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denimbex1986 · 1 year ago

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'Cillian Murphy just might be the definition of magnetic on-screen. He can pull the viewer in with his intensity, vulnerability, or good old-fashioned charm, whatever best fits the role he’s playing. Whether he's an apocalypse-surviving reluctant hero or a quietly intimidating comic book villain, a brave rebel leader or a troubled soldier, Murphy can captivates with his performance.

Born in Cork, Ireland, Murphy got his start in theater in his hometown, and had his first professional acting role in the play, Disco Pigs. He later starred in the film adaptation of Disco Pigs, just before his breakout role in the zombie horror film, 28 Days Later, directed by Danny Boyle. As would become a trend with Murphy, once he found a collaborator, he would often reteam with them: He once again worked with Boyle on the sci-fi thriller Sunshine.

Perhaps no director has been a bigger fan of Murphy than Christopher Nolan has been. The filmmaker first cast the actor in Batman Begins, a role that Murphy reprised briefly in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. They worked together again for Inception and Dunkirk.

Now, Murphy stars in the filmmaker's historical thriller, Oppenheimer, in theaters July 21. In an impressive ensemble cast that includes Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, and Florence Pugh, Murphy plays J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist and "father of the atomic bomb," whose work on the Manhattan Project during World War II led to the invention of the first nuclear weapons.

With this highly anticipated film coming out, below, A.frame takes a look back at 10 essential films in Murphy's body of work.

1. Disco Pigs 2001

Murphy already had several films under his belt by the time he starred in Disco Pigs, a romantic crime drama based on the play of the same name — which Murphy also starred in. Here, he plays Pig, a youth in his late teens who has shared an intense friendship with Runt (Elaine Cassidy) his entire life. On the precipice of their 17th birthday (they were born on the same day in the same hospital), Pig develops feelings for Runt just as she’s starting to be interested in another boy. The intensity of Pig and Runt’s relationship worries their parents, and Runt is sent to a boarding school. Pig does not take this well, resulting in a tragic outcome for both of them. Disco Pigs gave audiences a glimpse of the intensity Murphy could bring to a role, and that he had the makings of a star.

2. 28 Days Later 2002

28 Days Later is not only the movie that gave mindless zombies (or infected technically) terrifying speed, it’s the movie that put Murphy on the map. Oscar winner Danny Boyle’s horror thriller stars Murphy as Jim, a man who wakes up from a coma to find that the U.K. has been destroyed after the "rage" virus swept through the country. Alone at first, he meets other survivors, played by Naomie Harris, Megan Burns, and Oscar nominee Brendan Gleeson, and the group struggles to survive the hordes of the infected monsters that remain. Murphy was a total standout in the small but stacked cast, easily establishing himself as a star.

3. Batman Begins 2005

Murphy entered his villain era when he was cast as a Batman supervillain in Nolan's first Batman film, Batman Begins. He plays Dr. Jonathan Crane, an Arkham Asylum psychiatrist who wears a burlap mask and utilizes a fear-inducing hallucinogen to terrorize his victims as the Scarecrow. Batman himself falls victim to the Scarecrow at one point. He’s not the final bad guy in the movie, but he's an important antagonist who pops up again in cameos in both sequels, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.

4. Red Eye 2005

This Wes Craven-directed thriller takes place almost entirely on a plane, and part of what makes it work so well are its two leads: Rachel McAdams as everywoman Lisa and Murphy as the charming but threatening Jackson Rippner. Jackson reveals himself to be a hitman mastermind, attempting a political assassination by forcing Lisa to rearrange things at the hotel she runs to achieve his goal, threatening to kill her father (and many others) if she fails. The interplay between Murphy and McAdams is top notch, with Murphy playing another truly memorable villain in the process.

5. Breakfast on Pluto 2005

Breakfast on Pluto, based on a novel of the same name, stars Murphy as Kitten, a trans woman searching for her birth mother after being abandoned as a child. Kitten navigates a wide range of circumstances in 1970s Ireland and London, from the IRA to magicians to sex work, all while maintaining her kind and optimistic nature. Murphy’s portrayal of Kitten is thoughtful and hopeful, as the character wins over people with her innocent honesty and self-acceptance.

6. The Wind That Shakes the Barley 2006

One of Murphy’s most defining roles thus far is the one that takes him back to his home country and its tragic fight for independence. In Ken Loach’s war drama The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Murphy plays one of a pair of brothers who end up on opposite sides of the Irish Civil War after fighting together in the war for Ireland’s independence. It's a heartbreaking film, and features an incredible performance by Murphy as he goes from idealistic rebel to leader in the fight for Irish independence, with a devastating ending reflecting the ongoing conflict in Ireland.

7. Sunshine 2007

Sunshine reunited Murphy with his 28 Days Later director Boyle for a sci-fi thriller about a group of astronauts on a mission to restart the sun and prevent the Earth from freezing. Murphy is part of an incredible ensemble cast including Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Cliff Curtis, Hiroyuki Sanada, Benedict Wong, and Troy Garity. Sunshine almost feels like a suspenseful play in outer space, led by Murphy as the physicist who created a device that will hopefully save the world, or doom it if it fails.

8. Inception 2010

Inception marked Murphy’s second major collaboration with Nolan, appearing as the target of Leonardo DiCaprio’s dream heist crew. Murphy is the heir to a business empire, who the team plans to "incept" with the idea to dissolve his father’s company. Though secondary to the main action and the dream landscapes, Murphy delivers a powerful performance, going through an emotional arc with his father despite the manipulations of DiCaprio’s team (including Elliot Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Tom Hardy). The film received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and went on to win for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects.

9. Anthropoid 2016

Anthropoid, based on a true story, stars Murphy and Jamie Dornan as a pair of Slovak and Czech soldiers, respectively, participating in Operation Anthropoid, the real life assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the principal architect of the Holocaust. Murphy and Dornan are both excellent as they struggle to complete their mission, caught between the need to make an important blow against the Nazis and the potential fallout if they’re caught.

10. Dunkirk 2017

Reunited with Nolan for a fifth time, Murphy joins another ensemble, including Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, and Barry Keoghan, in the war epic Dunkirk, about the real life evacuation of thousands of British troops from a beach in France early in WWII. He’s credited only as "Shivering Soldier," the sole survivor of a U-boat attack rescued by one of the civilian boats headed for Dunkirk to rescue soldiers. Murphy brings all his intensity to the role, a man mentally destroyed by his experiences in the war, and terrified at the thought of returning to a battlefield. Dunkirk received a total of eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Directing, and went on to win for Best Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.'

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claudia1829things · 4 years ago

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“LITTLE WOMEN” (2019) Review

"LITTLE WOMEN" (2019) Review Ever since its release in movie theaters back December 2019, many moviegoers have been in rapture over "LITTLE WOMEN", filmmaker Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel. The movie did acquire several acclaims, including Oscar nominations for two of the film’s actresses, Best Adapted Screenplay and an actual Oscar for costume design. I never got the chance to see it in theaters. I finally managed to see it on the HULU streaming service.

Anyone familiar with Alcott’s novel knows that it conveyed the tale of four sisters from a Massachusetts family and their development from adolescence and childhood to adulthood during the 1860s. The first half of Alcott’s tale covered the March sisters’ experiences during the U.S. Civil War. In fact, Alcott had based the March family on herself and her three sisters. Unlike previous adaptations, Gerwig incorporated a nonlinear timeline for this version of "LITTLE WOMEN". There were aspects of "LITTLE WOMEN" I truly admired. I did enjoy most of the performances. Or some of them. I thought Saoirse Ronan gave an excellent performance as the movie’s leading character Josephine "Jo" March. I thought she did a pretty good job of recapturing Jo’s extroverted personality and artistic ambitions. I do wish that Gerwig had allowed Jo to convey some of the less pleasant sides to her personality. Do I believe she deserved her Oscar nomination? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Although I thought she gave an excellent performance, I do not know if I would have considered her for an acting nomination. But I was more than impressed by Eliza Scanlen, who portrayed third sister Elizabeth "Beth" March. Although her story more or less played out in a series of vignettes that switched back and forth between the period in which she first caught the scarlet fever and her death a few years later; Scanlen did a superb job in recapturing the pathos and barely submerged emotions of Beth’s fate. It seemed a pity that she had failed to acquire any acting nominations. One last performance that really impressed me came from Meryl Streep. I have always regarded the temperamental Aunt March as a difficult role for any actress. And although I do not regard Streep’s interpretation of the aging matriarch as the best I have seen, I must admit that for me, she gave one of the best performances in the film. The movie also featured solid performances from the likes of Emma Watson, Laura Dern, Chris Cooper, Tracy Letts, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Bob Odenkirk and Florence Pugh, who also received an Oscar nomination for her performance as the youngest March sister, Amy. About the latter . . . I really admired her portrayal of the older Amy March. But I found her performance as the younger Amy rather exaggerated. And a part of me cannot help but wonder why she had received an Oscar nomination in the first place. Jacqueline Durran won the film's only Academy Award – namely for Best Costume Design. Did she deserve it? I honestly do not believe she did. I did enjoy some of her designs, especially for the older Amy March, as shown below:

I found the costumes worn by Pugh, Streep and many extras in the Paris sequences very attractive and an elegant expression of fashion from the late 1860s. Otherwise, I found Durran’s costumes for this film rather questionable. I realize both she and Gerwig were attempting to portray the March family as some kind of 19th century version of "hippies". But even non-traditional types like the Marches would not wear their clothing in such a slap-dash manner with petticoat hems hanging below the skirts, along with bloomers showing, cuts and styles in clothing that almost seemed anachronistic, and wearing no corsets. The latter would be the equivalent of not wearing bras underneath one’s clothing in the 20th and 21st centuries. Someone had pointed out that many of today’s costume designers try to put a "modern twist" to their work in period dramas in order to appeal to modern moviegoers and television viewers. I really wish they would not. The attempt tends to come off as lazy costuming in my eyes. And this tactic usually draws a good deal of criticism from fans of period dramas. So . . . how on earth did Durran win an Oscar for her work in the first place? I understand that "LITTLE WOMEN" was filmed in various locations around Massachusetts, including Boston and Cambridge. A part of me felt a sense of satisfaction by this news, considering the story’s setting of Concord, Massachusetts. I was surprised to learn that even the Paris sequences were filmed in Ipswich, Massachusetts. However, I must admit that I was not particularly blown away by Yorick Le Saux's cinematography. Then again, I can say that for just about every adaptation of Alcott’s novel I have ever seen. There were scenes from "LITTLE WOMEN" that I found memorable. Those include Jo March’s initial meeting with her publisher Mr. Dashwood; Amy March’s conflict with Theodore "Laurie" Laurence over his behavior in Paris; Jo’s rejection of Laurie’s marriage proposal, and especially the montage featuring Beth March’s bout with scarlet fever and its consequences. However . . . I had some problems with Gerwig’s screenplay. As I have stated earlier, "LITTLE WOMEN" is not the first movie I have seen that utilized the non-linear plot technique. I have seen at least two adaptations of Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel, "Jane Eyre". Two more famous examples of this plot device were the 1995 film, "12 MONKEYS" and two of Christopher Nolan’s movies – 2000’s "MEMENTO" and 2017’s "DUNKIRK". How can I put this? I feel that Greta Gerwig’s use of non-linear writing had failed the film’s narrative. It simply did not work for me. Except for the brilliant montage featuring Beth’s fate, it seemed as if Gerwig’s writing had scattered all over the place without any real semblance of following Alcott’s plot. If I had not been already familiar with Alcott’s story, I would have found “LITTLE WOMEN” totally confusing. I also feel that because of Gerwig’s use of the non-linear technique, she managed to inflict a little damage on Alcott’s plot. Despite the excellent scene featuring Laurie’s marriage proposal, I felt that Gerwig had robbed the development of his relationship with Jo. I also believe that Gerwig had diminished Jo’s relationship with Professor Bhaer. In the film, Bhaer had expressed harsh criticism of Jo’s earlier writing . . . without explaining his opinion. But he never added that Jo had the potential to write better stories than her usual melodrama crap. Why did Gerwig deleted this aspect of Professor Bhaer’s criticism? In order to make him look bad? To set up the idea of Jo ending the story as a single woman, because that was Alcott’s original intent? Did Gerwig consider the original version of this scene a detriment to feminist empowerment? I am also confused as to why Gerwig allowed the March family to push her into considering Professor Bhaer as a potential mate for Jo? This never happened in the novel. Jo had come to her decision to marry the professor on her own prerogative. She did not have to be pushed into this decision. Come to think of it, how exactly did Jo’s fate end in the movie? I am confused. Did she marry Bhaer after rushing to the train station in order to stop him from leaving for California? Or did she remain single? Whatever. And why on earth did she position Amy and Laurie’s first meeting after the former’s hand had been caned by her school teacher? Gerwig had transformed an incident that had taught Amy a lesson about self-respect and generated the Marches’ righteous anger against a schoolteacher’s abuse to one of comic relief and a cute rom.com meet for Amy and Laurie. What the hell? Someone had once complained that Gerwig may have assumed that everyone was familiar with Alcott’s story when she wrote this screenplay. And I agree with that person. Earlier I had questioned the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ decision to award the Best Costume Design statuette to Jacqueline Durran and nominate Florence Pugh for Best Supporting Actress. But I also have to question the organization’s decision to nominate Gerwig’s writing for Best Adapted Screenplay. I honestly believe she did not deserve it. There were aspects of "LITTLE WOMEN" that I found admirable. I was certainly impressed by some of the film’s dramatic moments. And there were a handful of performances from the likes of Saoirse Ronan, Eliza Scanlen and Meryl Streep that truly impressed me. But I cannot deny that the other members of the cast gave either first-rate or solid performances. In the end, I did not like the movie. I believe "LITTLE WOMEN" should have never been nominated for Best Picture. Greta Gerwig’s use of the nonlinear technique did not serve Louisa May Alcott’s plot very well. If I had not been familiar with the novel’s plot, I would have found this movie confusing. Aside from Ronan’s Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, I feel that the other nominations and Best Costume Design win were undeserved. And a part of me feels a sense of relief that Gerwig had never received a nomination for Best Director.

