hemmingsn Reviews

Chocolat (2000)

Do not deny yourself this pleasure

[10/10 · 14 January 2010]

-This film transports through the art of story telling.

-It takes you out of your situation and introduces you to a group of fascinating people.

-Each character either is beautiful or becomes beautiful.

Chocalat can be loved on the surface or somewhere more profound. The audience can choose the depth in which they wish to receive it. Little children may be entranced with the way chocolate looks when melted and stirred, whereas adults are entranced by the emotional impact of learning how to not deny one's self of the little pleasures in life (and also be captivated by melted chocolate!) Chocalat is grounded in emotional reality, but possess magical qualities breaching into the realms of a fairy tale.

An entire family can enjoy this one or you could simply watch it on your own.

I sometimes like to have the film on in the background while doing homework. Eventually I am immersed without fail.

DO NOT DENY YOURSELF THIS PLEASURE

I Capture the Castle (2003)

Read the book or not-an inspiring coming of age fairy tale

[9/10 · 13 January 2010]

This movie is ideal for the task of escapism, immersion, the transformation of one's mood.

The film has the perfect combination of giddy happiness and stabs of sadness. It achieves this because it forces the audience to CARE ABOUT THE CHARACTERS. A vital ingredient which film directors neglect all too often. Of course this compelling quality is thanks to the inspired writer Dodie Smith, but it takes a keenly in tuned director to animate a writer's vision on screen.

The cast was picked because the actors were SUITED TO THEIR CHARACTERS. Again a vital ingredient neglected all too often. I despise watching an insipid actress who has been chosen because she is pals with the director. Both Romola Garai and Rose Byrne not only suited Cassandra and Rose, but also suited being sisters. The chemistry between all characters in this movie was believable, from Cassy desperately longing for Simon to view her as more than a silly child to her dealing with growing jealousy of her beautiful sister.

If one is ever homesick for england as Dodie Smith was when she wrote the novel, this is the movie to turn to for refuge. It transports the viewer to scenes that could only be England. Green meadows, crumbling castles with damp walls, the need to wear wool en socks in bed, the excitement of venturing into London.

A fascinating look at the age seventeen where one feels like they are forty, but are treated as if twelve and are being told that the passion they are feeling is mere fantasy.

Nine (2009)

Just the mere shadow of the masterpiece Chicago

[2/10 · 13 January 2010]

Although I've adored Chicago with a faithful passion since it hit the screens when I was nine years old, I did not enter Nine with high expectations. Neither did I enter with low expectations. I was susceptible for whatever this movie with much excited anticipation was going to throw at me. (what was thrown was abominable). I felt utterly repelled by this film and was itching in my seat to leave the wanna be cutting edge experience.

Yes, I can appreciate the magnificent costumes and choreography (which is why I haven't rated the film lower), but this was not enough to fill the empty void that is 'Nine'.

The largest downfall of the film was not the actors or the director. It was the CONTENT. The songs in Chicago developed the plot and added layers to the characters, whereas the songs in Nine felt like pointless fill-ins which gave each of the actors their moment in the lime light. THERE IS A REASON EVERYONE HAS HEARD OF CHICAGO. Nine was never as big of a success as Chicago was on Broadway and the reason is it is no where near as inspiring. The only song which engaged me in Nine was 'My Husband Makes Movies',sung by Marion Cotillard.

The actors captured outlines of character; caricatures, but once again they were limited with their given material. I didn't care what happened to these people I was being bombarded with. Penelope Cruz' melodramatic attempts of suicide and Daniel Day Lewis' writer's block made the movie a strenuous effort rather than an immersion of compelling conflict of intricate characterizations.

This leads me on to my annoyance with being attacked with celebrity's names. On paper it looks like quite a cast and the perfect concoction to make money at the box office. For me it was an obstruction. I saw a bunch of actors trying to prove they weren't one trick ponies.

Chicago was exciting. The director's techniques were welcomed with opened arm. The director used THE SAME TECHNIQUES IN NINE. Nine made me wish I was watching Chicago instead. The story is better and so is the music! This movie cannot stand on its popular label of 'beauty' alone I'm afraid.