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Apocalypse Now (1979)
surreal
Apocalypse Now is a movie that explores the inhumane acts that human kind can commit and the loss of sanity that occurs during war. It is a movie that will forever leave an imprint on you after watching it. Although it is a heavy and disturbing movie, it is beautifully shot and it stands out visually, leaving you feeling as if you're stuck in a delusional fever dream. It depicts how fragile the human psyche can be and how all our morals can be forgotten in a single moment of desperation. The metaphors used in this movie were incredible; the river was a genius way to show the character's sanity slowly slipping away and turning to pure desperation as they went further down. It is an intelligent movie that leaves the viewer haunted and wondering how to begin to unpack what they just saw. Apocalypse Now exposes the primality still left in humans and the evil that can exist buried below the surface of a person.
The Disaster Artist (2017)
There's a lot to unpack here.
The Disaster Artist is a comedy that deals with much deeper themes than one might expect. It is a story of trying to create a place for yourself in a world where everyone is fighting to be seen. At first, I thought this movie was simply poking fun at Tommy Wiseau but it is actually trying to highlight his story while incorporating humour. While I don't think this is an amazing or perfect movie, I was highly entertained.
In the beginning, I wasn't entirely sure how much I was going to enjoy this movie but eventually it began to pick up. The start of Tommy and Greg's friendship was somewhat uninteresting; the movie wasn't anything special until Tommy's vision of a movie was set to action. The chemistry of the actors in the scenes that they were on The Room's set worked very well to aid the movie. The Disaster Artist did an amazing job of almost perfectly replicating scenes from Wiseau's "The Room". Although it may not seem like it, James Franco played a difficult role and truly displayed the full range of his acting skills. I feel that I would have found more enjoyment in The Disaster Artist if I had previously watched The Room and been able to detect the all the references to made to it.
The disaster artist turned a Hollywood joke into an inspiring movie; showing how you can change the narrative on something. It touches on the struggle of finding a job in the film business in LA and how competitive the atmosphere was and still is. The scene in which Tommy was laughed out of the theatre encapsulated how heartbroken he would have felt. However, he managed to profit and gain fame off of his movie even though it was in a different way than he imagined. This movie shows appreciation for making of The Room while finding humour with how bad the movie itself is.
There were a few minor things that put me off during the Disaster Artist that are mostly just personal issues. An example of this is that the movie is meant to be set in the early 2000's but the atmosphere did not feel like this time period. Although it was made more recently and our cameras have majorly improved, it could have been done better. Additionally, the humour did feel somewhat forced at a few points during the movie. In the end, this movie was enjoyable to watch but had a few flaws and isn't going to become a new favourite.
Oh, hi Mark.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
um
While Lord of the Rings is one of the most widely known and loved movie and book franchises in the world, it is not the movie for me. I can recognize why it's so popular, it brought a new standard for special effects to the 2000's and a classic book to life. However, after enduring four hours of little men with hairy feet panicking over a ring, I believe it's slightly overrated.
This isn't the most ground-breaking movie ever created but it does deserve a substantial amount of credit. I have watched both the extended and non- extended version and neither were very riveting, despite being adventure stories. As someone who is not the biggest fan of the fantasy genre, this movie was very hard to get into. The most entertaining part of the movie was Frodo's facial expressions and the 2001 fighting scene special effects. The extended version even threw in some questionable and off-putting extreme close ups of Gandalf's face and hobbit feet. However, there is something to be said for the number of movies the Lord of The Rings influenced after its release and the attention to detail within the franchise. It had some exceptionally stunning shots and the complex world building carried from the book to the movie was well executed. Although I don't wish to ever watch this movie again, I acknowledge that it unearthed a new side to fantasy that raised the bar significantly.
Dune (2021)
delicious movie
It's not often when a movie adaption of a book is better than the book itself but Dune proves this can be done. Coming from someone who is not an avid watcher or big fan of sci-fi, I thought this movie was intriguing and exceptionally well done. Dune is genuinely breathtaking when experienced in theatre or at home and contrary to its book, will not leave you bored at any point within the two-and-a-half-hour watch time. All the different elements in the movie work together to create something both visually stunning and riveting. The cinematography, directing, acting, editing, casting, production design and soundtrack are nothing short of incredible.