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hlupdate · 5 years ago

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Harry Styles is lucky I think he's utterly adorable. He's an hour late and I'm guilt-ridden, missing my puppy's first day at puppy school because of it.

Is this what it's like to be a working mum? Maybe. Styles would be horrified if he knew, I'm certain. He is a man of the people, a self-proclaimed feminist, who could surely sympathise with this working (dog) mum's plight.

They say never meet your heroes in case they turn out to be a disappointment, but maybe they should also say never meet your favourite pop stars in case they turn out to be truly terrible at time management.

I first met Styles alongside four of his teenage friends in 2012. It was just a few years since they'd formed One Direction on The X Factor, and this was their first world tour. They were lined up on chintzy armchairs in the private lounge of a stuffy Auckland hotel. That day, a bit like this one, I spent more time sitting in the hallway waiting for my turn than I did interviewing them.

Barely 18, Styles was clearly the charming one, the one with the floppy hair. Some of his bandmates refused to even say hello but he was warm and quick with a cheeky quip.

It suddenly made sense to me why a young girl, from deep inside the throng of screaming fans camped outside, had begged me to slip him a handwritten note simply saying, "I love you."

Those early days are a lifetime ago, and what happened next is now the stuff of legend. One Direction went on to redefine the term "boy band" for an entire generation. They made five albums in four years, won more than 200 awards, toured the world four times and were ranked as the second-highest earning celebrities in the world by Forbes in 2016, the year after the wheels famously fell off. Zayn Malik left the band in 2015 and eventually One Direction went on a break, the kind with no obvious end date.

It hasn't hurt Styles' rise to fame in the slightest. No, he is the 1D member it's cool for grown-ups to like. He's the 20-something love child of Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Stevie Nicks, pushing the envelope through perfect good pop songs and that cheeky smile.

He has dated famous women (think Kardashian-adjacent Kendall Jenner, and Taylor Swift famously wrote songs about their short-lived relationship), toured the world alone and buddied up with Anna Wintour to host the Met Gala.

Styles' first solo, self-titled album was released in 2017, he's taken up acting, appearing in Christopher Nolan's World War II epic Dunkirk, and co-written songs for the likes of Michael Buble and Ariana Grande.

The shackles of being part of a commercially savvy behemoth are gone, and now his personality is coming to the fore. Maybe his stint in the cookiecutter pop group proved enough self-censorship to last a lifetime, or maybe it's just what happens when you get older – Styles just turned 26 – but these days, the young man from Cheshire can't be bothered to people please any more. Instead, he's simply living.

"I had a dream day recently – well, it was in summer," he says from a chilly New York City.

"I was with some friends and we took bikes down to this little lake and we went swimming and had some food and listened to music and we were in the countryside, and then we biked back from the lake and had dinner, I read a little and went to bed. The times I'm happiest are when I'm surrounded by friends and people I care about, talking."

It was during his last world tour, his first without his former bandmates, that he decided being happy is what was most important, not doing what he thought people – fans, record labels, bandmates – expected of him.

"The best way of describing it was just realising people wanted me to be myself and that's what they came to the show for," he says.

"The last album wasn't necessarily a radio record, but they were still coming to the shows and singing along. It showed they wanted me to be making what I wanted to make – and they wanted to come and join in with that, I guess.

"It's probably more important to be real, I guess, than to be making stuff so people like it. Realising that was a big moment for me."

For Styles that liberation has shown itself in many ways, from openly talking about discovering magic mushrooms (he bit off the tip of his tongue during one session), to embracing a type of gender fluidity in the clothes he wears and the fashion choices he makes. Yes, there are Pinterest boards dedicated to every time he has worn nail polish and no, he doesn't like talking about his own sexual identity, previously telling The Guardian: "It's, who cares? Does that make sense? It's just, who cares?"

Would any of that have been a topic of conversation during his One Direction days? Probably not. But through it all, by tabloid standards, he's remained relatively well-adjusted and scandal-free. Not bad for a kid who, 10 years ago this April, stumbled on to a TV singing show stage aged just 16, and months later was part of the biggest phenomenon to hit pop music in years.

There have been things he has had to learn the hard way, of course, including just how much of himself he really shares with fans. Being a teenager, and suddenly famous, meant there was a time he felt he had to give almost everything – it was simply part of the job.

"When I moved to London and started in music, I was so young, first of all. It wasn't like I knew what was going to happen," he says.

"You are just encouraged to give so much of yourself, and through experiencing different things, I learnt what I liked and what I was comfortable with, and what I didn't like and wasn't comfortable with.

"For me, as things have happened, I go, 'OK, if I give a bit too much of myself away, I don't like it that much.' So, I did it a little bit less and I guess I'm just a lot happier doing it that way.

"And I don't really talk about personal stuff in interviews and stuff, I try and keep that side of my life pretty private. Music, I find it really therapeutic to write that way, it's my outlet for saying how I feel about stuff."

It's a fairly meta experience to have someone you are interviewing tell you, without any aggression or agenda, that they just don't really talk about themselves in interviews, but there it is.

It's not that he's a closed book – he's right, the songs on his latest album, Fine Line, are full of raw emotion about breakups, sex and self-reflection, much more so than other writing he's done. He doesn't want to be that upbeat kid whose job it was to make everyone else comfortable, but equally, he says performing these songs and this side of him will be a special, powerful moment when his Fine Line world tour begins – including a return trip to New Zealand in November.

"I try not to think about the 'putting out' part of the music while I'm making it, and that plays a part in how personal I can get while making it, I guess. I write as if it's for me, and I'm lucky enough to work with a group of people who create an environment where I can be honest and vulnerable when I'm writing.

"And by the time it comes to putting it out, that's when I go, 'Oh, is this too personal?'" he says. "And usually the answer is no, because that's the kind of music I want to make."

#Harry Styles #140320 #stuff nz #stunt mention

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intransigent-boy · 5 years ago

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My Top Ten Films of The Decade.

10. Her

Okay, so whether you like it or not, this movie is about the present. This movie tells a very powerful story with an embarrasingly personal narrative. You feel sorry for the main character, it makes you so uncomfortable. And the reason is, because we are all in some sense are like this guy, Theodore. We have better relationships online, and with our advices, than with real people. It’s a really bizarre conception, but we should face it, and ask ourselves: Where is the limit? The script is just brilliant, but also has very controversial scenes. Joaquin Phoenix is simply the perfect choice for a lonely man, like Theodore. Melancholy everywhere, and great visuals. Arcade Fire made the music for this, and it was pure melancholy. Very interesting film.

9. The Place Beyond The Pines

Derek Cianfrance is an exceptional director. He can wonderfully create an atmosphere with great lighting techiques, unique musics, and of course with talented actors. This movie has a linear, but quite unusual story-structure. The main theme haunts you after you watched this. Legacy!

8. Nightcrawler

Louis Bloom is something of a loner who is unemployed and ekes out a living stealing and then reselling copper wire, fencing and most anything else he can get his hands on. When late one night he comes across an accident being filmed by independent news photographer Joe Loder, he thinks he may have found something he would be good at. He acquires an inexpensive video camera and a police scanner and is soon spending his nights racing to accidents, robberies and fire scenes. He develops a working relationship with Nina Romina, news director for a local LA TV station. As the quality of his video footage improves so does his remuneration and he hires Rick, young and unemployed, to work with him. The more successful he becomes however, the more apparent it becomes that Louis will do anything - anything - to get visuals from crime scenes. The conception is just brilliant, and screams to your face, what kind of society are we living in. I think Psychopathy is going to be one of the biggest issue in our generation asides with mental illneses. And this movie reflects perfectly. You understand the character, which is geniusly performed by Jake Gyllenhaal.

7. Inside Llewyn Davis

The Coen brothers' exquisitely sad and funny new comedy is set in a world of music that somehow combines childlike innocence with an aged and exhausted acceptance of the world. It is a beguilingly studied period piece from America's early-60s Greenwich Village folk scene. Every frame looks like a classic album cover, or at the very least a great inner gatefold – these are screen images that look as if they should have lyrics and sleeve notes superimposed. This film was notably passed over for Oscar nominations. Perhaps there's something in its unfashionable melancholy that didn't hook the attention of Academy award voters. But it is as pungent and powerfully distinctive as a cup of hot black coffee. This movie is about sacrificing everything for your art, directionlessness (is there such a word?) , and finding the right path. Existential theme, with surpisingly good acting from Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, and Justin Timberlake. This is an Odyssey-story from the 1960′s America. What more you could ask for?

6. Dunkirk

Reinventing a genre is quite exceptional. And Nolan did it. The best war movies of the last 20 years, including Saving Private Ryan and Hacksaw Ridge, have also placed viewers in the centre of battle. Nolan has not reinvented that immersive approach, but he comes close to perfecting it. The story structure is-again- brilliant. There’s no main character in the movie-just like in a war-but only scared people. They want to go home. But they can’t. We’re with them with their struggle, and fears. We’re in the air, land, or water, it’s just a haunting terror. And the soundtrack from Hans Zimmer is really remarkable. You hear it, and you recognize the movie. That’s what I call a score. Reflects perfectly, and holds the attention throughout the whole movie.

5. Hell or High Water

Another genre-twister masterpiece. This Neo-Western is just pure art. Hell or High Water is a film about a criminal who commits the ultimate offence of putting his gorgeous and much nicer brother in a ski mask for several minutes of this film. Okay actually it’s about a career criminal brother and his he-wasn’t-but-he-is-now criminal brother who team up to commit a series of small-scale bank robberies across Texas, with the aim, finally – after several generations – of lifting the family out of seemingly inescapable grinding poverty. The part of Texas they live in is dying on its feet so career criminal is pretty much the only career left open that doesn’t involve serving in a diner or herding the few remaining cattle. It would’ve been easy for Hell or High Water to to turn out a cliche-ridden double bromance as there are quite a few movie tropes in this love story / revenge thriller, so it’s a tribute to director David Mackenzie that it’s actually a very touching, at times funny, at times quite brutal story. With a bit of grudge-bearing thrown in at the end to stop it being too redemptive. Memorable scenes, great acting, and a deromanticized western-feeling. After this film, you want to live in Texas, where everything’s slower, but sometimes you can chase criminals. It’s nice, isn’t it?

4. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Martin McDonagh’s fiercely written, stabbingly pleasurable tragicomedy stars a magnificent Frances McDormand; watching it is like having your funny bone struck repeatedly, expertly and very much too hard by a karate super-black-belt capable of bringing a rhino to its knees with a single punch behind the ear. He’s a scriptwriter genius, it was shocking, how perfectly the dialouges and the actions were constructed. It is a film about vengeance, violence and the acceptance of death, combining subtlety and unsubtlety, and moreover wrongfooting you as to what and whom it is centrally about. The drama happens in a town with an insidiously pessimistic name – Ebbing, Missouri, a remote and fictional community in the southern United States, where the joy of life does seem to be receding. There is a recurrent keynote of elegiac sadness established by the Irish ballad The Last Rose of Summer and Townes Van Zandt’s country hit Buckskin Stallion Blues, a musical combination which bridges the Ireland which McDonagh has written about before and the America he conjures up here, an America which has something of the Coen Brothers. The resemblance is not simply down to McDormand, though she does give her best performance since her starring role as the pregnant Minnesota police chief in the Coens’ Fargo in 1996. It was brutal, controversial, and violent.

3. Midnight in Paris

The definitive poem in English on the subject of cultural nostalgia may be a short verse by Robert Browning called “Memorabilia.” The past seems so much more vivid, more substantial, than the present, and then it evaporates with the cold touch of reality. The good old days are so alluring because we were not around, however much we wish we were. “Midnight in Paris,” Woody Allen’s charming film, imagines what would happen if that wish came true. It is marvelously romantic, even though — or precisely because — it acknowledges the disappointment that shadows every genuine expression of romanticism. The film has the inspired silliness of some of Mr. Allen’s classic comic sketches (most obviously, “A Twenties Memory,” in which the narrator’s nose is repeatedly broken by Ernest Hemingway), spiked with the rueful fatalism that has characterized so much of his later work. Nothing here is exactly new, but why would you expect otherwise in a film so pointedly suspicious of novelty? Very little is stale, either, and Mr. Allen has gracefully evaded the trap built by his grouchy admirers and unkind critics — I’m not alone in fitting both descriptions — who complain when he repeats himself and also when he experiments. Not for the first time, but for the first time in a while, he has found a credible blend of whimsy and wisdom.

