'Cinema is a Means of Expression as Supple and Subtle as that of Written Language’

I apologise for lack of blogging as of late. Silly exams getting in the way but to celebrate the end of the month, I thought why not. That and the fact I've been nagging my friend Laura with tweets about uploading her blog and felt a bit hypocritical.

So anyway, a new term and a new set of films/book to watch/read and I cannot wait to get thrown into the deep end once more. This week we are studying Some Like It Hot which stars Marilyn Monroe and I am so excited as I love her and love her films. She is such an iconic star and I feel lucky to be able to study her.

(Marilyn Monroe in one of her most famous poses)

I like this blog, even if many people don't read it, as it means I can ramble on and on about anything that crosses my mind and one thing that has been tormenting my thoughts recently is 'What do you want to do when you are finished uni?' Everyone seems to be asking this at the moment and to be honest, I do not know the answer to the question. 

Of course I have the dreams from when I was younger about what I want to do like being the next Hitchcock and Tarantino. If in the future, someone said my name and other knew who I was and at least one film that I had directed I would be in heaven. However, I suppose that I have to have a more realistic goal as this is unlikely to happen. 

So this still leaves me unsure of the future, but hopefully you never know I can get some sort of experience in the business, so if anyone knows someone who works within film, give me a call.

To Pass or Not To Pass? That is the question.

So yesterday I had a moment of panic. My English exam is in 3 days!!! I'm not going to lie, I have done some revision for it but the majority of the revision I have been doing is for film incase you didn't realise with the excessive amount of film blogs that I have posted yesterday. This stupid exam creeped round so quickly and I really don't have a clue how to revise for it!!!

Out of all the Shakespeare plays that we studied in our English course over the past twelve weeks (The Taming of the Shrew, Richards the Third, Henry the Fifth, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Othello, Antony and Cleopatra and Coriolanus) I reckon I have studied about 3 in great detail and that is it. I spent the other day in a cute little coffee shop in Aberdeen (Kilau to those from Aberdeen) writing up introductions for essays as apparently these are my week points when previously I have handed some in. See, the exam is two essays in two hours (same for film) and to be honest, I'm petrifieed. It's been 3 and a bit years since I last did exams.


Warning: excessive ramblings ahead. 
So, I'll probably start of with The Taming Of The Shrew, just because it is the first one in my bible of Shakespeare and Before I start my ramblings of revision about this play, I would just like to point out that the film 10 Things I hate About You (1999 with Julia Styles and Heath Ledger) was based around this.

(This is the cover from the DVD version of the play we watched, with Elizabeth Taylor in it and she did a very good job of portraying Katherine)

Okay. So, The Taming Of The Shrew is a comedy by Shakespeare and was believed to have been written between 1590 and 1594. The play begins with a framing device, which is referred to as the induction. During this a tinker named Sly is tricked into thinking he is a nobleman by a Lord. The Lord then has a play performed for Sly's amusement, set in Padua.

Basic Summary: The main plot depicts the courtship of Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, and Katherina, the headstrong, obdurate shrew (pictured by Elizabeth Taylor above). Initially, Katherina is unwilling to participate in the relationship, but Petruchio tempers her with various psychological torments — the "taming" — until she is an obedient bride. The sub-plot features a competition between the suitors of Katherina's more tractable sister, Bianca.

Katherina Minola is the eldest daughter of Baptista Minola, a Lord in Padua. Katherina's temper is notorious and it is thought no man would ever wish to marry her. On the other hand, two men – Hortensio and Gremio – are eager to marry her younger sister Bianca. However, Baptista has sworn not to allow his younger daughter to marry before Katherina is wed, much to the despair of her suitors, who agree that they will work together to marry off Katherina so that they will be free to compete for Bianca.

The plot becomes more complex when Lucentio, who has recently come to Padua to attend the famous university there, sees Bianca and instantly falls in love with her. Lucentio overhears Baptista announce that he is on the lookout for tutors for his daughters, so he has his servant Tranio pretend to be him while he disguises himself as a Latin tutor named Cambio, so that he can woo Bianca.

When Pertrucio arrives in Padua to gain some wealth and fortune, he stumbles across Horentzio who decides that he would be a perfect suitor for Katherina. 

Petruchio, to counter Katherina's shrewish nature, woos her with reverse psychology, pretending that every harsh thing she says or does is kind and gentle. This is a brilliant section of comedy as the banter between the two characters is both comical and witty. 

