uoi_chick Reviews

Morvern Callar (2002)

Morvern Callar is an excellent modern-day psychodrama.

[12 May 2003]

Morvern Callar is a modern-day psychodrama that is about a girl, Morvern Callar who, on Christmas Eve, wakes up to find her boyfriend dead, wrists slashed, in the kitchen of their apartment. Shedding her tears over a suicide letter that she found on the computer, Morvern finds that her lover has left behind his unpublished novel, with his last wish being that she tries to find a publisher and sell it. For the 21-year-old who is a supermarket clerk, finds her decision very difficult but decides to place her own name on the manuscript, and uses the funeral money to travel to Spain with her good friend. She takes off to try and deal with the hard events that have changed her life forever. This movie would seem to be a story of a women's mourning period but instead it delivers the tale of a women's life after her loved one has been taken away. The film uses the environment and silent atmosphere to help connect the journey in the movie with the minimum wage slave to a well off free women. The use of this helps emotionally grab the audience and draw them into Morvern's emotional life, because in the movie emotion is what Morvern needs and the director is trying to pull the feeling in throughout the movie and relate the connections. The film uses little dialogue and mostly uses silent moments of thinking and gazing that somehow makes the movie flow wonderfully and keeps the emotional attachment present. One twist in the movie that to some people may feel is a little gory, is when Morvern places headphones on her head and decides to cut up her own husband into pieces and abandon her good friend in Spain. This movie is an excellent portrayal of odd behaviors that most would not expect this heartbroken woman to do. The cinematography of this film was outstanding, and the lighting was excellent. This movie displays a soft, relaxing vibe that keeps the movie flowing until the end.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

The Royal Tenebaum's is a well written film directed by Wes Anderson.

[8 May 2003]

The Royal Tenenbaum's is a well written film directed by Wes Anderson. It is a story about a typical dysfunctional family: the main difference being that this family is compromised of out of the ordinary geniuses. The head of the family is Royal Tenenbaum. Away from his wife and children he makes a bid to make amends while his children coincidentally return home form a break from the mental anguish of being geniuses. Trying to win there love back he comes back into their lives and attempts to reach his goal by stating that he is dying from cancer. There is a scene in the movie where Luke is listening to an old Rolling Stones record on his player while he is also having an intense conversation with his adapted sister. At the start of the scene, Luke drops the needle into the groove and starts a sweet song. Luke and his sister share their feelings for each other and it is decided that she cannot return the love that he has for her, she feels that it has to be a secret. After the situation is final she leaves and Luke's heart is broken. This is just one example of the great stuff that `The Royal Tenebaum's' has to offer. Each character is different from each other. One is a distant mother, another is a troubled business genius, then you have a artist who is free spirited, a tennis champion and the want to be next door neighbor. This is very obvious a character driven movie that will make you question and laugh. Beside the characters mentioned above there are a few remaining weird ones as well. This movie is brought together by the help of a brilliant cast and a great director. Its worth seeing twice.

Monsoon Wedding (2001)

Monsson Wedding directed by Mira Nair was a great film.

[8 May 2003]

Monsoon Wedding directed by Mira Nair is a film about an India family marriage. This film is one of the most effective examples of an India family ever put on screen. It displays events ranging form delightful to serious and appalling situations. The two families are about to collide when Aditi is promised to marry Hemant. The young couple meets for the first time properly at their own engagement party and they are left with only a few days to get to know each other before there big wedding. This movie, taking place where the Indians speak both English and Hindi captures much excitement and energy as we get to know the whole extended family. Family members form both sides have traveled from both America and Australia to join in wit he celebration. Aditi's mother and father have a lot to do and their family and friends make it to be more complicated then it actually is. Aditi's father is excited about the wedding and you see him throughout the movie very frustrated and nervous trying to get everything ordered and perfectly arrange for his daughters wedding. The biggest problem is Aditi is currently having an affair with a married co-worker that sends a twist right before the wedding. The four-day arrangements and celebrations help show some of the Indian wedding traditions. You see family parties, drama, lot's of music and dancing and a new romance for Dubey the wedding planner and the household maid, Alice.

The great filmmaking and the use of hand held captures camera scenes is an important setting in the movie. The hand- held camera movements give the movie a sense of a more documentary style film. With frequent arm limbs in the shootings you are able to capture a better sense of this. The use of combining the traditional American family style marriage with the traditional Indian style marriage gives this movie style by playing around with these differences and letting the audience see the differences. In the movie Dubey starts putting up a white tent to display a more American traditional wedding but to the Indian dad white is meant for a funeral and he demands a color tent consisting of reds and oranges.

With combinations of warmth and laughter, music and dance, romance and serious problems, Director Mira Nair has made this movie a family entertainment.