2. Beautiful Boy

This supersensitive and tasteful movie is all but insufferable, suppressing a sob at the tragedy of drug addiction afflicting someone so young and “beautiful”. It is based on what is effectively a matching set of memoirs: Beautiful Boy, by author and journalist David Sheff, his harrowing account of trying to help his son Nic battle crystal meth addiction, and Tweak – by Nic Sheff himself, about these same experiences, the author now, thankfully, eight years clean. Steve Carell does an honest, well-meaning job in the role of David and the egregiously beautiful Timothée Chalamet is earnest in the part of Nic, David’s son from his first marriage. This is like a modern-day Basketball Diaries. Honest, and Raw. Most underrated movie of the 2010′s, with an unquestionably important topic.

1. The Social Network

Before Sorkin wrote the screenplay, Ben Mezrich wrote the book based on Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook titled: The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal. It was published in July 2009, and most of the information came from Facebook “co-founder” Eduardo Saverin, who in the film is played by Andrew Garfield. The screenplay that Sorkin wrote was blazing, he wrote the characters like they were in a William Shakespeare play, with a story full of lies, jealousy, and betrayal. I especially love how Sorkin balanced the story between 2003, 2004, and then 2010. It goes back and forth between the past when Facebook was just an idea for Mark, and in the current day when he is being sued by Cameron & Tyler Winklevoss for, in their minds, having stolen their original idea, and by his former best friend Eduardo for having him pushed out of the company. In fact, some of the very best dialogue (and the film is full of great quotes) happens during the deposition scenes. Well-recognizable, rapid-fire dialouges, wonderful directing, with Trent Reznor’s greatest soundtrack. The movie’s probably going to outlive the Facebook itself, and that’s just great.

#oscars #films #academyawards #2010s #best #movies #cinema #art #top ten #movies of the decade #soundtrack #cinematography

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noahmoviereview-blog · 6 years ago

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Dunkirk Review

Rating: 5/5

Dunkirk, by Christopher Nolan, is one of the most thought provoking, ambitious, and well made films I have ever seen. I have seen this film in a variety of settings, including an IMAX cinema(by far the best viewing experience for this film), a standard movie theatre, and finally in a school classroom. While the viewing experience does greatly differ between the three settings, the fundamental parts of the film that make it a truly wonderful film remain throughout.

Being a Christopher Nolan film, Dunkirk takes a unique spin on the whole historical war genre. Instead of following a clear linear storyline through the events of dunkirk, Nolan decided to split the film into three distinct parts: the mole(the perspective of the surrounded soldiers on the beaches of dunkirk), the sea(the perspective of three volunteers rescuing the trapped soldiers), and the air(the perspective of two spitfire pilots). Each of the three perspective takes place over a different amount of time(a week, a day, and an hour), and allows the viewer to see numerous views and feelings towards different events taking place in the film.

The film depicts the events of the famous Dunkirk evacuation, and captures what it really felt like to be there during all the chaos and waiting that the soldiers had to endure. What makes this film a true masterpiece is the numerous film techniques and effects Nolan implemented into the film.

One of the most captivating parts of the film are the numerous practical effects scattered throughout. Having seen many Christopher Nolan films in the past, I knew that the effects were going to be a standout point in the film. Christopher Nolan used primarily practical effects in Dunkirk(real effects without the use of digital equipment), and it really showed. The effects added a very realistic feeling to the film, and allowed the viewer to focus on the story rather than the flashy effects, a common problem with many action films. The effects also allowed the viewer to have a more realistic view on what it actually felt like to be at Dunkirk during the evacuation.

Another part of the film that I enjoyed very much was the use of sound and music throughout the film. Dunkirk was very unique as it did not contain very much dialogue between characters, and let the sounds and music do the storytelling. The extremely loud and blaring real sounds present throughout the film added great dramatic emphasis to each scene while still remaining extremely realistic. Zimmer created extremely unique and interesting scores for each specific scene, and used a number of techniques such as shepard tones throughout the film. This allowed the viewer to have a deeper feeling towards what they were watching, as each scene felt far larger and more intense because of the complimenting music, and work by Zimmer.

Overall, Dunkirk was a truly unique film that anyone can enjoy, even if they are not a fan of war films.

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starwarsnonsense · 7 years ago

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Top 10 Best Films of 2017 - End of Year List

I did a mid-year ‘best of’ list, so it was only fitting that I returned to the format at the end of the year to run down my top 10 favourite films of the year. Only three films from my mid-year list remain here, which is a testament to what an incredible year it has been for film. As far as I’m concerned, 2017 has been a real banner year for cinema and it has seen the release of several all-time greats that I look forward to enjoying for many years to come.

Since I’m based in the UK there will be several notable omissions here (I still eagerly await films like Phantom Thread, I, Tonya and The Post), purely by dint of the fact that they have yet to be released in this country. Do look out for them in my forthcoming most-anticipated of 2018 list!

Honourable mentions: Custody, Brimstone, The Disaster Artist, Professor Marston & the Wonder Women, Call Me By Your Name

1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi, dir. Rian Johnson

While the placement of this film on my list may be resoundingly predictable (check out the total lack of bias signalled by my username!), the thrilling thing is that the film itself is anything but. The Last Jedi shatters the Star Wars mould to entertain new forms of storytelling and question long-held assumptions. It’s a shockingly meta story in how it questions the conventions of Star Wars - particularly those concerning lineage and its implications - but it is never meta in an ironic sense. There are no wink, wink moments, and while the past is investigated and questioned it is never mocked. Instead of descending into irreverence, The Last Jedi is meta in a way that feels absolutely necessary and justified if Star Wars is to remain fresh and vital as it moves forward. Bloodline and history do not have to dictate destiny in this new version of Star Wars - the heroes are those who understand this, and the villains are the ones who fail to grasp the same lesson. It’s a beautiful and intellectually rigorous movie, and I’m thrilled by how it elevates and re-contextualises the stories that came before it while pushing the characters and their relationships forward. I have no idea of where Episode IX will take this story, and that is incredibly exciting to me. Bring it on.

2. Blade Runner 2049, dir. Denis Villeneuve

There are a million and one reasons why this movie shouldn’t have worked, but Villeneueve proved his genius by making a sublime sci-fi picture that actually surpasses its predecessor. I have always admired the original Blade Runner more than I’ve enjoyed it, and that’s because I have always found it emotionally distant. Deckard struck me as a mumbling arse and his romance with Rachael always felt obligatory, not organic. The genius of Blade Runner 2049 lies in how it made me care - it made me care about the love between Deckard and Rachael (which was something of a miracle in itself), and it made me care about the love between K and his holographic girlfriend Joi. With these emotional hooks in place, everything worked as a thrilling symphony. The cinematography is easily the best of any film in 2017 (sorry, Dunkirk - I still love you) and this film has an astonishing number of scenes that still linger in my mind after many months - the very modern threesome, the shootout in the gaudy pleasure palace, the fight in the rain, the father seeing his child for the first time. It’s a breathtaking film and I couldn’t be more excited to see what Villeneuve does next.

3. Dunkirk, dir. Christopher Nolan

Dunkirk is such a striking and effective piece of cinema that it actually made me overcome my innate bias against war movies (I blame too many tedious Sunday afternoons wasted on mandatory viewings of The Great Escape at my grandparents’ house). With Dunkirk, Nolan has probably made his most accomplished and sophisticated movie - it starts off unbearably tense and doesn’t release its grip on your pulse until the final scene, when its hero finally drops off to the blessed peace of sleep. Nolan employs a tricksy converging structure with multiple plot strands to ramp up the tension and provide different perspectives on the evacuation, masterfully playing them off each other to assemble the big picture. While criticised by some for its apparent lack of character, I can’t really agree with that assessment - Dunkirk is probably the most powerfully humanistic war film I’ve ever seen, and by stripping its characters down to their rawest selves it reveals some uncomfortable yet powerful truths about all of us. The characters are somewhat distant from us - we never hear them pine for lovers or miss their mothers - but the removal of these storytelling shorthands leaves us with soldiers who behave exactly as you would expect frightened, stranded children to. And there’s something terrifyingly poignant about that.

4. mother!, dir. Darren Aronofsky

mother! is the work of a madman with no fucks to give, and it is what I choose to refer to as ‘peak Aronofsky’. He made what is clearly an allegory, and while he had his own intentions with said allegory (which he has been very loud about declaring) the film is so cleverly constructed that it can simultaneously be about the entire history of the world and the plight of the tortured artist’s muse - either reading is perfectly correct and supported by the text. mother! is a piece of art that has provoked a lively and frequently heated debate, and while it needs to be read as an allegory to make any kind of sense as a narrative I also don’t want to undersell this movie as an emotional experience. If you go into mother! willing to be challenged and content to be swept up in a bold artistic vision, it has the potential to be a really absorbing and engrossing film - it is anchored by Jennifer Lawrence’s remarkably brave and unrestrained performance. She is not playing a grounded character, but her performance is palpably real and frequently painful to witness - she portrays the whole spectrum of emotions, from mild bemusement to shrieking horror, and the whole film soars on the strength of her efforts. This is a uniquely strength and esoteric film, and I am incredibly happy that it exists.

5. Get Out, dir. Jordan Peele

This film really knocked me for six, to such an extent that I simply had to see it twice in the cinema. It got even better upon a re-watch, when I was able to watch it with full knowledge of the characters’ underlying motives and the things to come. It’s a terrifying concept (the racism of an all-white suburb is taken to a horrifying extreme) executed with incredible panache, and you feel every emotion that Chris goes through thanks to Daniel Kaluuya’s excellent performance. Get Out also represents one of the most brilliantly communal experiences I’ve ever had at the cinema - I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say that the audience erupted into spontaneous applause at a key moment in the climax. Simply fantastic.

6. The Handmaiden, dir. Park Chan-wook

This film is exquisite - it’s first and foremost a beautiful boundary-smashing love story, and an absolutely marvellous tale of female defiance. It transplants Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith to 1930s Korea, and the story is effortlessly adapted to become intrinsically interwoven with its new setting. Sookee is a talented pickpocket plucked from a thieves den and sent as a handmaiden to trick a rich heiress into falling for a conman. To say any more would spoil the twists, but this film is just a masterwork of suspense, keeping you guessing throughout a series of interlocking pieces that take their time to reveal their secrets. I’ve seen the theatrical cut and the extended version, and they’re both great - you’re in for a treat with either.

7. The Florida Project, dir. Sean Baker

This is one of the best screen depictions of childhood I’ve ever seen. Our hero here is Moonee, a smart-tongued and cheeky six-year-old. Moonee lives in a motel room with her abrasive but loving mother, but since she’s a child she doesn’t mope or lament her poverty - she takes her surroundings for granted and makes the tacky shops and hotels that form her world her very own theme park. The Florida Project is firmly committed to adopting a child’s eye perspective, and while it can feel a bit meandering to begin with it gradually accumulates pace and purpose, building to an utterly heartbreaking and unforgettable climax. The performances here are extraordinary, and Brooklynn Prince is so palpably real as Moonee that she’ll own your heart by the end of the movie (having squeezed it to bursting point on several occasions).

8. The Shape of Water, dir. Guillermo del Toro

I’ve long been a huge del Toro cheerleader, and this movie is perhaps best described as ‘peak del Toro’ - it has the mannered, detail-oriented set design, the charming quirkiness, the subverted horror, and the woozily strange romance that he has employed again and again in his films. This story, however, is unusual for del Toro in that it is ultimately optimistic and hopeful - it’s the daddy of all supernatural romances in that it is a full-blown love story between a mute human woman and a fishman, and it is characterised by total commitment and self-belief. Think Creature from the Black Lagoon done with the creature as the romantic hero. The Shape of Water has a certain playfulness that means it never feels ponderous or silly, but it affords its characters real respect and dignity and makes you care for them deeply. This movie makes me excited to see where genre filmmaking can go next (hint: I hope it only gets weirder).

9. Thelma, dir. Joachim Trier

Who knew something like this could come out of Norway? This was probably my biggest pleasant surprise of 2017 in terms of film - I went in with no expectations at all, and came out wowed. This is an intensely strange and effective supernatural horror that follows a girl with strange repressed powers that manifest whenever she experiences desire. It could be a hackneyed or exploitative premise in the hands of a lesser filmmaker, but Trier shows a deft hand and a remarkable talent for building tension and creating a sense of heightened reality. There is one scene set to ‘Mountaineers’ by Susanne Sundfor that is one of the most transporting experiences I have ever had in the cinema - the combination of the ethereal music and the mounting suspense makes for real film magic. This was a great reminder of how important it is to take chances and try out films outside your comfort zone.