Katherina allows herself to become engaged to Petruchio, and they are married in a farcical ceremony during which he strikes the priest, and then takes her home against her will. Once there, he begins the "taming" of his new wife, using more reverse psychology. Finally, Katherina comes to understand Petruchio's methods of taming, and when they are on a journey to see Baptista, she willingly agrees with Petruchio that the sun is the moon, and proclaims that "if you please to call it a rush-candle,/Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me" (4.5.14-15). 

Meanwhile Bianca elopes with Lucentio, and Hortensio is persuaded by Tranio that Bianca is not worthy of his attentions. Hortensio marries a rich widow, and so in the final scene of the play there are three newly married couples at Baptista's banquet; Bianca and Lucentio, the widow and Hortensio, and Katherina and Petruchio. A quarrel breaks out during the banquet about who's wife is more obedient. Each wife gets called into the room and whoever attends her husband first is the one who is most obedient.  Katherina is the only one of the three who comes, winning the wager for Petruchio. At the end of the play, after the other two wives have been hauled into the room by Katherina, she gives a speech on the subject of why wives should always obey their husbands, and tells them that their husbands ask only "love, fair looks and true obedience" (5.2.153). 

Continuation of my ramblings now with Richard the Third. I'm not going to lie. I did not like this play when we were studying it and therefore need to try and get my head around it. After Hamlet, it is the longest play in the canon and is the longest of the First Folio, whose version of Hamlet is shorter than its Quarto counterpart. The play is rarely performed unabridged; often, certain peripheral characters are removed entirely. In such instances extra lines are often invented or added from elsewhere in the sequence to establish the nature of characters' relationships. (according to wikipedia) 

(Version of Richard the Third with Sir Ian McKellan playing the lead role)

Richard the Third is a tragedy revolving around the life of the troubled monarchy. Richard III (the Duke of Gloucester) still has his eye on the throne even though his brother, Edward IV occcupies it. The Duke of Gloucester plans on setting Edward IV and his other brother George (Duke of Clarence) against one another so he can eventually seize the throne. Betraying his brother George, The Duke of Gloucester casts doubt on his brother, resulting in George being arrested on the charge of treason. Showing his evil, the Duke of Gloucester even pursues Anne, the widow of the slain Edward, Prince of Wales (Henry VI's son). Scandalously, the Duke of Gloucester does not even let a funeral procession (for Henry VI) get in his way.The Duke of Gloucester successfully courts Anne despite telling her he had her husband killed because he loved her.

Edward IV dies, intensifying the Duke of Gloucester's desire for the throne. Leaving nothing to chance, The Duke of Gloucester has already made plans for brother Clarence to die in the Tower of London, Clarence drowning in a wine barrel. Naturally the Duke of Gloucester will have to take the throne until Edward V, Edward's IV's son and heir is of age to rule. (there are so many names it gets confusing). Richard III has Buckingham spread rumours that King Edward IV and his children are all illegitimate. Richard arranges to be publicly offered the crown which he pretends to be reluctant to take.

Richard asks Buckingham to secure the death of the princes, but Buckingham hesitates. Richard then recruits James Tyrrell, who kills both children and later experiences minor guilt. When Richard denies Buckingham a prior-promised land grant, Buckingham turns against Richard and defects to the side of Henry, Earl of Richmond, who is currently in exile. Richmond has his eye on Richard's niece, princess Elizabeth, and poisons Lady Anne so he can be free to woo the princess.The Duchess of York and Queen Elizabeth mourn the princes' deaths, when Queen Margaret arrives. Queen Elizabeth, as predicted, asks Queen Margaret's help in cursing. Later, the Duchess applies this lesson and curses her only surviving son before leaving. Richard tries his old dissembling to get into princess Elizabeth's "nest of spicery", but her mother is not taken in by his eloquence, and even manages to trick and stall him.

In due course, the increasingly paranoid Richard loses what popularity he had. He soon faces rebellions led first by Buckingham and subsequently by the invading Richmond. Buckingham is captured and executed. Both sides arrive for a final battle at Bosworth Field. Richard is soon unhorsed on the field at the climax of the battle. Richmond kills Richard in the final duel. Subsequently, Richmond succeeds to the throne as Henry VII, and marries Princess Elizabeth from the House of York.

