MattBrady099
Joined Jun 2012
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LIFF30 2016 #5
"Daisy."
So I just saw "2001" at a film festival and it was kinda incredible. Why do I feel like I just ticked off my bucket list of things to die before you die. I've been waiting a long time to watch this on the big screen. I already seen the movie about 3 or 4 years ago, but my memory of the film isn't that strong. So when I was picking what movies I wanted to see at (LIFF), and this was on the list, as the festival also shows classic movies.
Re-watching this movie was quite the experience. Nothing like a massive screen and loud speakers blasting off beautiful music while drifting in space. From the dawn of man till the end of human life. The cycle repeats.
But seriously, what can I honestly say about "2001" that hasn't been said already. It's one of the greatest Sci-Fi films of all time. It's groundbreaking and pure genius. Even at the slower pace parts, I was still engaged. After it was over, I was contemplating on it.
For a 1968 film, it's visual effects still hold up today and looks way more convincing than today. Well, there was a couple of effects that was noticeable, but the rest (which is mostly practical) still looks amazing. The "Star Gate" sequence is one example of a trippy and a breathtaking effect that it owned Kubrick an Oscar.
Every shot in this movie is like something you would hang up on your wall. Kubrick has been known for being a perfectionist of his work. This is a work of an artist that doesn't just get praised for how much he dose, but how little. Three years of making this - you can get easily attached to your work that after awhile you find the hidden beauty of the story. Do it 40 or 127 times until you get what you want and exactly how you wanted. A similar method that Chaplin use for "City Lights". But it isn't just images that kept me attention and I don't think Stanley was intending on that. There's plenty of scenes that goes on forever, not for spectacle, but more of use to inhabit everything that's going on.
It also helps that music in this is so beautiful, but very eerie at the right moments. I can take the monolith on the moon scene as a great example of the bone chilling music. It may be scary for some, because of "Requiem for Soprano" playing in the background, but I kinda see like this:
Man discovers a 4 million year old structure buried under the surface of the moon. Perfect angles and a disturbingly flawless complexion. imagine if this event actually occurred in reality and you were sitting in front of your TV when a breaking news bulletin interrupts your program. Just imagine the weight of the emotions you feel. There is no explanation for how this structure could even exist. its impossible! It will be the most reality-shattering event in the history of the world.
It's one of my favorite scenes of all time, because the scene alone perfectly captures that feeling. No explanation. No answers. No reason.
Overall: Films like "Space Odyssey" is why I love movies. Extraordinary and beautiful work of art. "2001" isn't just a classic for it's effects or the show stealer Hal9000, but how it wants to inspire and enlarge us. A space voyage that evokes questions and kept the audience in awe for 48 years.
"Daisy."
So I just saw "2001" at a film festival and it was kinda incredible. Why do I feel like I just ticked off my bucket list of things to die before you die. I've been waiting a long time to watch this on the big screen. I already seen the movie about 3 or 4 years ago, but my memory of the film isn't that strong. So when I was picking what movies I wanted to see at (LIFF), and this was on the list, as the festival also shows classic movies.
Re-watching this movie was quite the experience. Nothing like a massive screen and loud speakers blasting off beautiful music while drifting in space. From the dawn of man till the end of human life. The cycle repeats.
But seriously, what can I honestly say about "2001" that hasn't been said already. It's one of the greatest Sci-Fi films of all time. It's groundbreaking and pure genius. Even at the slower pace parts, I was still engaged. After it was over, I was contemplating on it.
For a 1968 film, it's visual effects still hold up today and looks way more convincing than today. Well, there was a couple of effects that was noticeable, but the rest (which is mostly practical) still looks amazing. The "Star Gate" sequence is one example of a trippy and a breathtaking effect that it owned Kubrick an Oscar.
Every shot in this movie is like something you would hang up on your wall. Kubrick has been known for being a perfectionist of his work. This is a work of an artist that doesn't just get praised for how much he dose, but how little. Three years of making this - you can get easily attached to your work that after awhile you find the hidden beauty of the story. Do it 40 or 127 times until you get what you want and exactly how you wanted. A similar method that Chaplin use for "City Lights". But it isn't just images that kept me attention and I don't think Stanley was intending on that. There's plenty of scenes that goes on forever, not for spectacle, but more of use to inhabit everything that's going on.