10. Jackie, dir. Pablo Larrain

This is a film that soars on the strength of Natalie Portman’s incredible performance, which is complemented by Mica Levi’s haunting score. Portman’s performance is painfully vivid, with her agony and wretchedness coming through so intensely that it’s often uncomfortable to watch. Jackie is probably the best portrait of grief I’ve ever seen, and it sucks you into a famous historic event by providing an incredibly intimate perspective on it. This is great cinema, but be prepared for suffering.

#best of the year #film #cinema #the last jedi #blade runner 2049 #dunkirk #mother!#get out #the handmaiden #the florida project #the shape of water #thelma #jackie

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ethenell · 7 years ago

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Best Films of 2017, Part II

5. Blade Runner 2049 (dir. Denis Villeneuve)

“Mere data makes a man … A and C and T and G … The alphabet of you, all from four symbols.”

Making a satisfactory sequel to a widely beloved masterpiece like Blade Runner is a borderline impossible task – the weight of expectation is oftentimes simply too great. In keeping with that wisdom, Blade Runner 2049 is not at all a satisfactory sequel - Luckily for fans of the groundbreaking original, it is much, much more than that. A daringly-conceived blockbuster epic that flies in the face of today’s rapid fire genre filmmaking rulebook, 2049 is the kind of bold, visionary sequel that Blade Runner has always deserved, but most of us lacked the optimism to hope for.

With a gargantuan runtime and an average shot length dwarfing that of the average blockbuster, it’s hard to understate the sheer ambition of what director Denis Villenueve has brought to the screens with 2049. But the true miracle is that the magnitude of 2049’s ambition is matched by its achievement every step of the way, thanks in no small part to the partnership of Villeneuve and cinematographer Roger Deakins, whose Oscar-winning work (!!) on 2049 deserves consideration alongside the best of his unparalleled career. Their collaboration is central to the hypnotic mood and texture of the film – a significant departure from that of Ridley Scott’s 1982 film. It would have been easy for Villeneuve and Deakins to replicate the look and feel of the original – many have done it over the years, with varying degrees of success. But rather than do what was easy, they took the original’s oft-imitated cyberpunk world and filtered it through their own creative lens – coming out on the other side with some of the most indelible imagery the year in cinema had to offer. That the film also treads novel thematic territory in the well-worn debate on the existential border between man and machine, cements 2049’s status as one of the all-time great film sequels.

In keeping with the film’s heavy Tarkovsky influences, Villenueve focuses more on finding the right way to ask the hard questions than on constructing tricky ways to answer the easy ones. But Tarkovsky, as brilliant as he was, never made a film that looked anything like this. It’s with this delicate marriage of grand imagery and even grander ideology that Villinueve has defied the odds and done what most thought was impossible … He’s made a brilliant follow-up to an undisputed masterpiece.

In doing so, he just might have made one of his own.

4. Lady Bird (dir. Greta Gerwig)

- Lady Bird. Is that your given name?

- Yeah.

- Why is it in quotes?

- I gave it to myself. It’s given to me, by me.

All too often, authenticity in filmmaking is synonymous with directorial transparency - passive camera and observational direction have become the du jour techniques to achieve a realist aesthetic. But there is a special authenticity to crafting a film that fully and authentically inhabits a specific point of view. Greta Gerwig’s splendid semi-autobiographical debut Lady Bird is just such a special film. Far from being passive and observational, Gerwig’s distinctive voice as an actress transitions beautifully behind the camera as she bottles up all the emotional tumult of high school and unleashes it through a powerhouse performance from one of cinema’s best young actresses.

Though a realistic Oscar push never quite developed, Soairse Ronan has now delivered two performances more than worthy of the honor - at 23, she is already far overdue for greater recognition. As Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, she works in perfect harmony with Gerwig to deliver big-time laughs and well-earned tears while casting even the most tired coming-of-age tropes in a fresh new light. And, while it’s not clear whether it’s even possible to steal the show from a performer of Ronan’s caliber, leave it to the reliable character actress Laurie Metcalf to give it her best shot. Her big-hearted but overly-critical mother is career-best work that often serves as the film’s emotional backbone. She’s the perfect foil to Ronan’s bursting-at-the-seams teenage rebel, and their fraught relationship is the crux of Gerwig’s film.

The best thing that can be said about Lady Bird – and there are more than a few great things to say – is that it simply rings true. It’s earnest portrayal of a young girl clashing against the boundaries of her world, and herself captures something deeply true about the contradictions of young adulthood. Despite it’s modest packaging, Lady Bird is a genuinely moving and supremely confident debut, bursting with creative ambition and boasting immaculately-realized characters expressing ideas that resonate with audiences beyond the film’s pointedly narrow scope. If that’s not the sign of a brilliant filmmaker, then I don’t know what is.

3. Call Me By Your Name (dir. Luca Guadagnino)

“Nature has cunning ways of finding our weakest spot.“

On the heels of Moonlight’s stunning Best Picture win, few would have expected another masterpiece of LGBTQ cinema to emerge so quickly. But the consensus best film from the Sundance Film Festival’s 2017 iteration was just such an effort. Luca Guadagnino’s entry to the festival was immediately pegged as one of its more buzzed-about titles. His previous two films, 2009’s I Am Love and 2015’s A Bigger Splash - both featuring characteristically excellent performances from Tilda Swinton, with the latter boasting a very uncharacteristically off-the-walls and thoroughly underappreciated turn from Ralph Fiennes - established Guadanigno as a premiere actor’s director. But Call Me By Your Name showcased a newly-subdued directorial style, giving his impressive cast of players even more room to shine.

On this note, it’s hard not to point to Guadignino’s pairing with 2017 breakout Timothee Chalamet as a gift of fate. Working with Guadanigno, Chalamet is revelatory. He delivers a performance with nuance and complexity far beyond his years. As the film follows Chalemet’s Elio finding first love, he projects confidence only to be betrayed by moments of utter vulnerability, hitting those extremes – and every note in between – with absolute perfection. In this year’s Best Actor category, Gary Oldman had the perfect industry narrative, but Chalamet gave the most deserving performance – no one will ever convince me otherwise. Surrounding Chalamet’s masterful work is a stellar ensemble, of which Michael Stuhlbarg is the clear standout. In hands-down the best moment in the year of film, Stuhlbarg delivers a monologue for the ages with his voice hardly rising above a whisper. His is an absolutely brilliant performance that, like most of his unerringly impressive character work, has been criminally ignored.

Call Me By Your Name is destined to join the ranks of the all-time great LGBT romances, but it’s thematic reach and the appeal of its characters are universal. It’s a masterpiece of storytelling that perfectly captures hesitant intimacy blossoming into the kind of love that burns bright and leaves marks that last a lifetime. Guadagnino guides us gracefully through the tender connection at the film’s center without sacrificing the complexity of Elio and Oliver’s emotional journeys. These moments of self-discovery – and discovery of a part of yourself in another – are never straightforward endeavors, but Guadagnino’s warm camera conjures the melancholic beauty in every intricate detail as though he’s recalling a fond memory. Times like these call for films as tender, earnest, and full-hearted as Call Me By Your Name. It’s unmissable.

2. Dunkirk (dir. Christopher Nolan)

“You can practically see it from here ...

What?

... Home.”

Leave it to Christopher Nolan, who already revolutionized the superhero movie, to produce a war film unlike any I’ve ever seen. Like Saving Private Ryan before it, Dunkirk throws out the playbook and finds great power outside the bounds of convention. An absolute masterclass in structure and formal editing – in many ways more ambitious even than the groundbreaking structure of Nolan’s grandiose mindbender, Inception – Dunkirk juggles three different storylines, all of which occur over different timeframes, until they all converge in a breathlessly tense climactic sequence. Weaving these threads effectively is a gargantuan task, but Nolan proves himself more than up to the challenge.

From a directorial perspective, Dunkirk is not far removed from Nolan’s previous efforts. His precise technical command and vision for spectacular set-pieces is nearly unmatched in modern studio filmmaking – but this isn’t news for anyone who’s familiar with his previous work. Where Dunkirk improves dramatically over Nolan’s previous efforts – particularly his more uneven films, like Interstellar and The Prestige – is on the page.

One of the biggest knocks against Nolan as a filmmaker has always been his over-reliance on expository dialogue. (Honestly, how many different perfunctory monologues did it take for him to explain Inception’s dream-within-a-dream structure? Or wormhole travel in Interstellar?) So how did he respond when writing Dunkirk? With a ruthless editorial pen, he chipped away at each bit of dialogue until all that remained were the truly essential elements. The result is the most sparse film of Nolan’s career – it also happens to be the best.

Even with the lack of dialogue Nolan’s cast is given to deliver – or perhaps precisely because of it – Dunkirk is filled with memorable ensemble performances. Cillian Murphy’s shellshocked sailor, Tom Hardy’s steely, resilient pilot, Mark Rylance’s calmly resolved civilian, and yes, even Harry Styles’ fearfully cruel foot soldier, all leave a lasting impression despite limited screen time. It’s a testament to the efficacy to the show-don’t-tell philosophy when embraced by a director as immensely talented as Nolan.

Filling in the gaps is composer extraordinaire Hans Zimmer’s droning score, which might very well be the best, most thematically effective work of his career. Propelling and underlying the cacophonous atmospherics is the simple tick of a clock – so ubiquitously present that you only notice it when it suddenly drops away. It’s a simple gambit that makes for one of the most thrilling moments of the cinematic year. Without Zimmer’s score, it never would have materialized. His work elevates the film – there’s no greater compliment that a composer can be given.

Like The Dark Knight before it, Christopher Nolan has also crafted Dunkirk to be uniquely resonant in the present geopolitical landscape. It’s a morally resolute film, firm in its assertion that certain battles are worth fighting and unambiguously optimistic about the willingness capacity of good people to do so, no matter the cost. It’s an empowering message, harkening back to a day when Western civilization was left with no choice but to do away with equivocations and rise up to face an unambiguously evil force at work in the world. As we see hints and shadows of that same fascistic ideology re-emerging in our present politics, Dunkirk reminds us that we are capable of defeating it, but only at a terrible cost.

1. Phantom Thread (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)

“Kiss me my girl, before I’m sick.”

With each subsequent entry to his already-legendary filmography, Paul Thomas Anderson further stakes his claim as American cinema’s greatest living auteur. His latest, Phantom Thread marks a particularly fascinating step along his journey to filmmaking greatness. As with all of Anderson’s films, there’s more to Phantom Thread than initially meets the eye. What initially appears to be a peculiar period romance slowly reveals itself to be a devilishly subversive take on power dynamics and love. The film’s austerity and elegance belie it’s prickly subtext, but (of course) it is this exact contradiction that makes Phantom Thread so damn interesting ... There’s not a film this year that has more frequently occupied my thoughts.

In what is reportedly his final role, Danial Day-Lewis is as impressive as ever, doing away with the towering theatrics of his best-known performances (there’s hardly a hint of Daniel Plainview or Bill the Butcher, here) in favor of the meticulous character work that initially brought him to critical esteem. In his hands, Woodcock’s cartoonish mannerisms feel thoroughly organic with nary a false beat to be found, while bringing Anderson’s words to life with extraordinary skill. Lines that could feel like throwaways to another actor take on legendary status as delivered by Day-Lewis. If it is indeed the final time that he will be gracing our screens, then he’s picked a finale befitting his storied career.

As if taking cues from his star and uncredited co-writer, P.T. Anderson directs his latest masterpiece with an uncharacteristically gentle hand. Thrown to the wayside is the visionary flash and technically prodigious camerawork that defined his earlier greats. Instead, Anderson hones in on his unmatched sense for interweaving character and theme and lets his actors the heavy lifting in largely still frames. Unsurprisingly, the results are brilliant, the product of an assured and confident master working at the very height of his powers while refusing to lean on his past successes.

But while the continued collaboration of Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis sits at the center of any assessment of Phantom Thread, it’s greatness is often solidified by the masterful contributions outside of this titanic duo. Another frequent PTA collaborator, Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood, turns in his best work since his groundbreaking score for There Will Be Blood. His lush piano work and elegant strings match the film’s beats to perfection, rooting out its subtleties and amplifying them beautifully. And Day-Lewis’ co-star, the previously unknown Hungarian actress Vicky Krieps, may well be the most exciting discovery of the year. Acting alongside Daniel Day-Lewis must seem a daunting task to even the most experienced of thespians, but Krieps fearlessly matches him step for step.

Phantom Thread, though it’s the director’s most austere film to date, is a P.T. Anderson film, through and through. By that I mean that it’s deeply strange and continually surprising, but ultimately narrows its gaze on something uncomfortably and fundamentally true about our common human condition. It’s gorgeously made and subtly provocative cinema from a virtuoso filmmaker … What more could you ask for?

