Wednesday, October 16, 2013

An Analysis of Gravity's Imagery (Spoilers)


I have given my review of the film, but after seeing it twice (the first time in regular 3D, second time in IMAX 3D, definitely worth seeing it in IMAX) I really felt like I should write an in-depth analysis over my interpretation of the film, simply because I want to. 

Gravity is a simple film that boasts its message through vivid imagery, while also playing off the emotional fear/suspense of the audience itself. To put it plainly, Gravity is about rebirth, to rise up when life has you beaten and become something new, something stronger, you see this plainly all throughout the piece. There is also a constant struggle going on in Cuaron's film, so many times you will see an attempt to latch onto something that seems so close and you will continually see failure, there is never any immediate success. The film is an allegory of overcoming trials, when gravity pulls you down, you get back on your feet and keep moving. 

Captain Phillips Review


I'm not sure if it's because I already practically knew what would happen the entire movie from everything the trailers gave away (except the awesome last 20 minutes) or that it just got to hyped, I didn't fall in love with it like I thought I would. Now don't get me wrong, it is a very well made film (I have some issues with the pacing and other parts) but for me, I just didn't get that click that I was expecting, it was still very enjoyable though. 

Gravity Review


Thousands of miles above the Earth's surface, adrift through orbit, "Gravity" feeds on the oft' unthought of fear of the vast dangers of space. With many movies you'll see a trailer or hype that a film can't live up to, that's the exact opposite of this space epic. Not only does this film steal your breath in jaw-dropping visuals and suspenseful it captivates you to completely emotionally cheer on this woman you have barely known, and dwells subtly (but with complete focus and clarity) on... (Minor Spoiler Warning after the break) 

Rush Review


I'll be honest here, being the American I am, I didn't even know that Formula 1 racing existed before I heard about this movie, nevertheless the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda, the most I knew about actual competitive racing was there was this thing called NASCAR and people drove around in circles and that Mario Kart was a fun game, however I never actually payed attention to it. After watching Rush I can now say I am entirely intrigued about Formula 1, especially the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda that, from the looks of it (I am not an expert so don't take my word as gospel on this statement), was very accurate in the portrayal of the real people. 

Identity Thief Review


I have no words for some the atrocities that I had to view while watching this movie...Identity Thief is a movie starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy, and despite some actual good moments in this film, it is a complete loose cannon that has no aim, focus, or direction (and I wouldn't have been surprised if this movie actually lacked a script).  

300 Review


Let me start my roasting with what I liked about 300.  There was nothing I liked about 300 so I can go onto the next paragraph now.

The World's End Review


The World's End is the concluding chapter (kind of) of the Cornetto trilogy directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. While the World's End isn't as good as previous movies in the 'trilogy' such as Hot Fuzz, it is still a very solid and entertaining piece of cinema which is filled with mostly smart laughs. 

The Grapes of Wrath Review


I think a lot of people may be expecting one of my longer reviews for this one but I am going to try and make it shorter, because there isn't much to say except that this is a masterpiece (and although there is a change of tone at the end, and some censorship of the book, I understand why it was necessary because of the time), and mostly I will just offer my counter to a couple of common complaints people wrongly have about this movie. 

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Elysium Review


Elysium takes place on a futuristic, overpopulated, and polluted Earth where all the poor (the majority of the population) live on Earth while all the rich live in Elysium where they can get super nice free health care insta-heal machines while everybody down on Earth gets diddly squat because everybody up in Elysium is a bunch of meanie buttheads who want the poor on Earth to suffer. Ok the second part may not be the actual, "Synopsis" of the movie, but it is exactly what I got out of it and what bugs me the most about the movie. Elysium tries so hard to have a political message that not only does it go overboard, but it fails to realize how you are even supposed to deliver messages in the movie, which is by putting a subtle message into a good story. 

Pulp Fiction Analysis/Review (Spoilers)


The film is a very influential film on many standpoints but I won't really dwell on that and just focus on talking about what meaning I have always gotten out of Pulp Fiction (because honestly this classic has been out for nearly 20 years, do I really need to go to much into how good this film is and such on technical stand points such as acting and such?  If you don't know than just know that the acting is great and the screenplay is genius.), and that is the meaningless in American society.  The mere opening of the film suggests this with Tim Roth's outstanding opening monologue which leads to a random and meaningless act of robbery with no real justification except for that they could get away with it.

The Hunger Games Review


The Hunger Games is one of those films where its overall quality is affected most by not major gaping problems, but many, many small ones which degrade the film into decency at best. While it boasts an interesting premise (albeit an unoriginal one) the movie ultimately fails to deliver to its potential. 

Hugo Review



After seeing how well this film did at the Oscars (despite my initial disinterest in the trailer), I thought I'd give it a watch. I can say though after seeing this movie I am neither disappointed, but not entirely ecstatic about the movie either.  (Especially since I have very high expectations of Martin Scorsese)

Fruitvale Station Review


I wasn't overly familiar with what happened to Oscar Grant 4 years ago at New Years but that didn't stop this movie from having the immense impact that it did, it is honestly a movie that everybody should see not just because of well made it is but because of its relevance to society today. 

The Way Way Back Review



This is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story that really ended up getting to me. The movie, although it has a familiar plot, succeeds with great performances, direction, and it never strays from the realism that it immerses you in. This movie was a pleasant surprise in a summer filled with loud, explosive movies and it honestly helped remind me of what some of my favorite movies are like, things that reflect reality and provide something that not only entertains you, but shows you something meaningful and reflective on different aspects of life.