Drive (2011)

Drive is an interesting film. It is a self-aware tribute to '70s exploitation films, yet it plays itself incredibly seriously and subtly. Ryan Gosling play the nameless protagonist with a mysterious past. We never learn much of his past. We as an audience are meant to infer who he is through his actions. Ryan Gosling plays the main character as a rather quiet fellow which enhances the sense of mystery for the character. The quietness of the character throughout the film creates an intentionally jarring effect when he explodes into fits of rage and violence. Like the main character, the film itself acts the same way. The film starts out incredibly quiet and slowly, using the music to drive the story. However when the movie gets to the action, it get freaking intense. There is a ton of gore in this film when the characters commit gruesome acts on each other such as someone's head being blown to smithereens by a shotgun to the head! This film is chockfull of great actors beside Gosling including Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Albert Brooks (Finding Nemo), and Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy, Hellboy). Christina Hendricks is wasted on a small part unfortunately, but Albert Brooks is fantastic as the villain despite being a comedic actor. I highly recommend the film to anybody who is tired of brain dead action films and pandering romantic comedies, and people who just like great movies. However, I must warn people that this film is not for the squeamish. I give the film a 10/10. If you are able to find it in theaters, go to it now! Support a good movie for once and show studios what you really want to see.

RE: Film Criticism is Dying? Not Online

In his article Film Criticism Is Dying? Not Online, Roger Ebert talks about the influence of the internet on the profession of Film Criticism. He refutes people who say film criticism is dead because newspapers are canceling their movie review column, and leaving many film critics out of the job. He praises the medium that the internet presents. He says that with the internet, film criticism is booming. He also talks about how with the internet, people from different countries are now able to weigh on movies at an international level. In addition, he praises DVD for allowing for the restoration of classic movies that would have otherwise gone completely forgotten. With the creation of digital technology film and film criticism have grown in strength. Ebert also talks about how he is using the internet to review movies ever since he stopped being able to speak. I like this article because it legitimizes movie review blogs. The newest high profile movie reviewers will be coming from such blogs if things keep going as they are. Of course, Ebert also briefly mentions that the internet has also increased the amount of bad criticism, which is an unavoidable problem. The internet is a healthy breeding ground for new writers. The internet allows for more people to express their opinions and discuss them than ever before. By using the internet, I am helping to keep film criticism alive as print is slowly fading away. The internet is the future for film criticism, so it is fine to review movies if you have the passion to do it.

Ebert, Roger. "Film Criticism Is Dying? Not Online." Wall Street Journal. 22 Jan 2011: n. page. Web. 12 Oct. 2011. <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703583404576080392163051376.html>.

cinemafunk.com

I was looking at different blogs that review movies as I wanted to learn how to develop my style. One blog I stumbled upon was cinemafunk.com. The site reviews movies both modern and classical as films ranging from mainstream blockbusters to esoteric indie flicks. The blog consists of multiple reviewers who I assume review films they are interested in. The review style used at this blog involves switching between background information on the film and critical analysis and back, which allows for information to be easily presented to the reader. The reviewers use  references to other movies to reveal what the movie is like without giving spoilers as well as compare and contrast. The reviewers also does not use a score system. I disagree with the reviewer on some films, but his criticisms are always legitimate. The reviewers also seems to have a sense of humor at times, which crops up in some of their reviews. Their reviews tend to be on the short side. The reviews usually consist of five or six small paragraphs. However, some of the reviewers will go on much longer trying to dissect the film on a symbolic level even when the reviewer say the film is not really good. The blog is updated pretty regularly in fact they updated the site yesterday as of my writing this. In addition to reviews, the site also does top ten film lists at the end of the year as well as editorials. The site is a lot more professional than mine, and it has a larger variety of tastes in film than I do.