#best films of 2017 #best films of the year #film review #movie review #film #cinema #phantom thread #dunkirk #call me by your name #lady bird #blade runner 2049 #denis villeneuve #christopher nolan #greta gerwig #luca guadagnino #saoirse ronan #timothee chalamet #paul thomas anderson #daniel day lewis

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01sentencereviews · 7 years ago

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oscar predictions, 2018

(all categories are ranked by likelihood of a nomination...)

picture:

the shape of water

three billboards outside ebbing, missouri

lady bird

dunkirk

get out

call me by your name

the big sick

darkest hour

the post

i’m gonna go with 9 noms because ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ i guess that’s the number the academy (usually) comes up with nowadays. don’t count out i, tonya, the florida project, or even wonder woman to sneak in there (plus i’m still ignorantly rooting for phantom thread), but those are all huge MAYBEs.

director:

guillermo del toro, the shape of water

greta gerwig, lady bird

christopher nolan, dunkirk

martin mcdonagh, three billboards outside ebbing, missouri

jordan peele, get out

best director is always tricky. for the most part, they match up with the dga noms... and then there are other years where lenny abrahamson or michael haneke or benh zeitlin sneak in there totally unexpectedly. i think that’s why luca guadagnino (call me by your name) and even sean baker (the florida project) still have the best chance to get into the top five. the wonder woman ~*phenomena*~ officially died about three months ago, but patty jenkins got so much fucking press this year that i can’t call her totally “out” just quite yet. also, there’s steven spielberg (the post), who, i mean, is speilberg, so watch out for that one...

actor:

gary oldman, darkest hour

timothée chalamet, call me by your name

daniel kaluuya, get out

james franco, the disaster artist

daniel day-lewis, phantom thread

is daniel day-lewis really not gonna get nominated for his supposed “final” acting role?? ...i don’t think so. of course, there’s sag nominee denzel washington (roman j. israel, esq.) and ~tam honks~ (the post) to watch out for, but i think this top five is pretty solid.

actress:

frances mcdormand, three billboards outside ebbing, missouri

saoirse ronan, lady bird

sally hawkins, the shape of water

margot robbie, i, tonya

meryl streep, the post

meryl’s getting nominated. i can’t even believe this is still a question. that bitch got nominated last year for fucking florence foster jenkins... you all really think she won’t get nominated for a speilberg movie?? jessica chastain (molly's game) and judi dench (victoria & abdul) might “steal” margot’s or meryl’s nom, but i honestly don’t see that happening.

supporting actor:

sam rockwell, three billboards outside ebbing, missouri

woody harrelson, three billboards outside ebbing, missouri

richard jenkins, the shape of water

willem dafoe, the florida project

armie hammer, call me by your name

i really, really want michael stuhlbarg (call me by your name) to take the fifth spot, but armie hammer has the advantage of technically being a lead actor campaigning for supporting, and the academy just loves nominating those performances instead. DEFINITELY don’t count out christopher plummer (all the money in the world) or, i guess, steve carell (battle of the sexes)... actually, do count out carrell, but not plummer.

supporting actress:

allison janney, i, tonya

laurie metcalf, lady bird

mary j. blige, mudbound

holly hunter, the big sick

octavia spencer, the shape of water

i would fucking KILL for lesley manville (phantom thread), but then again... according to “experts,” the only other possible upset here will be hong chau (downsizing) which tbh... also won’t happen.

(i know it’s important to share the names of talent which don’t get nearly enough recognition or press for their work + achievements every year... but also no one is paying me to make these predictions, so i’m just gonna list the films for the remaining categories. i apologize for my laziness.)

original screenplay:

three billboards outside ebbing, missouri

lady bird

get out

the shape of water

the big sick

possibilities: the post, i, tonya, phantom thread, and darkest hour

adapted screenplay:

call me by your name

molly’s game

the disaster artist

all the money in the world

logan

possibilities: wonder woman, last flag flying, and the beguiled (?) [maybe, genuinely, one of the worst years ever for this category]

cinematography:

blade runner 2049

dunkirk

the shape of water

mudbound

call me by your name

possibilities: darkest hour and three billboards outside ebbing, missouri

costume design:

phantom thread

beauty and the BEAST!! (that ugly ass dress... am i right?!)

darkest hour

the shape of water

the beguiled

possibilities: victoria and abdul, the greatest showman, and the post (for the caftan, i guess)

editing:

dunkirk

the shape of water

three billboards outside ebbing, missouri

baby driver

get out

possibilities: blade runner 2049, the post, i, tonya, call me by your name, and star wars: the last jedi

hair & makeup:

wonder

darkest hour

bright

possibilities: guardians of the galaxy vol. 2

production design:

the shape of water

dunkirk

darkest hour

blade runner 2049

beauty and the beast

possibilities: murder on the orient express and the greatest showman

score:

the shape of water

dunkirk

phantom thread

the post

darkest hour

possibilities: star wars: the last jedi and three billboards outside ebbing, missouri

song:

“remember me,” coco

“this is me,” the greatest showman

“evermore,” beauty and the beast

“stand up for somthing,” marshall

“mightly river,” mudbound

possibilities: “the mystery of love,” call me by your name

sound editing:

dunkirk

blade runner 2049

the shape of water

baby driver

wonder woman

possibilities: star wars: the last jedi, war for the planet of the apes, wonder woman, and beauty and the beast

sound mixing:

dunkirk

blade runner 2049

the shape of water

baby driver

wonder woman

possibilities: star wars: the last jedi, the greatest showman, and beauty and the beast

visual effects:

war for the planet of the apes

blade runner 2049

star wars: the last jedi

the shape of water

dunkirk

possibilities: okja and guardians of the galaxy vol. 2

animated feature:

coco

the breadwinner

loving vincent

mary and the witch’s flower

boss baby

possibilities: ferdinand and despicable me 3

documentary feature:

jane

city of ghosts

icarus

last men in aleppo

strong island

possibilities: faces places and an inconvienent sequel

foreign language:

in the fade

a fantastic woman

foxtrot

loveless

the square

possibilities: the insult and on body and soul

i’m not even sure how to “predict” the short film categories because this industry does such a terrible job spotlighting them and because i’m 99% sure actually academy members just choose them at random... but i’d honestly be pretty happy if those young filmmakers who directed in a heartbeat won for animated short because #GayRights!!!

#would love to be wrong!!!!!#oscar predictions #predictions #personal

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jjgaut · 7 years ago

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Obligatory Oscar Predictions (now with gratuitous gifs!)

I’ll be belatedly posting my reviews of various movies including a top ten list over the next few weeks, but if I’m going to turn this into a consistent (mostly) movie review blog, I may as well start with the obvious.

BEST PICTURE

There are about a half-dozen that seem to be locks at this point -- Three Billboards, The Shape of Water, Dunkirk, The Post, Lady Bird, and Get Out. (if one is missing tomorrow morning, expect it to be the last, but I doubt it)

First off, let’s pour one out for 2017, a year so bizarre and awesome that a fantasy about a mute woman having an affair with a fish-monster and a horror-comedy are front-runners. That’s like if the 1987 Best Picture nominees had been The Last Emperor, Hope and Glory, Broadcast News, Evil Dead II, and The Witches of Eastwick.

The remaining 3 or 4 slots are where it gets trickier.

Now, the Academy obviously isn’t cool enough to go for Wonder Woman, Logan, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, and The Last Jedi. That said, if they do go for one of the critically beloved blockbusters, I’d bank on the first one, with Logan being an extremely dark horse.

The remaining probable options are: Call Me By Your Name, I Tonya, The Darkest Hour, The Big Sick, Mudbound and Molly’s Game. All should get screenplay nominations and at least one acting nod; the question is just which of them are going to carry over to the big prize.

The Big Sick mostly has the problem that there’s already three comedy slots taken between Three Billboards, Lady Bird, and Get Out; they don’t typically go for one comedy, let alone a whole slate. Still, it was widely embraced enough that it certainly will have some momentum.

Call Me By Your Name is a good bet simply on the cynical account of being the serious gay romance of the year. I suspect its support will be better than for The Danish Girl but not as strong as Moonlight simply on account of it being much better than the former but not as great as the latter; that said, it’s lovingly crafted enough to push over the line, I suspect.

I, Tonya is probably a lock for Actress, and seems like the sort of film to get an extra boost on the power of that incredible lead performance; it helps that it’s a really good film that scores very strongly on feminist scales in a year where that’s going to be the groundswell in the Academy.

The Darkest Hour is trickier to guess; similarly, it’s a film built around one astounding performance, but isn’t nearly as strong as I, Tonya outside of Oldman Oldmaning the hell out of his best role in years.

Molly’s Game falls in the same category; Chastain is sensational, and I’m surprised Idris Elba doesn’t have more buzz and Costner doesn’t have any, but the movie itself is good, not great. Aaron Sorkin truly has a way with words, but as director, he’s a little too in love with his words, and too often doesn’t trust his visual telling of the story to carry it when he can dilute the impact with a 500 word speech explaining the images.

Finally, Mudbound has the severe disadvantage of Netflix’s hostility toward theaters and the traditional film business, which I suspect keeps them from really effectively campaigning. Although it’ll probably get noticed somewhere, the big prize will likely elude it.

FINAL CHOICE FOR BEST PICTURE:

(in decreasing order of likeliness)

Three Billboards

The Shape of Water

Dunkirk

The Post

Lady Bird

Get Out

Call Me By Your Name

I, Tonya

The Big Sick

Wonder Woman

BEST DIRECTOR

The picture pool largely shows who’s in line, with the bottom three films unlikely to show up here. McDonough and Del Toro are locks, and Greta Gerwig probably is, as well. Christopher Nolan seems like he should be a lock, but you would have thought so for The Dark Knight and Inception, too; has the director’s branch has gotten over whatever their Nolan-hate? Conversely, Spielberg would normally seem to be a lock, but he has so many nominations over the years that he might seem too obvious a choice; would they be voting because he did such a great job, or just because he’s frickin’ Spielberg? (in this case, definitely the former; his work in The Post is masterful) Then there’s the question of whether Jordan Peele has even more momentum than he seems to have, and if Luca Guadagnino manages a spoiler. Peele and Nolan getting DGA nods suggests they have the strongest support among the directors; I’ll chose them, but won’t be shocked to see wither Spielberg or Gaudagnino on there. (call Patty Jenkins the one-in-a-million longshot)

Martin McDonough - Three Billboards

Guillermo Del Toro - The Shape of Water

Greta Gerwig - Lady Bird

Christopher Nolan - Dunkirk

Jordan Peele - Get Out

BEST ACTOR

Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread

Timothy Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name

Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

Tom Hanks, The Post

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Denzel - Roman J Israel Esq. (though nobody seemed to like anything else about the movie); James Franco - The Disaster Artist (reports of his long-known douchey, misogynist behavior may keep him down, but then again, Casey Affleck); Hugh Jackman - either The Greatest Shomwan or Logan (having both in the mix probably kills his chances, and with The Greatest Showman embraced by audiences but loathed by critics, and Logan being a superhero movie released way back in Spring, it’s a hell of a longshot either way. I just really want him to get it for Logan.)

BEST ACTRESS

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

Frances McDormand, Three Billboards

Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird

Meryl Streep, The Post

SPOILERS: Jessica Chastain, Molly’s Game (honestly a tossup between her and Streep); Jude Dench, Victoria and Abdul (minor, barely seen film, but it’s Dench); Michelle Williams, All the Money in the World; Diane Kruger, In the Fade

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards

Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project

Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World

Armie Hammer, Call Me By Your Name

Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards

SPOILERS: Richard Jenkins or, less likely, Michael Shannon, The Shape of Water; Michael Stuhlberg, Call Me By Your Name; Idris Elba, Molly’s Game; Patrick Stewart, Logan (I will mention Logan every chance I get in an effort to will nominations into existence)

(and yes, that gif is from Iron Man 2)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Allison Janey, I, Tonya

Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

Mary J. Blige, Mudbound

Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Holly Hunter, The Big Sick

SPOILERS: Hong Chau, Downsizing (but everyone seems to have hated the movie otherwise); Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread; Tiffany Haddish, Girls Trip (if there’s an out of nowhere nod); Kristin Scott Thomas, The Darkest Hour; Michelle Pfieffer, mother!; Dafne Keene, Logan (see above)

OTHER VARIOUS NOTES

Murder on the Orient Express was one of my favorite films this year, but it seems to have been largely forgotten by the various awards communities. Still, it should at least get nominations for Costume Design and Production Design, and just possibly Cinematography. Tragically, there is no category for “Best Mustache”, a category this film would not only win but fill all the nominations.

The Shape of Water, apparently, is not even being considered for best makeup for reasons that I can’t possibly fathom. It will be one of the films that really cleans up in the tech categories, though.

Star Wars, Wonder Woman, Beauty and the Beast, and Dunkirk will dominate the technical awards. War For the Planet of the Apes, the best in the series since the original in ‘68 and one of the highlights of the year, will be ghettoed into just Visual Effects.

#shape of water #oscar #academy awards #three billboards #dunkirk #lady bird #the post #get out #call me by your name #i tonya #the big sick #wonder woman #logan #no love for badass mustachery

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jacksonhenry297 · 4 years ago

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Spotlight on Christopher Nolan’s Sound Design

Although Hans Zimmer has received accolades after accolades for accentuating the intensity and tension of the scenes from Nolan films, the Academy Award-nominated director has also received some criticism over his choice of soundtracks for his films.

But really, is it that loud? Because Tenet is the new addition to the list of films that have been severely criticized for being unnecessarily too loud.

