Change Your Image
cleu_fergie
Reviews
Pleasantville (1998)
Different, but simply perfect.
Every so often do you come across a film that speaks of someone who stands up to 'the man', and rallies everyone to be bold. Every so often is there a film that screams the banal message, 'safety is overrated'. This ideology has been repeated so many times in numerous films (though it may fall upon deaf ears), that the message behind it all has become hollowed out. Truth be told, I've gotten bored with this sort of movie.
Then comes Pleasantville, the movie that executes this idea so differently, it's simply perfect.
Pleasantville is a make-believe town in the movie that is the generic stereotype of good ol' 1950s America; everything's swell, simple, and there was no such thing as no-strings- attached sex. It was a mundane black and white world with no hiccups or atrocities. Pleasantville was, well, pleasant. Then, everything changed when a pair of siblings (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) arrived. Trapped in time, the two siblings are overwhelmed by oddities like loving parents, old-fashioned values, and a plethora of innocence. They soon learn to join this 'backwards' society, bringing colour to this small town. As the naiveté fades, the teens begin to wonder if their 'modern' perceptions are really the better option.
I loved this movie, to say the least. The fact that this movie was set in a 1950s sitcom made the colour versus black and white contrast that much starker. I guess you could blame my inner Literature student for saying this, but this metaphor used made the movie a great deal more enjoyable, and the message so much sharper.
The characters changed. They tried new things. They got more intrepid and spontaneous. People painted and had sex, wives no longer made dinner for their husbands, and the world was a technicolour wonderland. As the characters became more willing to try new things and take risks, they become people, and colour trickles into their black and white world. The characters literally had more colour in them as the movie went on. How is one to live passionately if they cling on to good old fashioned values, innocence or caution anyway, right?
The concept used in this movie is brilliant. It puts its message across so effectively. Pleasantville is a movie that will make people sit up and go, 'Hey, I get the message. It makes sense.' The concept is so startlingly simple, but it's the most ingenious one I've seen. It grabs the audience's attention and entertains us no end. The setting, characters and plot are all woven together so fittingly. The development of the cardboard cut-out characters to real people, the demolition of awful stereotypes, and the fantastic screenplay make this movie worth your time.
Pleasantville is more than pleasant, it is remarkable.
Dead Poets Society (1989)
A truly beautiful movie
Remember how I said that there are always films that will change your perceptions, get under your skin, and never come out? I've marked Precious as one such film. I've found yet another that has fallen in the same category - Dead Poets Society.
Dead Poets Society explores going against the status quo and not being afraid of embracing the arts. Todd (Ethan Hawke), an extremely shy boy, has been sent to a school where he makes friends with Neil (Robert Sean Leonard), an intelligent and popular boy. Neil, who has a flair for acting, is under his father's overbearing rule. With the help of their English teacher, Mr Keating (Robin Williams), and a handful of their schoolmates, Todd and Neil learn that being different isn't all that bad.
This movie is ideally juxtaposed to conformism, and that's what I absolutely love about it. Right now, everyone wants to earn O level grades, get into a good JC, end up in a good university, get a good job, start a good life, and be good until they day we die. We are so caught up in being 'good' and comfortable, that being different irks us.
This movie emphasises the great pleasure of life, and that we have a basic moral obligation to making the best of it. Ultimately, the world is our oyster. The only thing standing in our way to greatness is us. We set our standards, our limitations, our capabilities. This is why we have to break out of our comfort zones in order to "seize the day, and make our lives extraordinary". Rising up against the norm is what we have to do; to treasure what makes us happy, and to get rid of what doesn't.
Dead Poets Society is a true gem, an exhilarating masterpiece, a movie that has made me want to live, laugh and love more. A truly beautiful movie, 10/10.
Carpe diem. Seize the day, dear readers, make your lives extraordinary.
Imagine Me & You (2005)
Guilty pleasure
Everyone has their guilty pleasures. Unfortunately for me, mine are the tasteless, cliché romantic comedies that Hollywood keeps churning out. Well that, and of course, Mean Girls. Imagine Me And You has just made it into my list of 'Guilty Pleasure Movies'.
In this movie, a newlywed bride (Piper Perabo) becomes infatuated with another woman (Lena Headey), who questions her sexual orientation, promoting a stir among the bride's family and friends. Then again the movie caption of "There goes the bride" and its poster is clearly misleading because one would assume that the bride runs off with someone else at the wedding itself. Nonetheless, no matter how cliché and boring the storyline is, it was a watchable movie.
