The Tree of Life (July 8th 2011, dir. Terrence Malick)
People say you either love this film or you hate it, but I disagree. I find myself in between. I suppose those who dislike it are those who thought ‘new Brad Pitt movie? Why not!’ and sat in their chairs utterly dazed and confused by what was to follow. Of course that’s not me. I’d watched the trailer twice and had read some reviews before going in, so I knew I’d be doing a lot of head scratching (I’m not very bright) and that it was going to be more of a collage of images than a ‘story’.
It was, visually spellbinding. Images of the creation of life in outer space, in nature, through even dinosaurs, with all the sounds as well. Jack, in the modern world, played by Sean Penn, is confused and seems to have lost faith in the meaning of life. I didn’t understand whether it was because of the anniversary of his brother’s death or because he was simply remembering his brother, but starting with the way in which his parents Mr and Mrs O’Brien (Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain) find out about the death, we are introduced to their family through Jack’s childhood eyes, from his birth. We see everything as he would see it, proportioned to his size.
We experience Jack’s first steps, the birth of his brother and the emotions this created within him, the vastness of nature as he plays with his brothers – we can almost feel the breeze on our faces. Things we take (or took) for granted, presented to us so beautifully. But there is no falsity or over-dramatisation in its presentation – life is, indeed, beautiful, we just need a little perspective and gratitude. Jack’s parents, two people with entirely different attitudes towards life, are presented to us through his innocent, scared, curious and mystified eyes. I think there was a scene where his mother is on a swing, simply swinging back and forth. The way in which Jack sees her do so is so elegant and graceful, representing her spiritual attitude towards life. Jack’s father, on the other hand, is more materialistic. He is shown as strict, and not really able to show love for his children as well as the mother does, restrained by the boundaries he himself has created. Jack even wishes he was dead at one point, which is shocking, but as children didn’t we all think of such shocking things, so innocently and simple-mindedly? I think I’m going on and on without aim, but basically we follow Jack and how he loves, hates, is scared, how he builds his character, understands life and death, and grows up.
Put together in a film with the extraordinary sequences of the creation of the universe, present-Jack’s walking around, lost and remembering, and the utterly confusing sequences of (I think) heaven, whether it’s actual heaven or heaven in Jack’s mind I don’t think I’ll ever figure out, this is a vision of life and death, pure art cinema.
I’ve praised it so much, then why I am ‘in between’ those who loved it and hated it? Because I think I need more time. I’m only 22. I went to the bathroom after the film ended, and needed to just sit for another minute to either organise my thoughts or stop thinking about it completely for the time being, and the other women in the bathroom talked about how wonderful the film was as they washed their hands. If I see it again in another 10 years, or even 20 years, I feel I will be able to appreciate it more straightforwardly too (not ‘understand’ because there is nothing to ‘understand’). If you get what I mean.
Rating for the time being: 7/10
Next:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (July 1st 2011, dir. David Yates)
Harry, Ron and Hermione were my best friends at secondary school when I didn’t have any real friends – I read the books over and over again and had remembered everything back to front, and back again! As such an avid fan of the books, the screen adaptations never disappointed me at all. Now when I read the books, do I picture Harry as Daniel Radcliffe? And Ron as Rupert Grint? No, I don’t. I picture them just as I did when I started reading them, before the films came out. I don’t know how that managed to happen. Perhaps the division between the books and the films in my head is too strong. I love them both to bits, but they never really clash.
The 3rd film, The Prizoner of Azkaban, was my favourite, because it was ‘dark’ on a different level to the previous 2. The time-turner sequence was delightful to watch visually on the screen. And since then, I wouldn’t say it got better and better, because the 3rd is still my favourite, but it certainly got darker and darker, and with Voldemort rising to power again in ‘The Goblet of Fire’ and Hogwarts becoming more of a dangerous place, the films, as they came out each time, felt more and more important. Of course we all lived a life in between each film release. But when the release date got near I recapped the books, and made sure I was back into ‘Harry Potter mode’ again. It was a connection I made each time to my childhood. Like a home town I went back to. I myself don’t actually have a ‘home town’ due to a life of moving towns (if not countries) every few years, so things like Harry Potter I really clinged onto.
