The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Directed by: Julian Schnabel
Written by: Ronald Harwood
Based on the novel of the same name by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Starring: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze, Anne Consigny, Max von Sydow, Olatz López Garmendia, and Patrick Chesnais
Review by Jennie Brouse
Synopsis: When successful, rich magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby (also known as Jean-Do) has a massive stroke at 42 years of age, he has the terrible misfortune of getting locked-in syndrome, a syndrome that leaves its victims paralyzed from head to toe.
Review: To begin, I'd like to say that this was a beautiful story. All the camera work by Janusz Kaminski is wonderful. For a good part of the movie, we are seeing the world through Jean-Do's eyes, beginning when he wakes up in the hospital and two different doctors tell him two totally different versions of his condition. While one tells him that he'll be fine and that his speech will come back, the other tells him the the disheartening truth: he's paralyzed from head to toe and is not able to speak. To make matters worse, his right eye has to be sewn up because it's septic and is in danger of infection. At first, the viewer feels absolutely devastated for Jean-Do, and he feels immense pity for himself. Again, the camera work and effects are absolutely divine.
Fortunately, Jean-Do has people there who want to work with him to better his situation. One of his nurses who is hired to help him with his speech comes up with a method of speaking for Jean-Do, where he has to blink his left eye to convey messages to people. The nurse reads Jean-Do a chart of all of the letters in the alphabet (beginning with the most common letter) and he has to blink when the correct letter is said. This happens over and over until Jean-Do's conveyed message is told. I don't know if it's just me, but this method of communication is absolutely incredible. Before this movie, I'd never heard of anything like it. Although it would be extremely difficult to only be able to communicate with others through your left eye, it's comforting to know that it's possible.
In addition to showing Jean-Do's life in the hospital, there are scenes from his life before the stroke, such as when he goes to a photoshoot and the viewer can see his glamorous life as Elle magazine editor, when he goes to visit his ex-wife and his three children, and a scene where he gives his father a shave and they discuss Jean-Do's future endeavors in life. These scenes are also particularly devastating, maybe even more so than the scenes of Jean-Do in the hospital. They are devastating because the viewer gets a glimpse into the life Jean-Do had before his stroke, all the possibilities and opportunities he could've had or taken before his ultimate fate.
Although the viewer may believe that the hospital scenes would be boring and just plain depressing to watch, they are actually quite interesting. These scenes serve to show how Jean-Do handles his new life and the difficulties he has to go through just to live with a paralyzed body. Although this sounds really depressing, it's actually really uplifting. Even with his condition, Jean-Do ends up writing a book about his experience.
In addition to the excellent camera work and plot, the soundtrack was superb. I practically jumped for joy upon realizing they used the instrumentals from The Velvet Underground's "Pale Blue Eyes." I also enjoyed all of the beautiful French music.
I was also impressed by the performances of the actors, especially Jean-Do (played by Mathieu Amalric), and his ex-wife (played by Emmanuelle Seigner), as well as the doctor (played by Patrick Chesnais) who tells Jean-Do the dire situation of his condition. I also have to give immense kudos to the actors for being able act so well while looking directly at the camera (so the audience is seeing through Jean-Do's eyes).
Overall, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is an absolutely beautiful, inspiring film. It's one of the best of the decade.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Upcoming Review: Most likely Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Review of "Blue Valentine"
Blue Valentine (2010)
Directed by Derek Cianfrance
Written by Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne, and Joey Curtis
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams
Review by Jennie Brouse
Synopsis: The story follows young lovers Dean and Cindy, from their first meetings and falling in love, all the way up to their failing marriage.
Review: I have to begin by saying that this is one of the most realistic portrayals of a relationship that I've ever seen on film. Dean and Cindy's love unfolds as expected in the beginning (it's new, so the two people are so infatuated with each other), but rather than making it a silly, predictable romance, Cianfrance does something great here (in our world of silly romantic comedies, this could maybe even be profound), he decides to show Dean and Cindy's relationship in a way that is actually realistic to what happens to couples in the real world. They get annoyed with each other, they get sick of each other, they try to get back together. Numerous attempts are made to reconcile their relationship. The ups and downs the two go through will probably make couples in the audience feel like they could be watching themselves on screen at times. Although all relationships have their own problems, most couples will be able to relate at least somewhat to Dean and Cindy.
The performances from Williams and Gosling are also near-perfect. I honestly cannot understand why Gosling wasn't nominated for an Oscar. His portrayal of Dean, both young and old Dean, is absolutely fantastic. From his crying at the table when he is dealing with the death of their dog, to when he and Cindy are fighting at her job and he actually gets really angry, I believed every minute. Williams was also great; she was entirely believable as a confused wife and mother, whose not completely sure what she's supposed to be doing with her life.
For me, this was one of the best movies of the year. I'm not sure why it didn't get an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Every scene was realistic, poignant, and just plain beautiful. The story also stays fresh with the nontraditional way it is told, the first scene being the current state of their relationship and flashing backwards, and then flashing forward again. Telling their story in a random order illustrates to the audience the rise and fall of their relationship in a new way.
Although I've recommended most of the movies that I've reviewed recently, I'm adamant about this one. Please, please, please go see "Blue Valentine." It's wonderful. I've never seen anything quite like it.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Directed by Derek Cianfrance
Written by Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne, and Joey Curtis
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams
Review by Jennie Brouse
Synopsis: The story follows young lovers Dean and Cindy, from their first meetings and falling in love, all the way up to their failing marriage.
