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Reviews
Planet Earth II (2016)
Captivating watch
This documentary continues what the first one did so well. Using excellent and high-quality camera and video shots to show what the still undisturbed animal kingdom is like. The complete lack of people in this documentary almost makes you forget humans exist and that animals still live in the wild like they are shown here. The voiceover by David Attenborough continues to add and enhance the overall storytelling and feels very entertaining and soothing. Additionally, the editing is phenomenal, feeling very smooth and not at all forced. Despite being over four hours long this entire documentary is so captivating that you don't want to stop watching it. This is something I will definitely remember in my future work. Especially keeping in mind that if I use a voiceover, the sound of the voice is crucial to this being successful and interesting to watch and listen to. This really shows how much a good voiceover can enhance a story.
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (2022)
Religion can hide corruption
This documentary is really impactful by showing just how terrible people can be and how they will use religion as an excuse or cover for their horrible actions. This follows a cult like religious group in which the leader is imprisoned for marrying and raping young girls with the claim that this is God's will. This contains the interviews of several ex members who have since left and realized the terrible things they were taught all their lives and the corruption which takes place in this cults. The editing of this documentary consists of combining the interviews with old videos and photographs to tell the story. This allows the viewer to truly understand the heaviness of the story. Additionally, it does a good job of going through the events chronologically, so that the viewer can understand how this corruption started and how much worse the cult became over time. It also does a good job of making you feel bad for the interviewees and realize how much of victims they truly were.
The Social Dilemma (2020)
Poses a lot of questions but answers few
This documentary does a great job of posing some important questions about what the future of technology will bring for society and how we are progressing so much faster than anyone is prepared for. However, one area where I feel that this falls somewhat flat is in terms of answering these questions that it poses. While its clear that the documentary is talking about the future, which we obviously can't know what will happen, I wish it would provide some advice as to what to do. In terms of the editing, I like the combination of actors and animations, this feels very appropriate for a documentary about technology. However, I think the acting feels pretty forced at times and makes this feel less like a documentary and more a low budget project. I think this gives me good tips and a reminder of the importance of answering questions that I pose to leave the viewers feeling satisfied, as well as, the effectiveness of combining real people with animations.
Planet Earth (2006)
Earth without Humans
This is a nature documentary which relies heavily on David Attenborough and his iconic voice. He voiceovers the entire documentary and almost plays a character throughout the series. However, this documentary does a great job of providing a unique perspective of the animal world that is free of humans. Something that is becoming less and less frequent as we continue to expand. Overall, the shots of this movie are composited really well with a mix of wide shots and extreme close-ups. It does a good job of transitioning to new environments and showing new species of animals. Allowing the viewers to get a feel for all types of animals and feel like we understand what their hunt for survival is like. It also does a good job of showing both sides of the victims and prey in the food chain and the necessary things animals must do for survival. Overall, I think what makes this documentary so successful is how well edited it is. It does a great job of taking you all throughout the animal kingdom while allowing for the transitions to feel natural and unforced. I think this is a really useful tip that can show how a good flow is important to maintaining a natural feeling story line.
Gisaengchung (2019)
Masterpiece
This movie is a masterpiece. The acting, cinematography, script, and directing all combine to create excellent storytelling. This story truly makes you realize the steps people will go through to take what they believe they are owed and keep it. It really makes you reflect on humanity. Additionally, this gave me a huge appreciation for foreign films. Despite this being in Korean the story is so well paced and captivating that you forget you are reading subtitles. The lighting of this film plays a key role in its cinematography, a lot of the light comes from artificial light sources that are shown in the movie such as lamps, street signs, and reflections of water. This does a really good job of establishing the environment the characters are living in and allows us to truly see the comparison between the house they grew up in, to the mansion they invade. The acting feels very natural and it doesn't feel like you are watching a film so much as a documentary. Additionally, the use of voiceover does a great job of adding to the suspense of the story since it feels like we are learning things at the same time as the characters. Overall, this movie can give me tips for my own films with the importance of establishing a sense of environment, using strong acting, and the ability to tell stories out of order.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Checks all the boxes
"The Dark Knight" is a sequel to "Batman Begins" this movie contains the iconic Joker played by Heath Ledger. The acting and script are really what sets this movie apart. The Joker is the central villain of this story, but Batman, while trying to defeat him and save Gotham City remains the morally grey vigilante that people don't know whether to fear or thank. The success of the Joker can be attributed to the way that he is so clearly a product of evil humans, showing that there is a root to all evil and it is often other people. Additionally, the acting is very believeable and makes for an excellent villain that leaves the audience wanting to continue watching him. Overall, this movie is successful and contains everything needed which really sets it apart as an action movie. Despite being in the DC universe the emotions, script, and cinematography are all excellent and this feels steps above other DC movies. I think this movie provides a lot of excellent tips I can remember in future storytelling. Including the importance of well written characters, which includes the villains, not just the heroes. Additionally, the majority of this movie taking place at night also gives it an edge which adds to the overall tense and depressing feel of the city.