There was very little deliberate, calculated development to the storyline at all. I felt that the movie focused too much on the bride's problematic relationship with her husband, rather than her risky affair with Luce. So, by the end of the movie when she runs off looking for the woman she loves (spoiler: they end up happy together. Who would've guessed?), I hadn't known that her infatuation had already turned into a full blown romance. The writing was pretty lacking in that aspect, but it was an interesting romantic comedy anyway. Well, the whole idea of a married woman falling in love with someone else at her wedding is a little exhausted, but I guess the writer thought 'I know how to twist things around! Let's make them lesbians!'
Alas, the soundtrack is predictable as well.
Honestly, I would give the movie a 5.5/10, simply because of the effort at trying to make this movie less uninteresting and more marketable. Also because this is a very 'shark week' movie, movies whereby women cry along to once a month with a pint of ice cream. As much as it pains me to say this, I think I'll be joining that group of women.
The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
A positively delightful masterpiece
To put it out there, I've always liked Tintin. My dad passed me the first comic, and I've been in love since. Once I heard of Tintin being made into a movie, I had my doubts. Will Hergé's masterpiece be done justice? I had prepared myself for the worst. The trailer came out, and the one thing that caught my attention was the impeccable animation. The life-like yet animated feel of the movie impressed me. Plus, Steven Spielberg, Steven Moffat and Peter Jackson working on the same movie? C'mon.
It starts off somewhat dark, with suspicious characters and red herrings being introduced, alongside a mystery for our beloved Tintin to solve. It soon turns into a fun, comedy-filled, whirlwind of an adventure that has viewers at the edge of their seats. Adventures on the high sea, plane chases and a desert trek give the audience a delightful variety of scenes to keep them interested. The presence of comic relief characters, much like in the comics, Thompson & Thompson and Captain Haddock, provide a light-hearted atmosphere to the otherwise serious plot. Throw in amazing animation and CGI and you have a movie worth paying for.
I loved every minute of this movie. Every thing was so wonderfully woven together to form this positively delightful masterpiece. It was definitely a nostalgia trip for the adults in the audience, and a light-hearted adventure for the kids. 8/10.
Flipped (2010)
A true gem.
To be completely honest with all of you, I haven't taken a liking to many of the recent movies, considering they're either about giant robots, aliens, or a terrible prequel to a classic. This movie came out just last year, and it's now one of my favourite movies. For a movie to get into my 'Favourite movies list' it has to have great acting, a believable storyline, characters that make you feel a connection with them and most importantly, the ability to make me think. To have this movie make it onto that list alongside titles like The Shawshank Redemption, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas and Little Miss Sunshine, well then, this movie is amazing.
The two leads are about 15 and 16 this year, which is roughly my age. I'm going to tell you the truth, I really do not like the new face of Hollywood. The acting is blunt and the actors aren't being the characters. However, McAuliffe and Carroll have brought their respective characters' personalities out. They've put it out for all to see and sympathise with, taking the audience on a beautiful journey in their lives. I loved the two characters from the very beginning, and was intrigued by how practical and down to earth they were.
What I loved was how the storyline unfolded. Both sides of this childhood romance was shown, both parties able to tell their side of the story. Typically, a romance is told in such a way that there's always one victim in the situation, and s/he cries until the other welcomes them back with open arms. Well boo hoo. In Flipped, both Bryce and Juli's sides were told from the first person point of view, which allows the readers to feel for the two characters as though they were part of the romance. The technique used was such a personal one, one which connected the audience with the movie. The audience was allowed a trek inside both their minds, all the while just thinking 'Oh, just get together already!' It made me want to reach into the screen and yell 'Now, elope.'
Flipped will forever be on my 'Watch Forever list'. A timeless, innocent romance of two young loves which will be enjoyed by all. A definite 9/10.
Love & Other Drugs (2010)
Romantic Comedies are so disappointing
After watching the trailer, I immediately put this movie down in my 'Must Watch' list. Sad to say that this really disappointed me. Honestly though, it's a romantic comedy, and usually movies like this fail people.
I mean well, yeah, it's funny and all, but this movie is forgettable. I bet if you asked me tomorrow what the plot was about, I'd just say 'Um. Sex. Oh! And Viagra.' Sure, it is funny at some points, and Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway are both immensely good-looking, but this is the typical RomCom, sit at home and weep about your non-existent sex life while eating ice cream kind of movie. It's not amazing per se, but it's not that bad either.
This movie is basically about a man (Gyllenhaal) who never tied himself down, and just went about meeting a bunch of different girls. So, he finally met this one girl (Hathaway) who "swept him off his feet" and "opened his heart" and basically all the other cliché lines typically mentioned in romantic comedies. So they're both terrified to fall in love, but they do, then they say they don't love each other anymore, but they do, big fight, and then the guy makes a road trip to tell her he loves her and then they make up and yay they love each other, happy ending. Release the doves and rose petals and wedding bells whoopee.