Okay, so I have probably bored you readers enough, if there is any of you there. So will leave it at that, plus I keep getting cramp in my hand. Until next time...

A Little Catfish In A Big Blue Sea... *spoilers may be included*

From the outset of the film Catfish you can instantly tell that the film is about something computer related as the Universal logo is pixelated and a cursor appears and spins the globe. (very cool in my opinion).

Catfish is a difficult film to review, as the biggest moment in this documentary is also the one that can’t be revealed without spoiling it for anyone that has yet to see it. It is a documentary from filmmakers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman that focuses on Schulman’s 24-year old photographer brother, Yaniv “Nev” Schulman, as he experiences a shocking surprise stemming from a romance that began on Facebook.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3EDxgecC14 

The main storyline is involved around this with many twists and turns in the tale. This is clear from the outset in the trailer. But what you won’t gleam from the trailers is that while the surprise might be the driving force of the documentary, the film really shines in the deep and thoughtful examination of why things are the way they are in the first place.

Now, I'm going to try and do a brief summary of the film: this is where the SPOILERS are!
In short, New York photographer Yaniv "Nev" Schulman strikes up an online correspondence with an 8-year-old (!) called Abby, who sends him a painting she's done of one of his photographs.

From there, he begins to interact with Abby's mother, Angela, and Abby's older half-sister Megan, with whom he soon finds himself in an e-romance.

Throughout this, a creeping dread suffuses the film until it becomes fairly clear that Abby and her family aren't necessarily all they're cracked up to be.

A trip to catch Angela and co. unawares in her hometown of Ishpeming, Michigan reveals the truth behind the "people" that Nev - and, by now, his brother Ariel and friend Henry - have been interacting with.

Catfish raises many questions, though "is it real?" is the least of its worries. Why, for example, would a grown man think it appropriate to enter into an online friendship with an 8-year-old? Why would her mother actively encourage it?

Oddly enough, considering the film's resolution, the relationship with Megan is the least problematic. Most people would admit to having experienced at least an element of online romance at one time or another, either via Twitter, a blog, a mailing list, or good old fashioned internet dating.

I'm not going to spoil everything and am going to recommend that you all watch this film! I thoroughly enjoyed and was waiting to find out what happens next. At some points, you could even assume it to be a horror film. I think I like it in the ending when it is revealed why it is called Catfish, however I now cannot find it anywhere. haha! There goes my amazing ending with the quote, but if you watch the film you will know the quote I am speaking about.

Stars: *****

"Not a horror film, but a real film of horrors!"

Being a film student has a few perks. Like getting to see unusual films that are both strange and creative in their own way. One of these films which I saw in my first semester was The Cabinet of Dr Caligari.

This film is very unusual in many ways. It was made during the Dada period of film which took place between World War I and World War II. Most people will not have heard of Dadaism and this is because barely any films were created during this period of time and was only when the film industry started moving away from the period that they came about. It was a radically non-commercialised range of films. (revision much?)

Decla-Bioscop (Germany) Goldwyn Distributing Company (US)
 

So, anyway, back to The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. It was made in 1920 and directed by Robert Weine and was considered the benchmark for all horrors up until this date. The film is a brilliant example of counter cinema, countering both Hollywood and France and is steeped in German Romanticism.
There are three main characters in the film: the hero, Francis, the chaste maiden, Jane and the smart businessman, Dr Caligari. However, it is later revealed that the three characters change their roles throughout the film.
Part of what makes this film effective is the narrative framework which is used as it is the ravings of a madman. This creates an atmosphere within the film and makes you question everything you see. The film is created through the use of static shots. By making sure the camera doesn't move this also makes you wonder what else is going on at the same time and adds to the feeling of the film.
In the film there are a number of doubles used. These can be found in all the characters as well as the scenery and setting. A few examples are:

Caligari and Francis - both appear in straight jackets being restrained

Francis and Cesare - desire of Jane, watches over everyone

 

Decla-Bioscop (Germany) Goldwyn Distributing Company (US)

  

A question is thrown into the story when is is questioned whose story is it anyway? To start with you believe the story is of Francis, but throughout this is questioned. The main character whose story it could be besides Francis is Jane as everything concludes around her. Jane's encounter with Caligari is important as it could be that Caligari is just being a dirty old man and perving over Jane (to be blunt) and he points his stick at Jane making sure that all our attention is on her. 

