Let them eat cake! ...or make keys. [depending on the monarch].
Hi, how are you all?!
So you all know, it's been quite rainy and overcast here for about the past two weeks. About a week ago we were definitely giving European winter a run for its money, not in the temperature stakes but at least the weather. It hasn't even been close to getting hot here at all, but I can feel it coming, just in time for the tennis/January season.
I've been watching movies, hence the reviews/complaining/glorifying.
Eragon
Firstly, what's with the opening credits still rolling into the 30th minute of the film?!?!
Okay, I may be exaggerating, but that was really distracting, I'm trying to figure out what Arya's doing and its significance, and I'm seeing "Music by" and "Casting by"...then I know it isn't over yet, even though we are at least into the 3rd minute of the film, because the "Directed by" comes last. Eragon's looking at his lovely blue stone/egg and I'm still seeing "Produced by" and probably "Executive Produced by"...then FINALLY "Directed by" comes up, and you've pretty much destroyed all chance for me to get into the mystical aurora of the beginning of the film. One of the CRUCIAL POINTS of a film by the way. I don't think any film should roll opening credits for that long. Just do what George Lucas did, put no opening credits up and pay the fine, improves the film by at least 20%.
I liked this quote from an Eragon review, "You'll probably spot eight or nine different pieces of uncredited source material as the garish smear of Eragon washes over you." But before I criticise this film anymore I want to say:
1) Ed Speelers is gorgeous!
2) Alagaesia is an awesome name.
Brom was the only decent character to me, probably because he actually motivated some emotional connection. It is a shame that he died...unless he comes back like Gandalf did, or Obi-wan. Either or. Fantasy texts all have that formula [the wise mentor one, hero from humble beginnings, leaving home to fight some evil], and so I don't have a problem with the story because of that, it's just that you need to put originality behind such a formula and this story didn't do that.
I must also blame the film-makers for this film. However it might of been Eragon's author which caused all the trouble or the studio not giving enough funding. Well, it's someone's fault that this film didn't evoke any emotions AT ALL. Like that final battle, what exactly were they fighting for? If it was just themselves then make that a bit more obvious, show us what exactly they were going to lose. DON'T START THE BATTLE SUDDENLY. It was fighting, then some more, with fire and bad costumes that looked like plastic sometimes from the lighting. Peter Jackson was cool because he would show us the city like Minas Tirith that we didn't want to lose, or families being broken up because of war and that's what they were fighting for, or simply in Fellowship when they were fighting to remain together as companions at the end. SOMETHING HEART-FELT. None of that in Eragon, that's what made it a bad film for me.
This was from the same review as before:
"Here's a list of things I never again need to see in a movie:
A wizened old mentor teaching a young pupil to let something "flow" through him. A scene in which someone rides the back of a dragon while whooping and cheering. A young hero rushing off to save his friends despite being warned that such actions spell d-o-o-m. An explanation from a henchman to a villain detailing why he came back empty-handed."
You can maybe do those things if it is different. That sentence cancels out itself. So, yeah.
Finally, I find out after watching the film that it is part of a TRILOGY. Hence this is the first chapter in a larger epic (using the term loosely), somehow that gives the whole concept a glimmer of hope as it could redeem itself.
Good holiday fun.
Night at the Museum
Yes, fun comedy, needed it. Two reasons I liked it:
1) Ricky Gervais
2) Owen Wilson [cowboy] and Steve Coogan [Octavius] bantering hilariously and walking heroically at the end.
My favourite part was when Owen [the cowboy, v. important info] said to Octavius, "I'm not quitting you." LOL. Brokeback moment that only I laughed at in the cinema, definitely the children and parents DIDN'T GET IT. Like most of the other jokes in the film.
Larry: I'm trusting you guys, and if you don't do what I say you'll end up like your buddies in the Mayan world over there, locked up. Do they look happy?
[Shows a display with bars across it]
Jedadiah: [Shakes head] They look sad.
"They look sad." The way he said it.....SO FUNNY.
Marie Antoinette was released Boxing Day in Australia. And you better believe that I was there at the first session of the day.
Marie Antoinette
Oh Marie Antoinette. Oh Sofia Coppola. I like films like these. I read a reviewer complaining about Marie Antoinette not having enough dialogue in the film, so what, I prefer it that way. I don't think people should mind when a director wants to take a visual medium like 'film' further and rely more heavily on artistic and movement direction. This was indeed a beautiful film, and exactly what I expected. There was something haunting about it, a feature which usually resides in Sofia's films that adds to the film's sophistication. It wasn't a happy film even though I was laughing a lot through it. LOL, Louis XVI was portrayed like such a dag/loser, good entertainment.
