenes. An example of another nondiegetic sound would be when the cube shakes, but none of the characters hear or see it. Overall, the film was able to achieve a suspenseful mood with it's immersive camera shots, dark lighting and ominous nondiegetic sounds.

Dramatic Elements of The Goonies

   The Goonies has a heavy emphasis on Dramatic elements, evident in the very well done costumes, make up and sets. The Goonies tells the story of a group of kids who set out to find a pirate treasure in order to save their goon dock community. Most of the kids are fairly stereotypical: Mouth, as his name suggests, likes to talk a lot, and is the typical loudmouth troublesome kid. Data is a genius inventor, but is also incredibly goofy. Chunk is overweight and silly, and the gang makes fun of him for it.

   The costumes in the Goonies are fairly typical. The Goonies themselves all wear normal clothes for kids: heavy jackets, leather vests, muscle shirts and bandanas, typical 80's wear. The villains of the film also wear fairly typical clothing. Something to be noted is that Andy, the main girl-Goonie, wears all yellow, while Ma Fratelli wears all black, showing the difference between the two groups in terms of innocence and goodness. The real star of the costume and makeup work is Sloth, with his bizarre face and menacing size.

   The film takes place mainly over 3 places: Mikey's house, the Fratelli headquarters and the cave. Mikey's house, filmed on sight in Astoria, is filled with intricate contraptions, such as the gate opener and Data's zip line. The zany-ness of Mikey's house reflects on the gangs unique personality. The Fratelli headquarters is dank, dark and dreary, similar to the Fratelli's themselves. The dungeon-like basement helps to create the mood of uneasiness when the Goonies find Sloth. The cave leading to the treasure is very intricate and large, with quite a few different sections to it. It has an Indiana Jones feeling to it, with traps and skeletons hidden throughout. The sets of the Goonies are all very unique and somewhat goofy, as each overdoes their respective atmospheres.

   The film was Directed by Richard Donner and produced by Stephen Spielberg. The film definitely has the Spielberg feel to to it. The story of a group of kids overcoming odds and adult villians is reminiscent of E.T., which he had directed previously.

  

Literary Aspects of Stand By Me

   In Stand By Me there are various literary aspects in the film. The story revolves around 4 boys who go on a journey to find a dead body, competing with a group of teenage hoodlums to find it first. Along the way, they get in to trouble and face near death situations, while also revealing their inner vulnerability and flaws to each other. The film is based off of a Stephen King novel.

   The four main characters are Gordie, Chris, Teddy and Vern. Gordie is the film's protagonist and narrator. Gordie is an excellent story teller, but isn't very confident and is somewhat timid. Chris, Gordie's best friend is a natural leader and is fantastic at negotiating and helping other people with their problems. Teddy is somewhat strange, has an obsession with the war and has a weak spot when it comes to his father's honor, and Vern is chubby and similar to Gordie, timid, but serves as the group's comic relief. The film takes place through the eyes of Gordie, as his future self is narrating the story as an author.

   The boys each have their own interesting back story regarding their family. Gordie had brother who died in a car accident and because of his brothers death, his parents are torn apart and end up taking their grief out on him. Teddy has an abusive father who served in the war. Chris' father is an alcoholic and his family is a disgrace in Castle rock for it's criminal notoriety. Vern is chubby and bullied, and has a rowdy teenage brother.

   Stand By Me takes place in Castle Rock Oregon during the end of summer vacation of 1959. The weather is warm and sunny, evident in the main character's decision to hike to the dead body rather than drive to it. The teenagers in the film dress like typical greasers: slicked back hair, jeans and muscle shirts, while the children all dress respectively to their upbringings. For example, Gordie's clothes are more 'proper', while Teddy's clothes are all military-like.

   The film explores the motif of coming of age throughout the film. For example, Gordie overcomes his lack of confidence regarding his parent's disappointment towards him and Chris overcomes his determined lifestyle regarding his family's notoriety. By the end of the film, the characters have a realization and grow out of their previous childlike innocence. Once the kids have seen the body, they've lost their innocence and have passed the coming of age.

   The film takes place through the eyes of Gordie, as his future self is narrating the story as an author. The dead body acts as a symbol of adulthood in the film. Once the kids have seen the body, they've lost their innocence and have passed the coming of age.

Film Review 4 - True Grit

   True Grit is the latest film by the Coen Brothers, the acclaimed directors of 'Fargo', 'The Big Lebowski', as well as the best picture winning 'No Country For Old Men'.  True Grit is a remake of the 1969 classic, memorable for John Wayne's performance which gave him his one and only Oscar.  The film stars Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, as well as newcomer Hailee Steinfeld.

  True Grit revolves around Mattie Ross (played by Steinfeld), a 14 year old girl who suffers the tragedy of her father being murdered by one of his workers, Tom Chaney.  Insistent on avenging her father and bringing the perpetrator to justice, she hires the gritty and mean US Marshall Rooster Cogburn (played by Bridges).  Along the way the two meet Lebouf (played by Damon), a determined and lawful, although somewhat goofy Texas Ranger also on the trail of Chaney.  The film's plot is fairly straightforward, containing many of the typical Western cliches and themes, such as revenge, shootouts and cold, badass leading men.  It works fairly well however, as the plot always remains entertaining and doesn't ever really feel dull.  I only had problems with the ending, as I felt it progressed to quickly and seemed a little too predictable.

  The cast truly shined in True Grit, specifically Bridges as Cogburn.  Bridges carries on Wayne's legacy by doing an excellent job playing the rough and tough Rooster Cogburn.  That is, if you can understand what he is saying with his slurred accent.  Steinfeld also shines, with her strong and sassy performance as Mattie.  Her  lack of experience as an actress never really seems to bring her down, but instead gives a more natural feel to the performance.  Damon and Brolin are fine as well, with both performances staying consistent with the two leads.

  Although I've only seen bits and pieces of the 1969 originally, I'd say that it's fairly safe to say that this version does the original justice.  The plot is strong, and the cast is even stronger, with some beautiful cinematography through as the cherry on top.  It's not the most original film I've seen, but it wouldn't be right to say it wasn't still a great one.