It is no disputed fact that Christopher Nolan’s skill as a storyteller has caused an advent of a gigantic number of websites dedicated to analyze, dissect and interpret his movies and that indeed is a hard skill to master but over the years starting all the way from Inception, Nolan films have also been acrimoniously debated over the choice of soundtrack employed by the director.

And Tenet is a new addition to that list.

There are dialogues in almost all of his films that are crucial to understanding the whole plot and sometimes that loud background music makes those dialogues incomprehensible. It was “ok” for critics with Bane’s dialogue in The Dark Knight Rises, it became annoying with that docking scene in Interstellar, but now it has become unbearable with Tenet.

This is not to mention that relentless ear-shattering background tune in Dunkirk.

This time around Forbes critic Mandelson has not been kind with Nolan. He tore apart Nolan’s choice of music in Tenet. In his critical writing, Mandelson questioned in a very serious tone whether Nolan has any problems with the dialogue. He writes that what once was a “glorified joke” has now become an unnecessary annoyance and an imminent danger to the overall perceivance of his films.

Mandelson expounds his opinion in a straightforward manner by saying that if you are writing a narrative that does involve a certain amount of exposition, emphasis should be on the dialogue instead of the background music.

He also adds that for a director who is in love with theaters and in endeavoring to save it, his product is best suited to be viewed on a small device with the subtitles turned on.

However, the same criticism was hurled upon him in 2017 at the time of Dunkirk release, and he responded by saying that the soundtrack is chosen presuming that all the theaters are up to date with equipment that they use to play the sound. He acknowledged that it puts pressure on the exhibitors, but it was “2-3 films ago” he said, that he and his team decided to just make the best version of the film and let the exhibitors decide for themselves.

As far as the choice of music is concerned, he expounded his theory in an interview with the IndieWire when he said that he tried to resonate the feeling among the audience which the character is currently facing. By giving an example from that Interstellar docking scene, he said that he wanted the audience to feel how loud the surrounding was for Cooper and Brand.

He added that he disagrees that words are the best way to describe an emotion, he feels that as a filmmaker he ought to use everything that he has in his arsenal to create the thing he wants to create.

He said, and we all can agree that he wants to create things in “layers”, and that is true about the dialogues as well.

While we all can give an opinion about Nolan’s choice of soundtracks, the truth is that he hasn’t changed his stance regarding the choice of his music. The loud music is here to stay. Nolan pays attention to the music he wants for his film and what we hear in theaters is how exactly he wants us to hear it.

However, the criticism does hold some ground because we have seen in recent Television series like Chernobyl and The Haunting of Hill House that intelligent use of background silence hasn’t gone out of fashion and while we can mull over best sound playing equipment, it will remain an undisputed fact that silence will always enhance the suspense rather than degrading it down. Prudent use of silence is a sign of a master at work.

Jackson Henry. I’m a writer living in USA. I am a fan of technology, arts, and reading. I’m also interested in writing and education. You can read my blog with a click on the button above.

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Spotlight on Christopher Nolan

#ChristopherNolanZimmerfilms

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denimbex1986 · 1 year ago

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'Oppenheimer continues to be a force to be reckoned with at the box office, pushing past two films to become the highest-grossing World War II movie ever made. Directed by Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer stars Cillian Murphy as the titular American theoretical physicist. The film has been one of the best-reviewed of Nolan's career and audiences have been turning out to see the historical drama in droves.

Now, according to THR, Oppenheimer's worldwide box office has now hit $559.2 million, making it the highest-grossing World War II movie of all time. Nolan's latest effort beats his 2017 movie Dunkirk, which sits in second place with $527 million, and Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan in third place with $482 million (not adjusted for inflation). Spielberg's 1998 movie is widely considered to be one of the best war movies ever made.

Oppenheimer's Box Office Success Explained

Over the last two decades, Nolan has proven himself one of the most talented and exciting filmmakers working in Hollywood today. With acclaimed movies like The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar, and Dunkirk under his belt, Nolan himself is now a reliable draw for audiences. Oppenheimer also remained shrouded in mystery for many months, with trailers hyping the film's horror-movie-like approach to the life and career of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb.

Early on it also became clear that the Oppenheimer cast wouldn't just be the most impressive of Nolan's career, but one of the most impressive casts to be assembled in the history of movies. With actors like Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, and Matt Damon, among many others, the star power alone was undoubtedly a big draw. If hype was high before the movie's release, the glowing Oppenheimer reviews, some of which touted the film as the best of Nolan's career, also likely played a large role.

No discussion of Oppenheimer's success would be complete, however, without mentioning the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon. Oppenheimer's shared release date with Greta Gerwig's Barbie and the meme-able differences in tone between the two movies ultimately became a celebration of both, with tens of thousands of people actually opting for a double feature during the movies' opening weekends. Positive word-of-mouth has contributed to some powerful legs for Oppenheimer, and, combined with the movie's popularity in IMAX, Nolan's historical drama shows no signs of slowing down just yet.'

#Oppenheimer #Christopher Nolan #Saving Private Ryan #Cillian Murphy #Barbenheimer #Greta Gerwig #Barbie #Robert Downey Jr.#Emily Blunt #Florence Pugh #Matt Damon #The Dark Knight #Inception #Interstellar #Dunkirk

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jakelace · 7 years ago

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2017 IN FILM - FINALE (TOP 10)

10. Molly’s Game

“I was raised to be a champion. My goal was to win. At what and against whom, those were just details.”

Let’s not beat around the bush on this one. My love for this film comes almost exclusively from my love for Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue. Sorkin’s quick-witted way of writing is certainly not realistic by any stretch of the imagination, but allows for great lines and a thrilling way of telling a true to life story that might otherwise come off as a bit bland. Molly’s Game follows Molly Bloom (expertly portrayed by Jessica Chastain) who became a target of the FBI after running an underground poker game for years. It’s a truly larger than life story, which, knowing Sorkin’s penchant for twisting facts for a better story, probably is. But in the moment that doesn’t matter. I was fully engrossed by the fast paced dialogue, the top-notch performances, and the thrilling pacing of this outstanding story.

9. The Disaster Artist

“Greg, you have to be the best. You have to be the best you can be. And never give up.”

When I first heard that a film was being made all about the making of one of the best so-bad-it’s-good films ever made, I was on board. Although I would have never predicted the end product would be something so inspirational. The Disaster Artist follows Greg Sestero who, after meeting the infamous Tommy Wiseau, moves to Los Angeles to star in The Room. While the comedy and performances surrounding this retelling of a cinema-changing event are certainly very well done, it’s the inspiration I found in Wiseau that made me love this film. It’s easy to laugh along at The Room for its utter incompetence as an example of the entire medium, but when I took a step back to look at the passion and love for this story that Wiseau so obviously had, and his uncompromising dedication to making sure his directorial vision shone through, I began to see the man behind the film in a much different light, and one that inspired me to ‘be the best I can be. And never give up.’ ‘What a story, Mark!’...okay, I’m done now.

8. The Big Sick

“I’m guessing it’s a young, single Pakistani woman who just happened to be driving by our house, which is on a cul-de-sac.”

I shouldn’t have waited to watch The Big Sick as long as I did. It became instantly clear as soon as the credits began to roll that this would become the new standard that all romantic comedies are held to. Kumail Nanjiani’s performance is one of the most hilarious and heart-breaking of the year as he plays himself in a dramatization of the time Emily V. Gordon, Nanjiani’s girlfriend at the time, went into a medically induced coma with a mysterious disease. The writing is what really stands out here, with the entirety of it being written by Gordon and Nanjiani themselves. The laugh-out-loud moments mixed with the emotionally moving plot, affected me in a way few films have, making this one of the greatest rom-coms to ever exist. Oh, also, Holly Hunter is hilarious in this.

7. Get Out

“Now you’re in the sunken place.”

Get Out’s position has fluctuated the most out of any other film this year. Unsurprisingly though, it has always stayed quite high. Jordan Peele’s debut film is one that even veteran directors would be proud to have made, considering there are so few movies that even come close to how clever this film is in both its horror and social commentary. Every frame is so jam-packed with details that, though they may feel arbitrary at the time, provide us with a deeper look at characters, their motivations, and even their deeper psychology. Every moment is important with no time being wasted. Every performance (especially Daniel Kaluuya’s) is layered and nuanced with excellent characterizations. Get Out is a horror masterpiece that I am certain will be looked back on with the highest regards in years to come.

6. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

“Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to.”

I would have never guessed that putting a Star Wars film this high on an end of the year list would warrant so much controversy, but here we are. While I can understand a few of the complaints surrounding a few moments in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, I honestly cannot wrap my head around calling this an objectively bad film. It is quite possibly the most expertly shot and cleverly written film in the entire franchise, and the directions Rian Johnson decided to steer the franchise are some of the most exciting yet. It takes everything we thought we wanted out of a follow up to The Force Awakens and turns it on its head. It delivers wonderful characters to us, both new like Rose Tico, and old like Luke Skywalker. Most importantly, it gives me a story that makes me proud to be such a fan of a galaxy far, far away. Also, I’m now a huge fan of the space battles. I’m not really sure when or how that happened.

5. The Killing of a Sacred Deer

“A surgeon never kills a patient. An anesthesiologist can kill a patient, but a surgeon never can.”

Once again this year, we have another Colin Farrell led Yorgos Lanthimos film as my number five film of the year. While The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a different genre than last year’s The Lobster, his truly unique style of direction and dialogue remains. Lanthimos is a master at creating the cinematic feeling of an idyllic utopia, whilst making nearly every moving part feel off at the same time. His style is very ‘uncanny valley’ in that way, and while that may turn people off from his films, I can’t help but be glued to the screen. I was riveted by his off-kilter method of storytelling and his purposefully wooden dialogue. Farrell gives another great performance here, with Nicole Kidman stealing the show as she injects a small amount of actual emotion and fear into the picture. For those looking for something unconventional and disconcerting out of their cinema, I can’t recommend The Killing of a Sacred Deer enough.

4. Dunkirk

“If we go there we’ll die.”

Dunkirk is, without a doubt, Christopher Nolan’s most masterfully crafted film. Inception may still stand as my favorite, but when it comes to the sheer skill and effort on display, it’s nearly impossible to see this as anything less than a technical masterpiece. Nolan’s knack for creating emotional moments, intense heart-pounding action sequences, and non-linear stories perfectly works its way into the setting of World War 2, while also introducing me to an inspiring story I had never heard before. And yes, I still like to call this Anxiety: The Movie. If you’d like to read more of my thoughts on Nolan’s magnum opus, you can do so here.

3. Baby Driver

“The moment you catch feelings is the moment you catch a bullet.”

Though I don’t normally set up my rankings with subcategories in mind, if I did, Baby Driver would win Best Soundtrack without a single hesitation. Edgar Wright’s creative vision for this music-based heist film is absolutely stellar. Each scene is interwoven with music of all different sorts of genres and time-periods, with each of the heists and action sequences in the film playing out in-time with each song. It’s honestly a marvel that it was done this expertly. From the very opening scene I was smiling ear-to-ear and tapping my foot along with every backbeat and wheel-screech I could hear. Baby Driver, though fairly played-out in its story, survives and even thrives on the style that is oozing out of every frame. Edgar Wright is a directorial genius, and I can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve next. Oh, and it you didn’t want to drive around listening to John Spencer Blues Explosion’s “Bellbottoms” directly after listening to this...you’re lying.

2. A Ghost Story

“I don’t think they’re coming.”

Rooney Mara eats an entire pie for four and half minutes in this film, and I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t bawling with every bite she took. That’s just A Ghost Story for you though. By the time the credits began to roll my face hurt because of how long I had been ugly crying. Though I’m certain not everyone will have this strong of a reaction to the film, David Lowery’s deeply introspective film about loss and the inability to stop time from slipping through our fingers struck a massive chord with me. Every small motion, every flashback to happier times, and every major life event that flashes by left me emotionally devastated. It tapped into my own personal fears about love and legacy and whether or not we’ll be remembered when we pass, all the while providing one of the most compelling stories about the supernatural using barely any dialogue at all. A Ghost Story is a fantastically made and deliberately paced film that will haunt me for years to come...sorry, that pun was just too easy.

1. Lady Bird

“Don't you think maybe they are the same thing? Love and attention?”

Here we are, my number one favorite film of 2017. It’s been a long time coming, and we’ve discussed many other great films from the year, but in the end it could have only been Lady Bird, couldn’t it? There’s a certain undeniable love and connection I feel to coming of age films, and Greta Gerwig’s semi-autobiographical masterpiece is no exception to that. Lady Bird follows a young woman (Saoirse Ronan) in her last year of high-school as she struggles to make a place for herself in the world. Ronan is an absolute delight as Lady Bird and has a chance to show her range as one of the greatest up-and-coming actresses through outstanding comedy and emotionally heartfelt moments. It’s honestly hard for me to describe what it is I love about this film so much though. Like most coming of age films, everything I took from Lady Bird feels so personal to me. Gerwig’s writing is so uncannily realistic and resonant in my life because she is able to capture the wild absurdity of growing up while also handling complex issues and relationships in such interesting ways and through her weaving of nostalgia and comedy, she creates one of the greatest films about growing up that I have ever seen. I don’t want to spoil any larger character moments or fantastically written emotional climaxes, so I will leave you all with something I can say with the utmost confidence. Lady Bird is one of the few film experiences that everyone should have.