So, enough reminiscing of my bloody childhood, let’s get to the actual film! Well, it’s not just a film is it? It’s the end of the era! (Here I go again) So from the instant the film begun, I was crying. Actually crying. 2 reasons. 1 – ‘Oh my God Harry Potter is ending…it’s the end!! The end!!!’ 2 – the Soundtrack! Alexandre Desplat did the previous film (Deathly Hallows Part 1)’s soundtrack as well, and he is absolutely magnificent. The music is so poignant, so haunting, mature-sounding, subtle at times, emotional, and dramatic when it needs to be. Perfectly portrays what is going on on-screen, and is in itself a reminder that these ‘kids’ are now grown up. They’re not just getting past 3-headed dogs and anymore, this stuff is real!
The action sequences are of edge-of-your-seat quality. Some people criticise the previous film (Deathly Hallows Part 1) for being too slow and because “nothing happens.” But it’s absolutely necessary, to have that extremely long and frustrating journey, which leads to Harry and Ron arguing and going their separate ways at one point. Though there is extreme evil out there and people being murdered, the 3 of them cannot do anything without solving the puzzle of the horcruxes that Dumbledore left behind. It is the key film out of all 8 which portrays their growing maturity and the faith they have in one another. Part 1 also acts as the ‘silence before the storm’. So Part 2 responds to the anticipation of the world perfectly - “with a bang”, as so many people have no doubt already described. Even if you’re not particularly fond of action, like me, it’s not all action - the balance of dramatic and sentimental is perfect. And to be honest you cannot help but enjoy the action, I’m afraid, because this is the end, this is the ultimate fight, where everybody comes together.
This isn’t just a film with a happy ending, this has been a journey of 7 books and 8 films, of love, friendship, growing up, fighting, and learning what is important. The end is happy, but we shed tears for those we have lost on the way, for all the pains the characters have gone through.
Sorry about all the childhood-talk. I knew I should never have written a review for this film…but I have, I’m sorry.
Rating: 10/10
Next:
Beginners (22nd July, dir. Mike Mills)
This, I think, is a very difficult film. Not to understand, but to have created. There is a lot going on, a lot of feelings, subtle but complex and very crucial in shaping the characters’ motives and actions. If I remember correctly there are 3 time-settings. First, the present, after Hal (Christopher Plummer), the father of Oliver (Ewan McGregor) has passed away. Oliver meets the eccentric Anna (Melanie Laurent), a French actress, at a costume party, and begins a relationship. Then there is the past. Hal is alive, Oliver’s mother has passed away, and Hal confesses to him that he is gay. He is living very happily and openly, in a relationship with Andy, a younger man. At the peak of his happiness he is diagnosed with cancer. Finally there are the flashback scenes of when Oliver was a child, interacting with his mother, a very peculiar woman, and observing the distance between his parents.
Oliver may be the ‘protagonist’ in the sense that he is alive throughout the whole film, but there is as much focus on Hal, and even Anna, whose relationship with her father we are given an insight into. Oliver has developed a fear of relationships through what he has experienced and witnessed as a child between his parents, and we hope he manages to overcome this eventually. He’s a nice man, humorous, and sweet, but there is a sadness underlying in him all the time, evident in his drawings – ‘the history of sadness’. There are so many complexities, reflecting what people go through and feel in real life, but Mike Mills is able to keep a very steady, consistent andante pace. The piano music which plays throughout also has a very calming effect. The film is like a comfy couch. In order not to make it dark or too depressing, we have Oliver’s dog Arthur, who talks in subtitles. This is of course unrealistic, and had I not seen the film I would’ve had doubts, but, firstly it’s believable that the dog actually may be thinking those things, and secondly, it’s absolutely necessary in adding the lighter side of life - balance - to the film. I also remember that I liked the use of pastel colours in the film, and the sets were very homey. There is so much personality and humanity in the film, and the performances of all the actors are wonderful. All in all a nice little treat!
Rating: 7/10
Next, we’re into August:
The Devil’s Double (10th August, dir. Lee Tamahori)
I don’t think they marketed this film very well; I came across it just by chance through a website. I’d not seen any trailers or any posters, anywhere, and I’m usually conscious of new film releases. After checking out the trailer I immediately wanted to see it! Somehow I also immediately knew that it was going to be great.