It also helps that music in this is so beautiful, but very eerie at the right moments. I can take the monolith on the moon scene as a great example of the bone chilling music. It may be scary for some, because of "Requiem for Soprano" playing in the background, but I kinda see like this:
Man discovers a 4 million year old structure buried under the surface of the moon. Perfect angles and a disturbingly flawless complexion. imagine if this event actually occurred in reality and you were sitting in front of your TV when a breaking news bulletin interrupts your program. Just imagine the weight of the emotions you feel. There is no explanation for how this structure could even exist. its impossible! It will be the most reality-shattering event in the history of the world.
It's one of my favorite scenes of all time, because the scene alone perfectly captures that feeling. No explanation. No answers. No reason.
Overall: Films like "Space Odyssey" is why I love movies. Extraordinary and beautiful work of art. "2001" isn't just a classic for it's effects or the show stealer Hal9000, but how it wants to inspire and enlarge us. A space voyage that evokes questions and kept the audience in awe for 48 years.
LIFF30 2016 #4
People told me this was amazing. Actually a lot of people. But wow, nobody warned me this was going to be emotionally striking. Praising this movie for being powerful is just an understatement.
Moonlight is one of best character study movies I've seen this year. The directing, the writing, score, and especially the acting is what this movie so freaking brilliant.
Director Barry Jenkins shot this movie in a very different and unique way. And I say "unique" as how this movie was filmed in a shallow depth that made the whole thing pretty intriguing. I wouldn't say he's directing is complete perfectionist, as there's plenty of room for improvement. Even if you don't like the choices he picked for a scene, but keep in mind that this doesn't equal bad directing. Lets not go that far. You can see that there's talent and he got a lot out of fantastic performances from all the actors.
Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes all did a phenomenal job playing Chiron (the main character). Each of the actors builds on their character that the previous actor did. Despite the changes and the transformation, not once did you see a different person. There was never a moment where I didn't believe in a actor was giving a 100% their all or wasn't invested in the role. In my "A Monster Calls" review I said how great child actors are very rare in big budget movies, but not in indie. Several kid and teenage actors were all pretty fantastic in this, which is quite the accomplishment.
Naomie Harris and Mahershala Ali were both outstanding in this movie. It's one of performances I've seen from them. Even through their screen time is shot as Hopkins was in "Silence of the Limbs". And that's kinda impressive. Both manages to give anything in a small matter of time. It's really mind blowing and a real challenge.
But what really surprised me the most was Nicolas Battelle beautiful violin score. Why this took me by surprise is because who's expecting a score like that from a movie that takes place in a gangster ghetto setting. This movie is more of a personal film of are main characters experience than anything else. So music like this fits perfectly and I'm glad it didn't go for a terrible R&B song for once.
The writing is just top-notch and if you're an inspired writer, you should take notes from this. This is how you write great characters. Nothing cartoonist or anything that's one-dimensional. All the character's feel fleshed out and so natural to the point I forgot it was acting. And the best thing I can say about the film is that isn't predicable. I honestly didn't know where the story was going.
When I called this a "character study film", that's because of the arks the main character goes through that leads to the next scene. It starts off with Chiron as a shy child living in a crime ridden neighborhood in Miami with his crack addict mother. This leads to him meeting Juan (Mahershala Ali), which leads to him taking a lot from him (appearance wise) when an adult. Him being bulled at school leads to him being buffed, strong, and confident so none can pick on him ever again. But at the same time, he's hiding himself even more by being something that he's not. He acts gangster and talks in a American slang that I bet he doesn't fully understand. You can say different arguments to this, but how I see it, he's just getting better at hiding of who he really is. It's are journey through life that defines us as human beings. Same goes to the rest of the characters. I don't know about you, but that's pretty upsetting.
You know, for awhile I was pretty close of giving "Moonlight" the perfect rating that I never thought would happen. But what stopped me is the little flaws. Some of the editing choices didn't really hit at times and lucky it didn't happen too often. I also notice some sound errors in a few parts, but it's only tiny.
Overall rating: "Moonlight" is an original film that stays away from following a predicable path. I thought this was absolutely mesmerizing and was quite the experience that I didn't expect.
People told me this was amazing. Actually a lot of people. But wow, nobody warned me this was going to be emotionally striking. Praising this movie for being powerful is just an understatement.
Moonlight is one of best character study movies I've seen this year. The directing, the writing, score, and especially the acting is what this movie so freaking brilliant.