American Pie (1999)

AMerican Pie is a hilarious teen genre movie that you have to see.

[8 May 2003]

Besides `South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut' and `Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, `American Pie' has been identified as one of the most highly anticipated films of the post- summer movie-going season. `American Pie' is a teenage sex comedy, following the sexual misadventures of some well-scrubbed high-schoolers. This movie focuses on the story of four high school virgins who are more than determined to have sex before graduating from high school. Jim one of the main characters in the movie is a clumsy guy who seems to be able to mess up every opportunity to hook up with a lady. Along with this he has been caught by his father in embarrassing situations throughout the film. His best friends also are trying to score with the ladies but seem to be back at base one as well. Unlike clam, sweet, teen comedies such as: `She's All That' and `Never Been Kissed,' `American Pie' stays away from the clean cut look right from the opening scene in which Jim gets caught in one of those embarrassing moments by his father. With a number of gross-out comedic sequences and Jim's father Frank discussing the how's and what's of sex, this film appeals to one of the comedies of last summer, `There's Something About Mary' and over takes it with the `apple pie scene,' the `beer scene,' and the extra activities of a school band geek who gets up close and personal with her flute. Since the beginning of this year, `American Pie' has been hyped as the next big thing, a film that would ever change the teen comedy genre.

Wings of Desire (1987)

Wings of Desire is a film that tries to make you feel like you are a part of it..

[8 May 2003]

Wings of Desire is a film that tries to make you feel like you are a part of it; trying to make you feel like you are one of the two angels in the film. What makes this movie unique is that the angels present in the movie are not your ordinary guardian angels but angels that are brought to Earth to look after human beings. In Wim Wender's film, the angels are invisible walking through the divided city of Berlin. Standing above the world on tall buildings, statues, or trying to comfort victims in trouble, they compare notes while they watch and listen to the people around them. The film presents a mood of meditation and loneliness as we see the patients of two angels: Damiel and Cassiel fighting to realize what it is like to only be able to see everything but not able to participate in the events. They listen to worried parents, victims of the past, passengers on trains, and frequent walkers. They were in Berlin back when the wall divided it; they have been there before Hitler and were able to witness World War II.

This is a slow moving film, which has no plot but keeps you involved in its twisted turns and unknown facts. Right when you think nothing will happen, the movie takes a turn and angel Damiel decides that he wants to be human. Falling in love with a trapeze artist he goes ever night to a circus where she performs in the center ring. Damiel and the other angel Cassiel discuss how it would be to be able to feel things that humans feel, being able to get dirt on your hands and being able to peruse in life. Children are often times able to see the angels but the adults have that loss. The angels cannot directly affect their lives but they try to learn new things as the days go on. The colors in this movie are important. This movie is in black and white during over half of the movie. This is significant because to the angels, the world is a black world that they have watched everything about but know nothing. And after love strikes and Damiel becomes human the movie appears in color. It represents the humans and the happiness of Damiel. He finally can experience pain and joy and he has a chance to win Marion's heart.

Annie Hall (1977)

Woody Allen co-wrote, directed, and stars in this award-winning film as a Brooklyn comedian.

[8 May 2003]

Woody Allen co-wrote, directed, and stars in this award- winning film as a Brooklyn comedian. The film marked a transition from his earlier comedies to a richer vein of thoughtful consideration of relationships. The gentle narrative revolutionized the urban romantic- comedy genre and the significant part to this movie is that it is the first time Allen has written adult characters. Woody Allen's breakthrough comedy is a constant joy to watch. Allen plays Alvy Singer, a New York-centric comedian who cannot get any pleasure out of life. He is obsessed with death and thinks that there are only two types of people in the world: the horrible and the miserable. Into his world comes Annie Hall, played fabulously by Diane Keaton. As they fall in love, she begins to outgrow him emotionally. As Alvy tries to get closer to her, she chooses to switch and live in Southern California leaving it difficult for Alvy to pursue his relationship with her. This film is filled with memorable scenes and features Allen talking right into the camera, a technique that was not common at the time. This film also features fabulous visual and verbal acts which helped make this film fun and exciting to watch.

Pink Flamingos (1972)

Pink Falmingos directed by John Waters is a movie that you must see at least once.

[8 May 2003]

Incest, sex scenes, an illegal adoption ring complete with caged women in the basement during their pregnancies, cannibalism and a bizarre egg fetish are only the tip of the iceberg. What makes it all so cheerfully engaging are the larger than life performances from actors who are hardly professional but compulsively watch-able, and I would say especially Waters' as the irrepressible Divine. I 'm sure everyone has their own view of this movie and my view is a little on sure. Pink Falmingos directed by John Waters is in a way a little disturbing, but I will give it some credit. Divine proclaims himself to be "the filthiest person alive," evident in his daily routine driving around the back roads of the city flipping off potential riders, going into the deli and sneaking raw meat out of the store between his privates, and several of the other scenes mentioned above. Divine's brain damaged mom gravelly sits in a crib seemingly only in a bra and panties, munching on hard-boiled eggs all day long. One very disturbing scene is when her son has sex with chickens before killing and eating them and that's not everything.