Based on a true story, it’s about the lives of the Saddam Hussein family through the eyes of the body double of the sadistic son Uday Hussein, Latif Yahia. Both roles are played by Dominic Cooper. That story – right there – is already extremely interesting and promises shock and excitement. I don’t know how much of the story is actually true, how much was changed or dramatised, and its historical accuracy. Maybe there are some people from these areas who have been offended, I don’t know. But from my point of view, a 22 year old female living in the UK who enjoys films, and enjoys obscure films even more so, I was thoroughly entertained. Some people have complained about it being in English. Ok, that’s understandable, because I’m half Japanese and when I went to see 'Memoirs of a Geisha' and everybody spoke in English I was disgusted and didn’t stop complaining about it forever. But at least these people can speak English and it doesn’t hurt to listen to them. Dominic Cooper using different accents for Uday and Latif is a big factor in separating the two characters and giving them individuality, and as it has been made for audiences like us, it is understandably easier for us to see this it in English.
Dominic Cooper is absolutely phenomenal. Uday and Latif have the same faces, basically. Physically there are differences, yes, in the arrangement of their teeth and their hair, for example, but what makes the two so distinguishable are not the physical differences, but their personalities, manners and way of speech. Uday behaves and speaks ridiculously, almost comically, but immediately underneath this is the sadistic, brutal and merciless Uday which suddenly jumps out, murdering people for excitement. He has no heart. I won’t go into any more detail in order not to give too much away, but it’s indescribably shocking, and you feel no pity for him. You hate him. But Latif, you can respect, or I did anyway, and you are completely on his side - you almost forget they are played by the same person! Not too long ago I watched ‘Moon’ where they must have used a similar camera technique in using the same actor to play 2 characters. I watched the DVD extras, and it looked like a hell of a lot of work, confusion and frustration! In the case of ‘Moon’ it more or less all took place on a few interior sets. But in ‘The Devil’s Double’ there are all sorts of settings and situations. Hats off to the filmmakers!
*SPOILER BEGINS*
One sequence I remember being particularly impressed with is the scene in which Latif and Sarrab secretly make love, and there is heavy bombing going on outside. The contrast between the outside and inside work perfectly together as their love-making is equally risky and dangerous, in a way. If Uday finds out, we know what he is capable of doing. The bombing also acts as a sort of background music, dark and gritty, intensifying the passion, but reminding us of the lack of a happy outcome. The entire film is built around intense action and intense emotion. Some people have criticised that at times things are too dramatic and over-the-top, and once again I cannot comment about historical accuracies as I have no idea, but Uday Hussein was an absolutely frightening mad-man who easily did such horrifying things, so I would have thought it was necessary to become a bit over-the-top at times. Anyway, if you are able to just sit back and enjoy it as entertainment, like me, then this film is one hell of a rollercoaster ride!
The film ends with a very stylish and satisfying-to-watch assassination attempt of Uday, followed by text which informs us that he lived as a cripple for the rest of his days until he was assassinated by the US army, and that Latif is still alive now. The ultimate triumph of good, and the fact that it’s a true story! Brilliant!
*SPOILER ENDS*
I actually remember a couple more sequences I want to talk about, but shouldn’t ramble on too much. I think I will choose this film to write a more in-depth analysis on when it comes out on DVD, and I will definitely be getting the DVD!
Rating: 10/10
Next:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (11th August, dir. Rupert Wyatt)
This movie was a disappointment, to be honest. Ok, I’ve never seen any of the Planet of the Apes films so I won’t be too critical (once again, because this was a ‘prequel’ movie I figured I didn’t need to have seen it all to understand it, and went to see it because of the buzz), but this film, on its own as a single film, I didn’t get anything out of. The motion capture was impressive, of course. I don’t know how much of ‘Caesar’ (the ape) is Andy Serkis, but whatever the case it is amazing that technology can ‘create’ such a realistically looking ape on screen.
My biggest problem was the storyline. It was…nothing knew. The idea that humans selfishly ‘create’ something which ends up destroying themselves is not new. The back-story that Will’s father was suffering from Alzheimer’s seemed a bit corny too. There was no character in Freida Pinto’s Caroline, and James Franco’s performance seemed a bit wooden. Let alone chemistry between them. I could have told you the entire story after watching the first 5 minutes, it was so predictable (which is why I’m not inserting any spoiler warnings here. If I have spoiled anything for you I apologise). But maybe it was supposed to be predictable. After all it’s a ‘prequel’ so we are kind of supposed to know what happens right? We just watch ‘how’ it happens.