Director Barry Jenkins shot this movie in a very different and unique way. And I say "unique" as how this movie was filmed in a shallow depth that made the whole thing pretty intriguing. I wouldn't say he's directing is complete perfectionist, as there's plenty of room for improvement. Even if you don't like the choices he picked for a scene, but keep in mind that this doesn't equal bad directing. Lets not go that far. You can see that there's talent and he got a lot out of fantastic performances from all the actors.
Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes all did a phenomenal job playing Chiron (the main character). Each of the actors builds on their character that the previous actor did. Despite the changes and the transformation, not once did you see a different person. There was never a moment where I didn't believe in a actor was giving a 100% their all or wasn't invested in the role. In my "A Monster Calls" review I said how great child actors are very rare in big budget movies, but not in indie. Several kid and teenage actors were all pretty fantastic in this, which is quite the accomplishment.
Naomie Harris and Mahershala Ali were both outstanding in this movie. It's one of performances I've seen from them. Even through their screen time is shot as Hopkins was in "Silence of the Limbs". And that's kinda impressive. Both manages to give anything in a small matter of time. It's really mind blowing and a real challenge.
But what really surprised me the most was Nicolas Battelle beautiful violin score. Why this took me by surprise is because who's expecting a score like that from a movie that takes place in a gangster ghetto setting. This movie is more of a personal film of are main characters experience than anything else. So music like this fits perfectly and I'm glad it didn't go for a terrible R&B song for once.
The writing is just top-notch and if you're an inspired writer, you should take notes from this. This is how you write great characters. Nothing cartoonist or anything that's one-dimensional. All the character's feel fleshed out and so natural to the point I forgot it was acting. And the best thing I can say about the film is that isn't predicable. I honestly didn't know where the story was going.
When I called this a "character study film", that's because of the arks the main character goes through that leads to the next scene. It starts off with Chiron as a shy child living in a crime ridden neighborhood in Miami with his crack addict mother. This leads to him meeting Juan (Mahershala Ali), which leads to him taking a lot from him (appearance wise) when an adult. Him being bulled at school leads to him being buffed, strong, and confident so none can pick on him ever again. But at the same time, he's hiding himself even more by being something that he's not. He acts gangster and talks in a American slang that I bet he doesn't fully understand. You can say different arguments to this, but how I see it, he's just getting better at hiding of who he really is. It's are journey through life that defines us as human beings. Same goes to the rest of the characters. I don't know about you, but that's pretty upsetting.
You know, for awhile I was pretty close of giving "Moonlight" the perfect rating that I never thought would happen. But what stopped me is the little flaws. Some of the editing choices didn't really hit at times and lucky it didn't happen too often. I also notice some sound errors in a few parts, but it's only tiny.
Overall rating: "Moonlight" is an original film that stays away from following a predicable path. I thought this was absolutely mesmerizing and was quite the experience that I didn't expect.
LIFF30 2016 #3
"In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons".
Hacksaw Ridge may seem like another Oscar bait "true story" biopic that we get every couple of years. The trailers didn't help at all, as it made the film look corny and very award bait. But guys trust on this, it's nothing like that. There's nothing glamorous about this. When it was over, I left was speechless. This is such a great movie.
Say what you want about Mel Gibson controversial past and behavior, but I think we must judge the art, not the artist. This guy is an excellent director and a great actor. And you have no idea how glad I am seeing Mel back, as he is the most talented man in Hollywood right now. The most impressive part of Mel's directing in this movie (besides the battle scenes), is he's decision of an old version approach to the film making. The movie literally looks and feels like it was made around the 50's. Also how Gibson would let actors deliver the emotion of what their feeling and it could meant a lot of things that isn't just terrified. It could be happy, regret, or just thinking of home. And I got all of that.
Andrew Garfield is an actor that's been non-stop blowing me away recently. And he gives one hell of performance as Desmond Doss. I would say it's one of his best since "The Social Network". Even in the battle scenes I thought he was brilliant, as he had this scared, tired, but brave look to him. He's accent in the film I thought worked pretty well and wasn't distracting like I thought it would. The chemistry between Garfield and Teresa Palmer was so charming and sweet that it didn't came of too corny.
Hugo Weaving plays Desmond father in the movie and he was outstanding. Such a powerful and emotional heavy performance. Weaving is the type of actor that deserves so much respect. I mean, we all know him as Agent Smith, V, Megatron, Elrond, and Red Skull. But for him to give a small supporting performance as the alcoholic father who's dealing with conflicted within was quite moving.