Christmas Vacation (1989)

There is a reason that Christmas vacation is considered a christmas classic. The film still holds up to this day. Chevy Chase is at his prime in this film being funny, expressive, and likable. In fact, most of the characters are likable despite most of them being two-dimensional characters. Contrast this film with the film Deck The Halls which had a similar main character. The filmmakers of that film seemed to have been trying to go out if their way to make the characters completely unlikeable along with being completely unfunny. The film is at its best when it goes over the top such as when Chevy Chase's character uses something on his saucer sled to cut down on friction which results in him going the speed of light. As I have gotten older, it has become harder for me to laugh while watching comedies, as I have heard all the jokes before. This film however had quite a few jokes that made me laugh especially some of the more raunchy ones. I wish modern day comedies were as funny as the ones in the eighties. There is one complaint I have with this movie; the ending is a little bit of a cop out when it comes to the resolution. I recommend the film to people when winter starts. I felt kind of weird watching the film when Fall has just started. In addition, I would like to tell any of my fellow classmates that this film and the previous two are available in the school library if you are interested. I give the film a 9/10.

The Fighter (2010)

The Fighter is based on a true story of Mickey Ward. The movie tells the story of two brothers. One of the brothers is a former boxer who became a crack addict while the other is an up in coming boxer. We watch these two characters try to rebuild their lives after making so many mistakes in their lives. Everybody in the film is great at their part especially Christian Bale. Bale is famous for his skill at being able to gain or drop weight incredibly quickly as shown through his many roles as an actor. He also manages to speak in a convincing Massachusetts accent despite having a british accent in real life. Melissa Leo is excellent as the mother as she channels being a complete word that I am not sure I am allowed to type on this blog. Mark Wahlberg is extremely likable as the main protagonist. The story is strongly told, as the film has no filler in the way the story is told. The film is subtle with its emotional scenes, making sure that the film does not turn into a melodrama. All of the emotions feel real. Also an interesting note, despite being a film about boxers the film does not focus on the boxing.  The Fighter is a great film worthy of the awards that have been given to it. The acting, the direction, and the writing are all great. I recommend the film to anybody except small children. I give the film a 9/10.

spirited away (2001)

Spirited Away is a masterpiece of animation and storytelling in general. Hayao Miyazaki crafted a coming of age story with more heart, soul and creativity than most films these days. Miyazaki creates a world rooted in Japanese folklore that is beautiful to look at. All of the themes that are typical in Miyazaki films are present from environmentalism to the dangers of greed and capitalism. These themes are presented subtly so as to not insult the intelligence of the viewer. The themes are presented by using symbolism such as the parents being turned into pigs after eating so much food justifying that they will pay when the owner of the stand comes back, the spirit with no face, and the unrecognizable monster who is revealed to be the river spirit covered in pollution. The main character of the story grows throughout the story from a bratty child into a mature adult through learning manners from ancient Japanese custom and hard work. The antagonists of the film in departure from most kid's films are three-dimensional with at least some redeeming qualities. The producer for the English dub was John Lasseter, CCO of Pixar Animation Studios and director of the first two Toy Story films. He does a introduction to the film on the DVD where you can see how much admiration for the film he has. This film went on to win best animated feature at the Academy Awards, and the movie deserved the honor. I give Spirited Away a ten out of ten. I recommend the film to all ages.

sherlock holmes (2009)

For my first post I will be reviewing a slightly older movie to try and figure out how my reviewing style will be.

I had always heard that the character of House was inspired by Sherlock Holmes, now I can see how. This Sherlock Holmes has returned to being the antisocial, drug addict of the original stories. Sherlock is played by Robert Downey Jr., who is perfectly cast as this iteration of Sherlock due to his personal life being pretty much the same as Sherlock's around ten years prior to the making of the film. A now competent Watson is played by Jude Law. Going with the House comparison, one of the flaws of the movie is that the plot is usually less interesting than the characters. Jr. and Law have great chemistry with each other. you believe that these two have been together for a long time and that their bromance is strong if a little strained. The story however seems a little weak in places such as the part with (spoiler) Professor Moriarty and the love interest which just seem shoe-horned into the plot for sequel bait and mandatory hollywood romance respectively. You could have taken out anything to do with Moriarty and the story would still have been the same. Also the mystery could have been strengthened by not revealing the villain until later in the movie as the villain reveals his plan to the audience long before Sherlock figures it out. However the mystery does well to give you all the evidence to figure out the main twist which is a sign of a good mystery. Despite some flaws, Sherlock Holmes is a solid movie. The mystery is smart, the character's relationships are interesting, and the actions is great despite the final sequence being a little over the top. I give the film a 7/10.