#Molly's Game #The Disaster Artist #The Big Sick #Get Out #Star Wars: The Last Jedi #The Killing of a Sacred Deer #Dunkirk #Baby Driver #A Ghost Story #Lady Bird

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sheslostinreality · 7 years ago

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Summary: Harry spoke to actress and new friend, [Y/N] [Y/L/N], recently just before the awards ceremony. Now it’s the after party! Harry’s distracted, searching for [Y/N], and his “Dunkirk” friends take notice. Little does he know [Y/N]’s looking for him, too…

The Oscars: “Have You Met [Y/N]?”

“The After Party!”

It’s the Oscars after party where all the invited guests are gathered together, seated with new and old friends at round tables with food and bottles of champagne before them; and winners and honorable people give their second speeches. It’s a time for actors and actresses to enjoy a dinner party with their co-stars and colleagues, catch up with friends, and simply have a good time.

Harry stands in a circle with his Dunkirk costars, his feet close together and his arms folded across his chest. His eyes roam the room in search of [Y/N] who he had last seen on-stage accepting her award for best actress. He remembers to nod, chuckle, and mumble an “mmhm” every so often to continue seeming engaged in the conversation while his mind is fixed on finding the girl he had met a several hours prior.

And there she is.

He finds her a few feet behind Fionn, shaking hands and embracing the people who come across her and congratulate her on her award. He smiles in awe as he watches from afar as she interacts with others full of grace and humility.

“You alright there, Harry?” Fionn Whitehead asks, his eyebrows scrunching together.

Harry snaps back into the conversation, realizing all eyes are on him. He clears his throat and fixes his stance, “Erm, yeh,” he tries to sell, “Why?”

“‘Cuz you’re lookin’ at me like yeh wanna kiss me,” Fionn chuckles, the rest of the group’s laughter following.

Harry feels his cheeks burn and bows his head, his eyes now now at his feet. He shakes his head. “Yeh wish, man,” Harry laughs off.

“Who are you looking at?” Christopher Nolan, a man who has become like a mentor to Harry, asks, observing the individuals behind Fionn.

“Nobody,” Harry tries to tell him.

“Were yah lookin’ at [Y/N] [Y/L/N]?” Jack Lowden asks, looking in the direction Harry was. Harry remains quiet, fighting a bashful smile, and the younger boys cheer.

“Yeh like her!” Fionn confirms for him. They all face towards [Y/N] and watch her as she coincidentally makes her away closer to them.

“Don’t worry about it,” Harry says simply, waving it off.

“What are yah doin’ standin’ here and talkin’ to us? Go over there!” Jack insists, giving Harry a light shove forward on the back.

Harry feels himself hesitate. His body moves forward but his feet remain planted on the ground. He’s conflicted within himself. He doesn’t want to seem overeager but he doesn’t want to miss his chance either. There’s a part of him that’s brave enough and confident to strike up a conversation with [Y/N] while another part is surprisingly sheepish and full of nerves, already set to retreat without even having made a move.

It’s something about [Y/N]— her grace, her charm, her beauty. The way she carries herself. He sees kindness in her, sincerity— a rarity in the industry. She seems different and he wants to get to know her. Looking at her and being in her presence gives him butterflies he’s only ever felt during the big moments in his life.

“Here she comes!” Fionn whispers quickly, “Say somethin’!”

“Mr. Nolan,” [Y/N] says, approaching the group. She extends a hand, “Congratulations on your film, ‘Dunkirk’.”

Nolan returns a handshake. “Call me Chris,” he tells her, smiling, “And thank you. Congratulations, as well.”

[Y/N] then turns her attention to Harry, flashing a smile that send the butterflies inside him free. “Hi, Harry,” she says.

“Hey,” he responds, trying to sound casual, calm, and collected. He gives Fionn a look who quickly receives the message.

“We’re gonna—“ Fionn pauses to think of a solid excuse. “Go to the loo,” he comes up with, “Come on, fellas. I need yah to help me, I’m drunk.”

The young gentlemen follow Fionn to the direction of the toilets while Chris excuses himself to continue socializing, leaving Harry and [Y/N] to themselves. A waiter comes by with a tray full of champagne glasses. “Champagne?” he offers. Harry takes two glasses, thanks the waiter, and hands [Y/N] a glass. “To you,” he grins, raising the glass.

She does the same. “To you,” [Y/N] smirks, before taking a sip. “This is my fifth glass, you know. I’m starting to feel a little woozy,” she giggles as she continues to drink from her glass.

“I’ve had quite a few myself,” Harry chuckles. “Care to take a walk outside?”

“I’d love to,” [Y/N] agrees.

Harry and [Y/N] walk through the garden of the venue, breathing in fresh air and feeling the summer breeze against their skin. The conversation begins with simple questions. Starter questions. They make small talk, discussing work, and simple likes and dislikes. As the night progresses, they slowly open up by relating stories and personal experiences. They talk about where they come from, where they were born and raised, their family, how they got into the business. They come to find they relate well with one another and have many commonalities. Before they know it, the awkward tension is long gone and the night is full of laughter. They soon feel as if they’ve known each other for years rather than just a few hours. The conversation’s very natural with no awkward silence.

Harry notices how [Y/N] can carry a conversation. He likes how she opens up to him and makes him feel like he’s known her. He’s fond of her positivity and light. She can transition from laughter to solemn conversations and deep issues to lighthearted talks. She’s a refreshment to him. And he absolutely adores how she genuinely laughs at all his jokes, finding them surprisingly witty and funny.

On the other hand, [Y/N] is surprised by Harry. He isn’t like the picture she painted in her mind or the image the media created. He was better. He has truthfulness to him and passion. She admires the way he speaks about the things he loves and cares about. He can converse about something so deeply you’ll fall in love with it yourself. He has an infectious smile and is a lot funnier in person. And the best part is: he's not at all short of being a gentleman.

Harry smiles down at [Y/N] as they sit inches away from each other on a wooden bench behind the tall bush hedges, parts of her face illuminated by the moonlight. She locks her eyes with his, peering into the green orbs in efforts to read what is on his mind in the silence. It’s no secret. He’s captivated by her. The way he looks at her says everything— his expression softens, his eyes in awe, his lips curve, his body relaxes. He takes notice of her every detail. His attraction towards her grows stronger the longer he’s around her. His desire for her builds. She fills him with a sense of wonderment and curiosity. He finds a need to know the heart behind the beauty.

Harry leans forward and presses his lips against hers, leaving all hesitation and rationality behind. There’s no more thinking.

He pulls away after a few seconds, slightly embarrassed by his impulsivity. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have. I—“

“Do you want to get out of here?” [Y/N] asks, perfectly interrupting his nervous ramble.

A smile slowly forms on Harry’s lips. “Yeah,” he nods. He slips his fingers through [Y/N]’s hand and feels her grip his hold. He leads the way to the parking lot filled with black suburban and calls for a driver.

#harry styles imagine #harry styles fluff #harry styles #harry styles dunkirk #harry styles interview #harry styles award show #harry styles one shot #harry styles original writing #one direction imagines #1d preferences #d1d hs imagine 10

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lowdenfordays · 7 years ago

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Here, ‘ave another Lowden fic.

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You redid your hair for the fourth time, getting more and more stressed with each iteration.

“Is this better?”, you asked Jack, voice full of worry.

“It looks beautiful, Y/N, but then I though it did the first time.” He was clearly trying his best not to let the exasperation colour his voice. You tucked in a few strays and decided to be satisfied. It wasn’t really your hair you were worried about. Jack was taking you to the premiere of his new film Dunkirk, and you were terrified. Though the two of you had been dating for almost six months now, you’d kept it a secret from all but your nearest and dearest. You hadn’t wanted the press to find out and go crazy, or put pressure on the relationship, or even, god forbid, you to break up and have your misery plastered over all the magazines. By now you knew Jack was the real deal, and you had no intention of breaking up with him. Ever. But you weren’t sure if you were ready for the world to know yet. You had gained some recognition as a fashion journalist and blogger, so there would definitely be people at the premiere who would recognise you. There had already been a couple of photos leaked online of you and Jack walking together, and the rumours were building. Surely there would be no hiding now. It was less people knowing you and Jack were together that scared you, more the judgement that would surely follow. Jack was an up-and-coming, Olivier-winning actor, and completely gorgeous to boot. You were, well… average. You knew how to dress, sure, it was your job, but there were so many stunning, talented, incredible women in Jack’s line of work, many of whom would fall at his feet. You barely felt worthy of him yourself, so there was no way the public would. He was the prince and you were the frog.

“Are ye ready to go?”, he asked, “The car’s waiting”.

You grabbed your purse and followed Jack out of the door.

You sat in the car, trying you best not to let your nerves get the better of you, but failed to stop your fingers tapping frantically on your knee. Jack scooted up closer to you, put his arm around you, and planted a gentle kiss on your temple.

“It’s gonna be fine, petal, I promise. You look incredible”.

“Thank you, Jacky,” you muttered, “I’m just a little scared is all.” You let your head rest on his shoulder.

“Why? You’ve already met all my mates. They all loved ye.”

“It’s not them, it’s… everyone else.”

He gave you a questioning look and you elaborated, “You know, the press and your fans and the rest of it. I’m worried they’ll think I’m not good enough for you.” As soon as the words left your lips you knew you were being silly, childish even. You’d spend most of your life building up your self-confidence and making sure the only person whose opinion really matter was your own. But now, since meeting Jack, his opinions had pushed their way into your heart, almost without your permission, and all of a sudden what he thought, and by extension what his fans thought, was important to you. And once the door is open a crack, it’ll always blow wide open. You’d become far more conscious of the judgement of others than you had ever intended to be.

“Look, Y/N, you’re an intelligent woman, but I swear to god that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard ye say. You’re more than I deserve, and I love you. If people can’t respect that, then they’ve no right to an opinion on the matter.”

You smiled, and nodded, and let your nerves settle as much as you could.

The car pulled up beside the red carpet and, as soon as the door opened, the manic atmosphere hit you. There were people screaming everywhere. Jack appeared at your side and offered a hand to help you out of the car. You took it gratefully and cameras started flashing instantly.

“Is Y/N your girlfriend Jack?”

“Miss Y/L/N, are you and Jack dating?”

“How long have you been together?”

“Jack, do you think she’s the one?”

The sudden bombardment caught you off-guard and you felt the panic rising up your neck. Jack gave your hand a squeeze and sent you a loving smile, before moving off to greet fans begging for photos and autographs.

You knew he had to go to them, but the vacancy he created left you feeling simultaneously anxious, awkward and desperately lonely. Thankfully, Cillian came up behind you to offer you a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“You look amazing Y/N. Where’s the dress from?”, he asked.

You tittered, “Like you care”. He smiled; you were grateful for his company.

“I’m just being polite, but you’re right I really don’t understand all that designer fashion stuff. Where’s Jack?”

You gestured to the mob of fans and he gave a knowing nod. “Come on then, everyone else is over here. We’ve been told to line up for press photos.”

You glanced towards Jack, but Cillian just chuckled, “He’ll find us when he’s done”.

You let him lead you to the rest of the guys, most of whom you’d met a couple of times now. You exchanged greetings and they all remarked how pleased, and a tad surprised, they were to see you. They knew you’d been trying to keep the relationship secret. You just shrugged and told them Jack had invited you, and you couldn’t pass up an opportunity to go to the premiere on a Christopher Nolan movie. You tried to keep your jitters to yourself, but you can’t have done a very good job, because Tom (the elder) came up behind you and whispered, “Don’t worry, everyone’s going to love you just as much as we do.” You turned and smiled, grateful for his paternal nature. He just winked and called out, “Jack, you’re not doing a great job of looking after your lady. A beautiful gal like that, you’d best keep an eye on her or you might find someone steals her off you.” He walked up behind you and placed a hand on the small of your back.

As soon as the paparazzi heard Tom’s exclamation they started having a field day. Jack, somehow, remained totally calm and collected. A grin lit up his face and he took your hand. He started walking towards the photo area, but you pulled back, reluctant to expose yourself so fully.

“Come on, I want to show everyone how much ye mean to me”. There was no arguing with him, and anyway, you’d passed the point of no return, so you let him lead you forward.

Jack, always easy in front of the camera, immediately put his arm around your waist and posed. You shifted uncomfortably on your feet, feeling like a Labrador puppy that hadn’t grown into its limbs yet. Jack put his lips to your ear and whispered, “This is where we belong. Side by side, for the world to see. I want the world to know how much I love you.”

You completely forgot yourself. You were no longer conscious of your body, or the cameras or the screaming or the chaos. All you could see was him. And then there was nothing, nothing but euphoria, as Jack pressed his lips firmly to yours and kissed you with a kind of passion you’d never known before. It was like you needed each other and you were only whole when entirely in the other’s control.