Vince Vaughn was so good in this movie that I wish he would come back for dramatic roles, as I really did brought his performance in this. The comedic one lines were pure gold and it was very "Full Metal Jacket". But he isn't like that the whole movie. When he's serious in the movie, it actually works and doesn't feel out of place for the rest of the tone.
Now the battle scenes in the movie...wow, it's pretty rough and disturbing. It's right up there with "Saving Private Ryan" for graphic and shocking depictions. What I always love in these type of War films is the loud sound, actors, and the camera work, which this movie nails at. I've heard some people say that the movie glorify's it's violence despite the theme of the movie being against violence. I honestly think these people have really missed the point here. All the battle scenes are depicted more as this horrible event than a flawless victory.
After the movie was over, everyone in the cinema started clapping. The last time that happened was when in saw "Up" back in 2009. While I never saw the point of clapping or booing at a movie, but for this occasion, I'll let it Slide. The ending was a very nice touch and pretty heartfelt to honor the soldiers that fought in the war. It was deserved.
I haven't got a lot of issues with the movie. But if had to pick, I would probably say that Sam Worthington Australia accent kept slipping in and out in a few scenes. And don't get me wrong, Worthington isn't bad in the movie, but he was pretty good. The same can go to some of cast (as most of them are Australia), but I can easily look past it as the actual performances were all great.
Overall rating: "Hacksaw Ridge" is not perfect, but it positives really do weigh out it's flaws. It's the best War movie I've seen in awhile in terms of it's execution and pay off.
"In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons".
Hacksaw Ridge may seem like another Oscar bait "true story" biopic that we get every couple of years. The trailers didn't help at all, as it made the film look corny and very award bait. But guys trust on this, it's nothing like that. There's nothing glamorous about this. When it was over, I left was speechless. This is such a great movie.
Say what you want about Mel Gibson controversial past and behavior, but I think we must judge the art, not the artist. This guy is an excellent director and a great actor. And you have no idea how glad I am seeing Mel back, as he is the most talented man in Hollywood right now. The most impressive part of Mel's directing in this movie (besides the battle scenes), is he's decision of an old version approach to the film making. The movie literally looks and feels like it was made around the 50's. Also how Gibson would let actors deliver the emotion of what their feeling and it could meant a lot of things that isn't just terrified. It could be happy, regret, or just thinking of home. And I got all of that.
Andrew Garfield is an actor that's been non-stop blowing me away recently. And he gives one hell of performance as Desmond Doss. I would say it's one of his best since "The Social Network". Even in the battle scenes I thought he was brilliant, as he had this scared, tired, but brave look to him. He's accent in the film I thought worked pretty well and wasn't distracting like I thought it would. The chemistry between Garfield and Teresa Palmer was so charming and sweet that it didn't came of too corny.
Hugo Weaving plays Desmond father in the movie and he was outstanding. Such a powerful and emotional heavy performance. Weaving is the type of actor that deserves so much respect. I mean, we all know him as Agent Smith, V, Megatron, Elrond, and Red Skull. But for him to give a small supporting performance as the alcoholic father who's dealing with conflicted within was quite moving.
Vince Vaughn was so good in this movie that I wish he would come back for dramatic roles, as I really did brought his performance in this. The comedic one lines were pure gold and it was very "Full Metal Jacket". But he isn't like that the whole movie. When he's serious in the movie, it actually works and doesn't feel out of place for the rest of the tone.
Now the battle scenes in the movie...wow, it's pretty rough and disturbing. It's right up there with "Saving Private Ryan" for graphic and shocking depictions. What I always love in these type of War films is the loud sound, actors, and the camera work, which this movie nails at. I've heard some people say that the movie glorify's it's violence despite the theme of the movie being against violence. I honestly think these people have really missed the point here. All the battle scenes are depicted more as this horrible event than a flawless victory.
After the movie was over, everyone in the cinema started clapping. The last time that happened was when in saw "Up" back in 2009. While I never saw the point of clapping or booing at a movie, but for this occasion, I'll let it Slide. The ending was a very nice touch and pretty heartfelt to honor the soldiers that fought in the war. It was deserved.
I haven't got a lot of issues with the movie. But if had to pick, I would probably say that Sam Worthington Australia accent kept slipping in and out in a few scenes. And don't get me wrong, Worthington isn't bad in the movie, but he was pretty good. The same can go to some of cast (as most of them are Australia), but I can easily look past it as the actual performances were all great.
Overall rating: "Hacksaw Ridge" is not perfect, but it positives really do weigh out it's flaws. It's the best War movie I've seen in awhile in terms of it's execution and pay off.