While this movie can be a bit confusing at parts, the plot is generally easy to follow along with as it presents complicated concepts in a way that engages watchers. However, I believe it is necessary to re-watch this movie in order to gain a well-rounded understanding of it. I watched it three times and was not bored as there were always new details to be noticed and things to unpack further. When watched in the theatre, some of the shots were so well done that I felt as if I was in the movie especially when paired with the sound effects and sound track. There is a particular scene that displays this where you are given a pilots view in a helicopter as it rapidly descends down to the desert floor, giving the viewer a rush of adrenaline. It is impossible to put into words how visually stunning and vibrant Dune is, especially to someone who is interested in cinematography and use of colour in movies.
The only things that set me back personally was the movie ending at a seemingly random point and that the pacing feeling a little bit off. The former can be justified however as this is only Dune part 1 and it is setting up for the next part.
Donnie Darko (2001)
Good stuff
Disturbing, perplexing, thought provoking and vivid are descriptions that come to mind when you think about the cult classic "Donnie Darko." While some may dislike the movie for these exact reasons, this is the reason it has become one of my new favourites. There is more to the movie than what you see on the screen and it is something you may never fully understand. It questions the concept of reality and what defines something as "real". Is there such a thing as a tangent universe? Is Frank merely an hallucination or a guide? To me, a truly good movie is one that requires deeper thought and research after viewing.
The cinematography and the sequencing perfectly aid the building suspense and eerie essence of the movie. Many of the scenes stand out visually, although not having the most beautiful scenery or shots. An example of a scene that stands out is a scene in which Frank appears to be in the mirror. The camera is directly behind Donnie as he is taking his pills and you can see his face in the mirror. The movie then proceeds to flash rapidly between Donnie's parents talking to his psychiatrist and Donnie from Frank's view attempting to break the barrier of the mirror with a knife while simultaneously showing Frank. The way this scene juxtaposes the oblivious and concerned parents in the environment of the physiatrist's office with the unnerving events in Donnie's bathroom captures the tone of the movie. This scene has stayed with me the most after viewing.
In the end, Donnie Darko is not just a film about a tangent universe collapsing in on itself and a creepy guy in a bunny costume but a film about sacrifice and the journey of self-discovery. It explores a range of different emotions and poses questions about one's life path and actions through abstract themes.
The Breakfast Club (1985)
6 stars
Although the breakfast club was released in the mid 80's, some aspects of the film would be relatable to many teens today, such as coming from imperfect families, being part of different groups and experiencing the awkwardness of being a teenager. Other parts would seem unrealistic such as tropes like; the jock, the princess, the nerd, the outcasts and the overly strict teacher. Many will disagree that "The "Breakfast Club" is a timeless movie but whether you like it or not, it is still relevant in pop culture today. If you mention the movie to someone, odds are they will know the title. The idea of completely different people coming together and connecting is one that is accessible to many and makes the breakfast club an enjoyable film to a variety of people. Even so, the overused tropes as mentioned earlier can get on my nerves as they are present in pretty much any rom com, recent or not.
There are certain aspects of the movie that could have been executed much better in my opinion. The first being the fact that Bender sexually harassed Claire throughout the film and it was completely brushed over, resulting in Claire ending up with Bender although his actions are never acknowledged. This pushes the narrative that relationships like this are normal and acceptable. Molly Ringwald herself has stated she felt uncomfortable with this aspect of the movie. Additionally, Ally and Andrews relationship felt rushed. Andrew only truly noticed Ally once she was given a makeover and changed to be more conventionally attractive near the end of the movie.
Nevertheless, you cannot help being left with an uplifted feeling after the movie ends, the credits start to roll and "Don't you (forget about me)" starts to play. Over all, I enjoyed the Breakfast club but not enough for it to compare to my favourite movies, including others of a similar genre.