Review: I have to begin by saying that this is one of the most realistic portrayals of a relationship that I've ever seen on film. Dean and Cindy's love unfolds as expected in the beginning (it's new, so the two people are so infatuated with each other), but rather than making it a silly, predictable romance, Cianfrance does something great here (in our world of silly romantic comedies, this could maybe even be profound), he decides to show Dean and Cindy's relationship in a way that is actually realistic to what happens to couples in the real world. They get annoyed with each other, they get sick of each other, they try to get back together. Numerous attempts are made to reconcile their relationship. The ups and downs the two go through will probably make couples in the audience feel like they could be watching themselves on screen at times. Although all relationships have their own problems, most couples will be able to relate at least somewhat to Dean and Cindy.
The performances from Williams and Gosling are also near-perfect. I honestly cannot understand why Gosling wasn't nominated for an Oscar. His portrayal of Dean, both young and old Dean, is absolutely fantastic. From his crying at the table when he is dealing with the death of their dog, to when he and Cindy are fighting at her job and he actually gets really angry, I believed every minute. Williams was also great; she was entirely believable as a confused wife and mother, whose not completely sure what she's supposed to be doing with her life.
For me, this was one of the best movies of the year. I'm not sure why it didn't get an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Every scene was realistic, poignant, and just plain beautiful. The story also stays fresh with the nontraditional way it is told, the first scene being the current state of their relationship and flashing backwards, and then flashing forward again. Telling their story in a random order illustrates to the audience the rise and fall of their relationship in a new way.
Although I've recommended most of the movies that I've reviewed recently, I'm adamant about this one. Please, please, please go see "Blue Valentine." It's wonderful. I've never seen anything quite like it.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
"It's Kind Of A Funny Story" Review
It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010)
Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Written by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Based on the novel "It's Kind Of A Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
Starring: Keir Gilchrist, Emma Roberts, Zach Galifianiakis
Review by Jennie Brouse
Synopsis: When the pressure of grades, girls, and the world in general becomes too much for 16-year-old Craig to handle, he decides to check himself into a mental ward, where he meets a mentor of sorts and a girl who understands him.
Review: While the synopsis makes the film sound kind of boring, it's exactly the opposite. The story of Craig's process from feeling like he's going to die to him wanting to just get out in the world and live, is completely interesting, uplifting, and enjoyable to watch for anyone, but especially teenagers, who will have a tendency to relate to Craig.
The colorful characters Craig meets in the mental ward also bring that extra special pop to the movie, specifically Bobby (Zach Galifianakis), and Noelle (Emma Roberts). As usual, Galifianakis is hilarious in that way only he can be, with his bizarre-but-super-funny one-liners ("I smell like a hobo's bandaid"). But he's not only there for comedic relief, he is also very serious at times, and even brings some dark undertones to the film. Emma Robert is also impressive as Noelle, a girl who baffles while at the same time intrigues Craig. Newcomer Keir Gilchrist who plays Craig is also impressive. For a relatively new actor, I can tell he knows what he's doing. For me, the three main actors' performances made the characters really likeable.
The screenplay from Boden and Fleck was also well-done. Although I haven't fully read Vizzini's book, and cannot say if it was a good adaptation of that, I think the writing was humorous and witty. Even while in serious situations, there were some hilarious parts that I have to give credit to the writers for coming up with.
As well as the acting and writing, the soundtrack was superb. I loved the placement of White Hinterland's "Icarus," as well as the XX's "Intro."
If you'd like to see a good, uplifting movie, or if you're a fan of Ned Vizzini's novel, I'd say check this out!
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Written by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Based on the novel "It's Kind Of A Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
Starring: Keir Gilchrist, Emma Roberts, Zach Galifianiakis
Review by Jennie Brouse
Synopsis: When the pressure of grades, girls, and the world in general becomes too much for 16-year-old Craig to handle, he decides to check himself into a mental ward, where he meets a mentor of sorts and a girl who understands him.
Review: While the synopsis makes the film sound kind of boring, it's exactly the opposite. The story of Craig's process from feeling like he's going to die to him wanting to just get out in the world and live, is completely interesting, uplifting, and enjoyable to watch for anyone, but especially teenagers, who will have a tendency to relate to Craig.
The colorful characters Craig meets in the mental ward also bring that extra special pop to the movie, specifically Bobby (Zach Galifianakis), and Noelle (Emma Roberts). As usual, Galifianakis is hilarious in that way only he can be, with his bizarre-but-super-funny one-liners ("I smell like a hobo's bandaid"). But he's not only there for comedic relief, he is also very serious at times, and even brings some dark undertones to the film. Emma Robert is also impressive as Noelle, a girl who baffles while at the same time intrigues Craig. Newcomer Keir Gilchrist who plays Craig is also impressive. For a relatively new actor, I can tell he knows what he's doing. For me, the three main actors' performances made the characters really likeable.
The screenplay from Boden and Fleck was also well-done. Although I haven't fully read Vizzini's book, and cannot say if it was a good adaptation of that, I think the writing was humorous and witty. Even while in serious situations, there were some hilarious parts that I have to give credit to the writers for coming up with.
As well as the acting and writing, the soundtrack was superb. I loved the placement of White Hinterland's "Icarus," as well as the XX's "Intro."
If you'd like to see a good, uplifting movie, or if you're a fan of Ned Vizzini's novel, I'd say check this out!
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)