Where's the twist you may ask? Well. She has Parkinson's. Big enough of a twist for you? Because if that's not climax worthy for you, I suggest you don't watch it.
One line I'm going to remember for a long time though: 'You meet thousands of people, but none of them really touch you. And then you meet one person and your life has changed forever.' Not a bad line to end the movie with.
Like I said, it isn't that bad of a movie. That is, if you just want to sit at home and catch a comedy or romance and have a laugh, but then forget it afterwards, or if you want to see Anne Hathaway's boobs (because they make many appearances), or if you just want to see a lot of Gyllenhaal's butt. But if you really want to spend your time on a movie which gets you thinking, then don't waste your time.
Precious (2009)
Change is good
Once in a while, a show that changes your perceptions of everything comes along. Those kinds of movies make you sit back, look at everything around you, and go 'Well. Now what.' Those kinds of movies give you a whole new outlook on life and opens your eyes to everything. Precious is one example.
You really don't see movies like this very often now, especially with shows like The Social Network, Inception, Avatar, etc etc. They don't show the very real and down-to-earth side of society. Set in the late 80s in Harlem, Precious is a tale of physical, sexual and emotional abuse and how opportunities are available for everyone.
I am honestly not a fan of these kinds of movies, because I'd just sit there and be thoroughly depressed by the sequence of events. However, this movie captivated me from start to finish. The acting honestly impressed me. This girl, who's so full of potential, born into a life no one would want. I felt so much for Precious. I felt every blow she felt and flinched at every insult thrown at her. It was an extremely depressing storyline, so thank heavens for a couple of comic relief characters present to lighten the mood. Otherwise, I would probably have gone to bed with a nagging feeling of unhappiness.
One line which I'll be taking home this time: The longest journey starts with a single step.
I'm actually very thankful that I sat through this movie, considering Hollywood just keeps churning out honey-coated gibberish all the time. Although it's not a movie I'd watch over and over again, it's definitely worth a watch.
Water for Elephants (2011)
Christoph Waltz takes the cake
After an hour of travelling and another hour or so of awkwardness, I can safely say that this movie was worth it. Let's just ignore the fact that I watched the movie alone because I really have nothing to do with my life, and let's focus on the fact that hey, Robert Pattinson can act and that Christoph Waltz is just a spectacular actor.
But of course, like in every movie, they include something in order to work the audience up and remain under the movie's spell. The objects (in this case, an elephant), though they play a very small part, are used as a a sort of sub-plot to give a twist to a cliché storyline. I mean, it wasn't that bad, with a whole circus themed tale of two star crossed lovers, but it was based on the same thing: A woman cheats on her husband with a charming young intern who woos her with his mysteriousness and slight awkwardness. To be frank, the plot was extremely boring, there were barely any twists and my thoughts were frequently shifted over to my screaming bladder.
Let's not focus on the storyline, but rather, on the acting in this movie. I've never fully respected Pattinson enough as an actor, considering he looks constipated or in pain half the time. This movie showed a slightly different side to him. Maybe he actually can play roles outside of a mysterious, introverted and slightly violent character (references to Remember Me and The Twilight movies). He proves everyone wrong by playing a rather romantic guy, with a heart of gold. Not as openly as I would hope, and still violent and impulsive, but still a sweet guy. I have to admit, I'm not that impressed with what Reese Witherspoon had to offer. Sure, she managed to portray her character believably, but I didn't feel as entranced by her character like I did in her other movies. This character had the potential to be played in a very captivating manner; I mean, she is after all, a star attraction and a woman who is trapped in a forbidden romance with the faeces shoveler. Surely she has a lot more emotions that can be played with.
Of course, I've saved the best for the last; Christoph Waltz. I was immensely impressed by his performance, he plays his character so well that you forget that maybe he isn't like that in real life. Once he's on screen, it's as if no one else is present. He has such great presence that he commands attention the second he's in the shot. Waltz makes the character so enchanting, that it's so easy to hate him but love him at the same time. August's sick humour and his impatience and heartlessness, accompanied by Waltz's amazing rendition of this nasty man made him my favourite character in the entire film, despite his obvious loathing for anything other than him and his wife. Looks like I'll be catching Inglorious Basterds soon.
Overall, this movie wasn't that spectacular. Sure, it kept me interested long enough, but it probably won't be one I'll be remembering. Tales of classic romances like this is just too cliché for my liking. I'd give it a 6/10. Still, two thumbs up for Waltz's amazing acting.