Cameras were flashing all around you, your friends where cheering loudly. The kiss ended and you were jerked back to reality. All you could do was grin. You looked at Jack and in a second you knew, you couldn’t give a damn what anyone thought of you. You were in love, and that was enough.

#jack lowden #jack lowden imagine #jack lowden x reader #dunkirk #dunkirk imagine #dunkirk movie #dunkirk premiere

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furederiko · 7 years ago

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This is the LAST post for December, meaning it's also the FINAL post for the year. Anything special to publish in the conclusive day of 2017? NOPE. Just this... uhmmm, random ramblings. Ahahaha...

My internet went down completely for around 2 weeks since December 13th. The unexpected 'incident' (I apparently has burned my modem *sigh*) made me switched into my creative side and did genuine FUN non-internet related things instead. And I got all caught up by it... that I practically did NOT prepare anything for Tumblr.

Had a Random-News-Digest prepared for mid-December, but ditched it completely because the content would be highly outdated now. Wanted to do my monthly recap-view for "Kamen Rider Build", but haven't finished it so it'll have to wait until next month. The only thing I could pull off was the recap-views for "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" last 2 episodes of the year. Though to be honest, that amazing show was part of my 'offline fun' as well. So yeah, unlike last year, there is no TOP 10 list this year. Didn't even publish anything for Christmas, because I completely FORGOT about it! LOL... (^^;)

Anyways, to make up for all of that, I've written a rough 'RECAP' of what went through my life this year. Entertainment-wise, of course, and not all but just some of the highlights. In list form! Why? Because I feel like it *grins*. Here goes nothing...

Movies, Oh movies...

- Watched even less movies on the theatre this year, and opted to wait several releases on home video. Only went to see the big guns, thus there isn't any disappointment. - Surprisingly, I loved the live action "Beauty and the Beast" more than the animated original. Dan Stevens' solo number "Evermore" is stuck in my head ever since. - Haven't seen "Coco", and really want to. Here's hoping the home video will be released soon. I guess I should see "Cars 3" first, huh? - "Dunkirk" was magnificent. War movie is usually not my forte, so I'm pleasantly surprised that Christopher Nolan managed to make me enjoy one. Was it the short duration, the all-out jerks of the army, or the non-stop intensity? Don't know. But if there's at least one thing I've gained from it: I disliked Harry Styles ever more now. No kidding. Poor French soldier... - I'm a visual guy so when I saw a disturbing scene, it usually stayed on my head for a good while. That bloody scene after the bomb explosion on "Stronger", for example? *sigh*. I hope Jake Gyllenhall receives an Oscar nomination for his work on this movie. - "Death Note" and "Ghost in the Shell"? Enjoyed the first one more, but both deserved better. - Tom Cruise's "The Mummy" was mediocre, but I'm among the minority who actually want to see more of Universal's Dark Universe. Even if just to see more of Russell Crowe going Jekyll. Charlie Hunnam's "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" was the movie's kindred spirit, while "Kong: Skull Island" was the opposite. Kong will be meeting Godzilla in the coming years! - Comic book adaptations were generally top notch. Naturally the three Marvel Studios' releases; "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", "Spider-Man: Homecoming", and "Thor: Ragnarok"; would be my top picks. Don't ask me to choose which one is the best though! All three were amazing and marvelous in their own unique ways, so I'd gladly rank them in the same spot just to be fair. - I admit, "Logan" and "Wonder Woman" were great too, but I didn't like them as much as everyone else on the planet. Not sure why, I guess... none of them was my cup of tea? Let's just say, there were problems on each of them that I couldn't quite tolerate and it reduced my overall impression on them. - Don't ask about "Justice League". I'll wait until I can borrow a copy when it's out on home video. Not wasting my money on a poorly reviewed DC Films. For now, "The LEGO Batman Movie" remains to be the best DC release of the year. - "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" was just NOT as good as the prequel. It was fun, but it felt like it's repetitive yet also missing something and trying too much.

Show Must Go On...

- Just realized that I've seen MORE TV series this year! Both the currently in broadcast, or titles from previouse years like "Westworld". Oh WOW... - Both Marvel's "Iron Fist" and Marvel's "The Defenders" were genuine duds. Both TV series were underwhelming and disappointing, that I have lost any urge to see Marvel's "The Punisher". - Haven't seen Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." 5th season as well, because I haven't been feeling it. Though that will change in the near future because I'm itching to see its 5th episode. Hey, my boy Fitz and Hunter are the star of that episode, right? THAT I just have to see! I wonder if seeing that episode would be enough to convince me to watch the previous four episodes... - Currently following Marvel's "Runaways", though this 1st season might be my first and last. Don't know why, but not feeling it either. I think CW's "Riverdale" was a more watchable show, and even that one have been dropped after Season 1. LOL. I guess teenage soap-opera is just NOT my thing. - The 5th and final season of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" was kind of... all over the place too. This show should've ended with Season 3, if you ask me. It had a bittersweet ending, akin to "Samurai Jack". But it also did not ended gracefully, and far less enjoyable to follow. - "Stranger Things" Season 2 was amazing. It had a somewhat different vibe compared to the 1st one, but equally enjoyable to watch. Poor characters whose name starts with 'B'... - I think the 3rd and 4th Seasons of "Voltron Legendary Defender" were initially meant to be one unit. The show's first two seasons were impressive, but these latter two were... okay? I don't know why, but it felt like it has waned a bit. - "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" was somewhat similar. I had great time with Season 1 and 2, but Season 3 was a bit... uneven. Many of the jokes didn't quite hit, and some of the story development started feeling like a recycled trick. Still, I would love to see a 4th Season, and hopefully with better improvements. - Was expecting "Big Hero 6: The Series" to be as amazing as the Oscar-winning movie... but alas that didn't seem to be the case. Didn't quite enjoy the 2-episodes premiere as much as I wanted to. A complete opposite to "DuckTales", that hit all the right notes. The sole complaint I have about this reboot/remake, is that Scrooge McDuck's adventure isn't airing new episodes on a weekly basis! Aaaaargggh, the long wait is making me angry. - If you haven't seen "Thunderbirds Are Go", then what are you waiting for? I feel the 2nd Season had more and more amazing moments, to the point that I hope Season 3 will come sooner than later. - Comedies are taking my leisure time now! Have been following Seth McFarlane's "The Orville". It was mediocre to good, and desperately in need of improvements (hopefully in Season 2). Yet I keep going back and see it. Is it the star power of its guest stars? - Adam Scott and Craig Robinson's "Ghosted" is on my top priority watch. Sure, the quality has reduced a bit since the pilot, but the supernatural agents aren't going anytime soon from my house. - The same with Kevin Finn! Great goodness, I have only started watching "Kevin Probably Saves the World" since early this month (the benefit of NOT getting preoccupied by the internet LOL), but I'm already regretting why I didn't start sooner. Now I honestly can't wait to see more! Kevin is such an adorkable, likeable, and surprisingly relatable quirky lead. The kind of guy I would totally love to be best friends with in real life. Really though, the show is infectuous with its acts of kindness, heartwarming with its pleasant vibes, and also surprisingly engaging through its personal conflicts. If you hear me giggling, laughing out loud, or sobbing lately, you can probably thank Kevin, his guardian Angel, family, and friends for that! Seriously...

A Spoonful of Anime and Toku

- Turns out, "Kekkai Sensen & Beyond" wasn't the sequel that I expected to be. It's... 'different' than the first season. But when you get to see what the other members of Libra (even the team's butler) are doing in their daily lives, should one even be complaining? In the end it was indeed as amazing and fun ride as the first season, even if lead protagonist Leonardo Watch took a back seat most of the season. I'm already crossing my fingers to see more adventure of the team. But it likely won't happen in the near future, huh? Bummer... - "Ballroom e Youkoso" was a peculiar dance. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half, but after Tatara changed partner things got... hectic and irritating to follow? It was still good, but a rather uneven show if you ask me for honest impression. At the very least, it wasn't a wasted opportunity like "Kabuki-bu!" was. - "Houseki no Kuni" was of similar situation. Its animation was gorgeous, story was peculiarly engaging, and world building was great. But there were episodes that were undeniably better than the rest, and I didn't quite like how it ended. I guess that finale was teasing for more seasons? Hmmm... - It's been years since I follow a Pretty Cure series, and "Kira Kira Precure A La Mode" wet my appetite and got me back to the game. Unfortunately, while the design was interesting, and the sweets angle was neat, the story was somewhat weak. I have lost my initial enthusiasm after the first half, but I still watch it because it's going to end pretty soon. Not quite expecting a mindblowing finale though, especially if the animation quality is any indication. A common problem of TOEI Animation. Remember "Sekaisuru KADO"? - Dang it, what an impressive year it has been with Super Sentai. "Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger" was kind of dull and boring last year, but had a great ending this year. And it was quickly followed by something even better. Yes, another show that has dragged me on a pleasant roller coaster ride is none other than TOEI's "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger". Since its premiere run on February, until its Christmas episode that wrapped up its 2017 run, I haven't been disappointed once with the series. Yes, I had an issue with the spin-off series of V-Cinema "Episode of Stinger", but that didn't count as the broadcast lineup. Though it's painful for me to soon say goodbye to this amazing season, I hope its last month will be memorable and a blast. Particularly because I'm currently having second thoughts about the 2018 season... - Just like its weekly storyline, "Kamen Rider Build" is still moving me back and forth. I'm honestly on the verge of dropping it completely, but I guess I'm going to check out several episodes from the next "Kamen Rider Wars" arc. I kind of feel it takes too long to get to this point when it could've been done earlier, but who am I to argue, right?

Name of the Game

- "Nintendo Switch" was a hit! Ever since its release on March 2017, the buzz and hype for this hybrid console only continue to increase. I wonder if I will be able to purchase one next year? Perhaps, just in time for the next Pokemon gen? - Speaking of Pokemon, the addition of Generation III from Hoenn region has made me go out and explore "Pokemon GO" again. The whole Raid Battle system and Niantic's handling of the Legendary Pokemon had disappointed so bad that I was close to give up on this App. Thankfully, now I have a horde of new reason to walk around the neighborhood. Problem is, can the same premise work in the long run? Niantic really need to consider new social features that enables players to engage with one another. - "Street Fighter V" had a weird set of DLC characters this year. The 2nd Season contained mostly new characters, that was a hit or miss with fans. Thankfully, things seem to be picking up next year with the Arcade Edition. Not just because my man Cody Travers is all dandy clean and returning to the game, of course. Question is, will I be able to play the game eventhough I don't have any plans to pick up a PS4? *giggles*. - I also haven't been able to play "Persona 5" due to the exact reason. LOL. Thankfully, "Persona 5 the Animation" has been announced to air next year. Sure, I'm a bit skeptical with the fact that A-1 Pictures and not Production I.G. will be doing the animation, but at least this will be my way of enjoying the game... WITHOUT actually playing it. - LEVEL-5 should do more of that worldwide Puzzle Quest! That was meant to be a prelude or some sort to "Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaires' Conspiracy", but I think the game developer should learn by now that it could work as a stand alone project. It made people come together in surprising way, and attracted fans to come back everyday to check out the new worldwide puzzle. Real FUN!

Oookaaay, that went A LOT longer than I expected. And I'm 100% sure that there are items that completely slipped my mind. As of writing this line, it's only just a few hours before the year ends! Aaaaarggggh *grumble*. Gotta publish this one soon then!

With that said, 2017 has been a difficult and challenging year. Particularly to a very discriminative and straight-out evil political atmosphere. One that allowed people to show their true despicable nature and selfishly trampled others for it. Last year I did say that "There's so many reasons to be hopeful about 2017", but reality had spoken differently as it turned out there were plenty more to discourage us throughout the year. Many people have even lost their fate in humanity this year.

But you know what? I'm going to say the same thing this day as well. There are SOOO many reasons to be hopeful about 2018. I don't know if it's because I'm currently caught up in the holiday spirit, or because I've been feeling extra thankful and blessed this month. One thing I can openly attest, is that things DO GET BETTER. So don't ever lose hope, and keep fighting the good fight in the name of just and goodness. I'm being lazy right now, so I'm just going to copy and paste my own words from last year: "Life can sometimes be hard, but all we need to do is stay strong, stay high spirited, and more importantly, keep moving forward! Happiness and blessings will surely find its way, in ways you might not imagine!".

And also this next one... because I'm going to be saying more or less the same kind of statements anyway: "Thanks to those who have been reading my blog all year long. I know I haven't spent much time (or any) to address you one by one, and heck, I might not even know you're there. But please know that I'll always be grateful for your presence, your time, kindness, and more importantly patience to walk through my long and sometimes pointless ramblings. What you've been doing means a lot for me, and I hope what I've been posting has and will somehow benefit back to you in return.". 2017 ends in just a few hours away, so let's enter and stride through 2018 with a hopeful and brave heart, the biggest and earnest smiles, the most sincere love and compassion for others regardless of their religion, race, or skin color. More importantly, let's make 2018 a year that we can be proud of. Where we take a stand for what's right and good! Where we become better human being than we are this year!

SEE YOU TOMORROW IN 2018!!!

#message #quotes #life quotes #wisewords #Just for Fun #random thoughts #movie #TV show #anime #game #review

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