Before Sunrise (1995)
Character Development...
"Before Sunrise" tells the simple story of two strangers who meet on a train in Europe and spend a single night together. This effective story telling shows just quickly love can develop and that by being vulnerable and opening up, you learn a lot about yourself as well. While there is little going on in the story, it is still captivating mostly through the script. The script is done really well so that the audience gets to know the characters as they get to know each other. This allows us to place ourselves in the shoes of the characters and have a better understanding of the feelings they are possessing. Additionally, the camera and shots of this movie include the use of several minute single shots. Additionally, the placement of the characters in the frame gives them a very realistic feel with a lot of medium shots, these techniques combined give the viewer the feel that they are right with the characters. The overall lack of plot allows us to focus more on the characters' past rather than what they are actively doing and places this as a central theme of the movie. Overall, this movie uses a lot of relatively simple techniques to tell a captivating love story. The medium shots, long takes, and slightly unsteady camerawork make it feel like the viewer is right there in the movie. This also shows that a lack of central plot or action can still create an impactful story with the value of character development.
Im Westen nichts Neues (2022)
Powerful Story from unique perspective
"All Quiet on the Western Front" uses captivating cinematography to tell the horrors of World War 1. This film delivers a unique perspective by being told from the perspective of a German soldier. It follows him throughout World War 1 from being excited to enlist, to being thrown onto the front lines with little training, to suffering heavily and just trying to get by. This film is unique in making you feel bad for the German side, a perspective that many World War movies or stories rarely take. Additionally, the beautiful cinematography plays an interesting juxtaposition with the depressing and horrible story that is being told. Overall, the writing, scripting, and acting are all done incredibly well. Despite this movie being in German and having to read subtitles, I found myself so caught up in the story that it did not feel like I was reading captions. Additionally, the costumes and makeup are very realistic and it is clear that they paid attention to detail to give the film a very realistic feel. This makes the movie feel less like a movie and really allows the viewer to place themselves into the story. This is an excellent tip that I will use in my future videos. I will be sure to remember the power and effectiveness of good makeup in terms of making a movie feel that much more realistic. Additionally, I will be inspired by the use of pretty cinematography throughout a gory story, this is particularly successful with a war story to really show that humans are the cause of all the destruction, and the earth will continue to be the same day by day regardless of our actions.
Blackfish (2013)
Humans are the true monsters
The storytelling of this documentary was well done and very captivating. "Blackfish" does a good job of explaining the profit of Sea World and the lucrative business of orcas in aquariums. It humanizes and shows the emotions that orcas are capable of which allows the audience to feel an emotional attachment to these creatures. Additionally, what makes "Blackfish" particularly unique is the way the documentary places the orcas as main characters of the story. Although these are fish which cannot communicate, the interviews throughout the documentary continuously humanize and give reason to the actions of the killer whales.
The overall sequence of the editing of "Blackfish" explains what led to the traumatic events that the story centers around. While constantly humanizing the orcas. As a result of this successful storytelling, once the climax of the story is reached in which a trainer is killed by an orca, the audience is left feeling bad for the orca, as we have been given a thorough understanding of the terrible conditions in which they live. This is a sign of the excellent storytelling and a useful thing to remember in my own future work. With the impact that can come from humanizing the inhumane and showing that all living creatures deserve to live a good life rather than be exploited for human entertainment.
Moonlight (2016)
Coming of Age through Cinematography
"Moonlight" does a fantastic job of utilizing beautiful cinematography to show characters develop throughout different stages of life. The story writing and dialogue follows the protagonist who grows up in a poor and drug heavy area of Miami. This coming-of-age story follows Chiron as he deals with lack of steady parental figures and bullying due to his discovering his own sexuality. The overall color scheme of this movie is very dark with lots of blues, purples, and teal colors which reflect the title "Moonlight" of the movie. Additionally, as time jumps occur to show Chiron in older stages of life the color scheme continues to darken with heavier and more mature themes being introduced. The soundtrack throughout the movie includes songs with little to no words but overall melancholy or dramatic sounds to enhance the storytelling. The soundtrack also adds well to the feeling of loneliness or confusion that the protagonist is often shown facing. The costume, styling, and acting are done extremely well. With the jumps in time different actors are used to play the same characters, but the acting and makeup is done extremely well to make these different actors believable as the same characters.
I believe that "Moonlight" contains a lot of useful tips that can be used in my own work to show the power of successful storytelling and visual striking cinematography. This also does an excellent job of exemplifying that movies don't need to be extremely dialogue heavy and can focus more on actions in order for the audience to develop feelings for the character. This is shown by the movie rarely voicing Chiron's sexuality throughout the film, but still maintaining it as a central theme of the movie.