But I didn’t find the action sequences particularly jaw-dropping. And once I’d got used to watching the motion-captured marvel that is Caesar, the ‘rise’ of the hundreds of apes wasn’t particularly amazing any more. In fact there were so many apes, the people in the cinema who mindlessly ate their popcorn and watched the movie started to look like apes too, and I was in a room full of apes basically. They’d probably be equally entertained if someone went and made ‘Rise of the Planet of the Cats’ or ‘Rise of the Planet of the Pelicans’, as long as they used visual effects and had lots of action in it. When I got out of the cinema and started to walk home there was a man walking his dog, and I actually jumped a little because I thought momentarily that it was an ape on all fours.
Tom Felton was a bit disappointing too. As a massive Harry Potter fan it hurts to be critical of the young actors who were in the series, but can he only play Draco Malfoy? I was expecting him to call Caesar a “filthy little mud-blood” any minute. But I suppose it wasn’t his fault, it was the fault of the script, which didn’t really give him a chance. I hope he eventually gets to play a character with more depth. The script, also, now that I’ve mentioned it, was nothing new. Music, nada. Same old story with a different setting and situation, which wasn’t particularly unique or exciting.
The only thing I was impressed with, as I already mentioned, was Caesar, and I suppose the bond between Caesar and Will. That was believable, despite Will’s woodenness. *SPOILER* That last scene in the forest where Caesar and Will part, that was touching, for instance. It was corny, but James Franco’s expression after Caesar told him he was already home, was good acting I thought. And I’m a softie, so I did get a tiny bit teary-eyed. *END OF SPOILER*
Wherever I look I mostly see reviews saying how great the film was. Maybe I’m being too critical…but if I felt at the end of the film that I’d gained absolutely nothing, and found myself yawning at times, then I can’t help it. Sorry, fans of the film!
Rating: 3/10
And finally:
The Skin I Live In (26th August, dir. Pedro Almodovar)
This was a great film!
The trailer didn’t really say anything about the story, but leaves vivid images in your mind which tell you that this film is going to have lots more to offer!
Robert (Antonio Banderas, reuniting with Almodovar) is a plastic surgeon carrying out skin experiments on Vera (Elena Anaya) who he keeps locked in his house. He has issues, and has traumas in his past…that is all I can say! But what a creepy setting eh? Ingredients of a horror masterpiece! I read that it was a ‘horror’ film so I was worried (horror is not one of my favourite genres!) but it wasn’t anything like I was expecting, in a good way. I didn’t have to ‘look away’ at any point (as far as I can remember), nor was the lone drive in the night back home scary. All the horror takes place in the mind!
Every scene is a visual masterpiece in its own right. There is nothing that doesn’t add flavour to the story or the visuals - every frame is extremely rich. As well as incredible storytelling, this is visual poetry. It’s not too dark, though. There are humorous moments, as with most Almodovar films. Ok I must admit I’ve only seen about 5 of his other films, and they were mostly after I saw ‘The Skin I Live In’ (because I found it to be such a great film, found out he made ‘Volver’ as well which I’d seen before and enjoyed, so I looked up his other works and immediately borrowed the famous ones), but even from just 5 or 6 of his films you can see that they generally involve humour and light-heartedness. This is of course one of his darker films. He normally uses bright colours, but on this occasion less so, with the odd gash now and then which are very effective.
As a screenwriter-wannabe, Almodovar is an incredible inspiration. This script is beautiful, it’s perfect! - All of his stories are, as far as I have seen. The actors put on splendid performances (Vera’s skin is magnificent by the way – I don’t know how much of it has been edited afterwards, but it makes you want to reach out and touch it), the pace makes the film constantly exciting, there are many unforgettable scenes, and important themes have been put to question. The music, by Alberto Iglesias, is also very beautiful and emotional. The film led me to be interested in Trentemoller as well, a Danish electro musician, whose track ‘Shades of Marble’ is used in one scene (it can be heard in the trailer). Cinema at its best!
Rating: 10/10