One charming thing with Pink Falmingos that deserves it's credit is the low budget that they had to work with. The directors ability to make this film with little money and not having to pay his actors is quite interesting. This movie is a success is someway because to be able to make a movie like this even though it didn't get very far is remarkable. Pink Flamingos doesn't really have a strong plot and isn't serious in any way but it's ability to get numerous responses from it's audience is creditable. I don't think one person will ever have the same comments about this movie. It's worth seeing it at least once to get a feeling of a very unique, and different combination of movie style.

A Place in the Sun (1951)

A Place in the Sun

[8 May 2003]

Spoiler Alert George Steven's 1951 A Place in the Sun, starring Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor as the twisted lovers, is a classic movie of its time. George Eastman (Clift) hitchhikes into town to get a job from his Uncle, packing bathing suits and fighting his loneliness. While he is waiting for a ride Angela Vickers (Taylor) drives right by him. Battling his loneliness, George gets involved with one of is coworkers Alice Tripp (Shelley Winters). After he is presented with a promotion, he gets invited to a party at the Vickers home, an all around wealthy family of the 50's. Quickly falling in love with Angela, a twisted love triangle is started and the two of them continue to stay together and George is also forced to continue his relationship with Alice. This film opens with George standing along side the road trying to hitch a ride. As he turns and looks over at a billboard the camera pans in on his face. The panning of the camera is important through out the film. It reflects emotions and gives the audience a sense of what is going to happen and what appears to be important. The opening of George trying to catch a ride is also important because it is a symbol of the fifties. It sets the mood of its time. Along with the panning of the camera, soft focus and fade-ins are also important in this film. Soft focus was used in many of the kissing scenes to help deliver a more emotional feeling. When George and Angela were dancing we see a fade-in of Angela's face. The fade-ins give meaning to the scene and also show the memories that the person is having. At the end of the movie when George is sitting in his jail cell a fade-up is used to display a memory of Angela that he is thinking about. The use of soft focus and fade-in/outs are all-important aspect that made this movie successful. They help explore the characters feelings and set moods to engage the audience with excitement.

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

The Bicycle Thief

[8 May 2003]

Contains Spoiler Vittorio de Sica's `The Bicycle Thief' is an Italian neo-realism film that is about a family during the great depression. Antonio Ricci (the father) finds a chance to work at a good city job pasting up postures around the town. At this time the community would do anything to find employment of this kind. Because they are short on money his wife sells bed sheets to receive money for a bike that he needs in order to keep his new job. On his first day of his job his new bike that he just got gets stolen and he tries to do everything to track down the thief. With a chance to try and get his family out of poverty he takes his son Bruno and some friends and head out into the city to try and keep his family an opportunity to get wealthy. With many frustrating events that occur through out the day Antonio decides to steal a bike himself and later getting himself caught and thrown in jail.

One important factor in this movie is how the thoughts in Antonio's mind never get brought out to us throughout the movie but are shown to us through his facial expressions and the way he presents his body and emotions. Another factor that is important in the movie is how there are no staged settings present. This movie uses real life settings and backgrounds that help give a better feeling or realism and makes the situations more effective to the eyes. Finally the ending is also important. After the prison feels sorry for Antonio and decides that he has gone through enough they let him out and the movie just ends abruptly with Antonio and his son Bruno taking a walk back through the town. The movies uses this strategy to once again give a remembrance of the time its set in and also leaves the audience with something to unravel.

A Trip to the Moon (1902)

George Melie's "A Trip to the Moon" welcomes a change in film making of the twentieth century.

[8 May 2003]

George Melies's `A Trip to the Moon' welcomes a change in film making of the twentieth century. Combined with live action as well as models, the movie tells a story about astronauts who take a trip to the moon. The moon, having a human face captures the astronauts after they crash into its eye. They later escape the moon and it's moon-men and make it back to earth safely. Melies wrote, directed and starred in this movie. He used many important techniques in his films to make them successful. Not only did he develop editing skills and superimposed images, he also used double exposure to complete the magic behind his films. Still used today, Melies's special effects, small models, painted backgrounds, weird makeup and costumes were just some of the important things used in the movie `A Trip to the Moon.'

For the filmmaker Melies, the use of stop action photography played an important role in `A Trip to the Moon.' He specialized in making objects vanish or change by stopping and restarting his camera. The use of self-painted sets, real people along with animated figures and the placement of real faces on objects helped this 1902 movie draw in his audience and leave them with many astonished looks.