Marie: So, I hear you make keys for a hobby?
Louis: Yes.
Marie: ...And do you enjoy making keys?
Louis: Obviously.
So here's what I'm thinking, since the film keeps somehow an unprominent sombre mood mixed with a sense of continuous unease, is it that what makes up for the lack of a guillotine scene? I must admit that I was really disappointed that their wasn't even a reference to that occuring, because it is Marie Antoinette's victimisation which made her an icon sooooooo where's the climatic point of that victimisation in the film. It's non-existant. Just trying to keep that PG rating I suppose. Also, a sequence of events leading to the guillotine could have made Dunst into a more serious, well received dramatic actress, as well as propelling her to Oscar buzz.
But, eh, not so much now.
Anyway apart from that YAY FOR THE LUSH VISUAL AND AURAL SPECTACLE!!! Did anyone else feel The Virgin Suicides vibes? With all that soft gliding through grassy fields and flower gazing...amongst all those shots with a "sunshine" focus it's pretty hard not to think of The Virgin Suicides. I loved it when Rose Byrne said, "Oooo, the chickens are out!" or something along those lines. Her character was the best, not prominent enough to steal the show but close enough! Rose Byrne always seems to do that in films!!!! Remember Troy? Nobody cared about Helen after that film, it was Rose Byrne.
Another thing that reviewers seem to be complaining about is the soundtrack. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE SOUNDTRACK?! Nothing. Nothing at all. One person was saying that it was all rock music, when I watched the film I thought at least half of it was classical style baroque music, which did surprisingly inter-twine [hoping that's a word] well with the contemporary music. I was reading another review and that person was complaining about how the rock music was just a hopeless attempt at making the film original. WELL YOU KNOW WHAT. It did make the film original, it created an energetic mood and evoked feelings which helped portray what was happening at the time for the characters in the film. That reviewer can also refer to the "Eragon" review for insight into those who don't make an attempt at originality.
I loved how Kirsten Dunst played Marie Antoinette, it was very naive yet amusing. The regular morning routine was only interesting each time because of her expressions. I think she played the inwardness well, the type of character that can't rely on dialogue. Furthermore, she got to be on set whilst those BRILLIANT costumes were being made on her. So, overall, I'm seeing it again. :D
HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!! If your city/home-town doesn't have fireworks my sympathies are with you.
So you all know, it's been quite rainy and overcast here for about the past two weeks. About a week ago we were definitely giving European winter a run for its money, not in the temperature stakes but at least the weather. It hasn't even been close to getting hot here at all, but I can feel it coming, just in time for the tennis/January season.
I've been watching movies, hence the reviews/complaining/glorifying.
Eragon
Firstly, what's with the opening credits still rolling into the 30th minute of the film?!?!
Okay, I may be exaggerating, but that was really distracting, I'm trying to figure out what Arya's doing and its significance, and I'm seeing "Music by" and "Casting by"...then I know it isn't over yet, even though we are at least into the 3rd minute of the film, because the "Directed by" comes last. Eragon's looking at his lovely blue stone/egg and I'm still seeing "Produced by" and probably "Executive Produced by"...then FINALLY "Directed by" comes up, and you've pretty much destroyed all chance for me to get into the mystical aurora of the beginning of the film. One of the CRUCIAL POINTS of a film by the way. I don't think any film should roll opening credits for that long. Just do what George Lucas did, put no opening credits up and pay the fine, improves the film by at least 20%.
I liked this quote from an Eragon review, "You'll probably spot eight or nine different pieces of uncredited source material as the garish smear of Eragon washes over you." But before I criticise this film anymore I want to say:
1) Ed Speelers is gorgeous!
2) Alagaesia is an awesome name.
Brom was the only decent character to me, probably because he actually motivated some emotional connection. It is a shame that he died...unless he comes back like Gandalf did, or Obi-wan. Either or. Fantasy texts all have that formula [the wise mentor one, hero from humble beginnings, leaving home to fight some evil], and so I don't have a problem with the story because of that, it's just that you need to put originality behind such a formula and this story didn't do that.