Everything and anything is possible with this film. 

If you fancy watching it after hearing my ramblings there is a version here to view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrg73BUxJLI 

"On any film I'm involved with, I say what I think"

I've been to the cinema lots recently, well, actually I pretty much live there just now. So in the last two weeks I have seen Meet the Parents: Little Fockers, 127 Hours, Love and Other Drugs and The King's Speech.

My friend Laura suggested I made a film review on my blog since I didn't know what to write about. So, I took this on board and here we are.
So to start with:

Meet the Parents: Little Fockers

Allstar/Universal Pictures/Sportsphoto Ltd.

Stars: ***

This sequel to both Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers is a comedy which stars Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand. The film is about Greg and his wife Pam and their children, Henry and Samantha. 

The film focuses on Greg and Pan who are busy trying to raise twin children, Henry and Samantha, while pursuing their careers and somehow trying to find time for each other in the midst of all the other pandemonium. After suffering a minor heart attack and self-defibrillating, Jack Byrnes becomes worried about the state of his family. With his other daughter Debbie getting a divorce, he turns to Greg to become the patriarch of the family, the "Godfocker." Matters become complicated, however, when bombshell pharmaceutical rep Andi Garcia, played by Jessica Alba, hangs on to Greg too much and Jack suspects him of cheating like his former son-in-law Dr. Bob.

The movie has many moments of hilarity throughout however, when compared to the previous two movies does not have the same creativity as the first two films. 

127 Hours

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Stars: ****

Danny Boyle certainly delivers in this film which could have been incredibly dim. There were two things which were circulating about the film: that it was a true-life story and that it was set in a canyon in 127 hours where a man cuts his arm off. The thought of the second part was enough to make anyone queasy, and although this section of the film is very brutal and graphic, the whole tale is very moving. The film is very watchable and has enough moments of levity to relieve what could have been relentlessly grim viewing.

The story is based upon the true account of Aron Ralston (James Franco), an experienced canyoning fanatic and wannabe hiking guide who is aghast to find himself in such a situation, having made the school-boy error of not telling anyone where he was going before his solo weekend hike in the canyons of Utah.

Franco makes the experience sympathetic rather than depressing and gripping rather than grating, and carries the whole film alone beyond the first 20 minutes. 

The film overall makes the viewer come out of the cinema thinking about their life and making sure that they make the most of every minute of their life. The ending is truly moving and I recommend that everyone goes to see this stunningly powerful film. 

Love and Other Drugs

20th Century Fox 

Stars: ****

If you are in the mood for a romantic comedy with plenty of sex and giggles then this is for sure the film to see. From start to finish the entire audience was in fits of laughter at the performance of Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaways character, Jamie and Maggie. 

The story is both moving and funny. Love and Other Drugs puts Jake Gyllenhaal's toothy charm front and center, a newbie drug rep who knows perfectly well that sex appeal is the way to sell heart medication to doctors and their easily wooed assistants.Jamie meets cute with Parkinson's patient Maggie during a sales call, and once he figures out she's also only in it for good sex and no strings attached.
There is lots of nudity within the film, I actually think it's more of a shock when Hathaway has clothes on to be honest. Watching the two of them lounging naked in bed, giggling and teasing each other as often as they make out, the depth of Jamie and Maggie's relationship is established remarkably quickly.
Jamie and Maggie have a rocky relationship and as Jamie's career starts to take off with the launch of viagra things go from good to bad.
The story of Love and Other Drugs is one of romance and comedy and even with all the nudity and prancing about of Hathaway naked, it is definitely one to see.

The King's Speech

Momentum Pictures 

Stars: *****

When hearing about this film, the only thing I knew was it was about King George VI and that he had a terrible stammer. I was not expecting the wonderful performance of Colin Firth and his portrayal of 'Bertie'. The film is the private story of King George VI, the woman who loved him and became his queen, and the innovative Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue, who helped him control and come to terms with the stammer that had tortured him since childhood.
Helena Bonham Carter is splendid as Elizabeth and even though I am not her biggest fan, I can tell how brilliant an actress she is due to her performance in this role.
overall the film is a major achievement, with Firth presenting us with a great profile in courage, a portrait of that recurrent figure, the stammerer as hero.

So, there we go. That's my reviews of the last four films I have seen.