I must also blame the film-makers for this film. However it might of been Eragon's author which caused all the trouble or the studio not giving enough funding. Well, it's someone's fault that this film didn't evoke any emotions AT ALL. Like that final battle, what exactly were they fighting for? If it was just themselves then make that a bit more obvious, show us what exactly they were going to lose. DON'T START THE BATTLE SUDDENLY. It was fighting, then some more, with fire and bad costumes that looked like plastic sometimes from the lighting. Peter Jackson was cool because he would show us the city like Minas Tirith that we didn't want to lose, or families being broken up because of war and that's what they were fighting for, or simply in Fellowship when they were fighting to remain together as companions at the end. SOMETHING HEART-FELT. None of that in Eragon, that's what made it a bad film for me.
This was from the same review as before:
"Here's a list of things I never again need to see in a movie:
You can maybe do those things if it is different. That sentence cancels out itself. So, yeah.
Finally, I find out after watching the film that it is part of a TRILOGY. Hence this is the first chapter in a larger epic (using the term loosely), somehow that gives the whole concept a glimmer of hope as it could redeem itself.
Good holiday fun.
Night at the Museum
Yes, fun comedy, needed it. Two reasons I liked it:
1) Ricky Gervais
2) Owen Wilson [cowboy] and Steve Coogan [Octavius] bantering hilariously and walking heroically at the end.
My favourite part was when Owen [the cowboy, v. important info] said to Octavius, "I'm not quitting you." LOL. Brokeback moment that only I laughed at in the cinema, definitely the children and parents DIDN'T GET IT. Like most of the other jokes in the film.
Larry: I'm trusting you guys, and if you don't do what I say you'll end up like your buddies in the Mayan world over there, locked up. Do they look happy?
[Shows a display with bars across it]
Jedadiah: [Shakes head] They look sad.
"They look sad." The way he said it.....SO FUNNY.
Marie Antoinette was released Boxing Day in Australia. And you better believe that I was there at the first session of the day.
Marie Antoinette
Oh Marie Antoinette. Oh Sofia Coppola. I like films like these. I read a reviewer complaining about Marie Antoinette not having enough dialogue in the film, so what, I prefer it that way. I don't think people should mind when a director wants to take a visual medium like 'film' further and rely more heavily on artistic and movement direction. This was indeed a beautiful film, and exactly what I expected. There was something haunting about it, a feature which usually resides in Sofia's films that adds to the film's sophistication. It wasn't a happy film even though I was laughing a lot through it. LOL, Louis XVI was portrayed like such a dag/loser, good entertainment.
Marie: So, I hear you make keys for a hobby?
Louis: Yes.
Marie: ...And do you enjoy making keys?
Louis: Obviously.
So here's what I'm thinking, since the film keeps somehow an unprominent sombre mood mixed with a sense of continuous unease, is it that what makes up for the lack of a guillotine scene? I must admit that I was really disappointed that their wasn't even a reference to that occuring, because it is Marie Antoinette's victimisation which made her an icon sooooooo where's the climatic point of that victimisation in the film. It's non-existant. Just trying to keep that PG rating I suppose. Also, a sequence of events leading to the guillotine could have made Dunst into a more serious, well received dramatic actress, as well as propelling her to Oscar buzz.
But, eh, not so much now.
Anyway apart from that YAY FOR THE LUSH VISUAL AND AURAL SPECTACLE!!! Did anyone else feel The Virgin Suicides vibes? With all that soft gliding through grassy fields and flower gazing...amongst all those shots with a "sunshine" focus it's pretty hard not to think of The Virgin Suicides. I loved it when Rose Byrne said, "Oooo, the chickens are out!" or something along those lines. Her character was the best, not prominent enough to steal the show but close enough! Rose Byrne always seems to do that in films!!!! Remember Troy? Nobody cared about Helen after that film, it was Rose Byrne.
Another thing that reviewers seem to be complaining about is the soundtrack. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE SOUNDTRACK?! Nothing. Nothing at all. One person was saying that it was all rock music, when I watched the film I thought at least half of it was classical style baroque music, which did surprisingly inter-twine [hoping that's a word] well with the contemporary music. I was reading another review and that person was complaining about how the rock music was just a hopeless attempt at making the film original. WELL YOU KNOW WHAT. It did make the film original, it created an energetic mood and evoked feelings which helped portray what was happening at the time for the characters in the film. That reviewer can also refer to the "Eragon" review for insight into those who don't make an attempt at originality.
I loved how Kirsten Dunst played Marie Antoinette, it was very naive yet amusing. The regular morning routine was only interesting each time because of her expressions. I think she played the inwardness well, the type of character that can't rely on dialogue. Furthermore, she got to be on set whilst those BRILLIANT costumes were being made on her. So, overall, I'm seeing it again. :D
HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!! If your city/home-town doesn't have fireworks my sympathies are with you.