The_Frase
Joined Oct 2011
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Reviews7
The_Frase's rating
Oscar (Thomas Horne) is an autistic child who, although quiet intellectually well equipped, lacks the social and inter personal skills of others. This is his story of losing his father (Tom Hanks) and his attempts to come to terms with this.
He and his father first begin their search for the 6th borough of New York, the lost borough. This was an exercise to develop Oscar's social skills and to face the fears that hold him back. Upon his death the quest becomes one of inner strength and dealing with the unanswerable question of why?
Although highly acclaimed within the industry, the film has been given some negative press, due to its pace, the level of acting and some of the narrative events most specifically 9/11. I was happy to realise upon watching the film that these were baseless.
The screenplay (Eric Both) was well assembled and stayed true to the original plot and themes of the novel (Jonathan Safran Foer). The acting of Hanks and Bullock was emotive and understated, and Horne's interaction with each was excellently displayed.
The films haunting score and conventional structure helps focus on the characters and more importantly on the mystery and intrigue of the quest and the obstacles that face Oscar, including those of his own imposition and some from his condition.
The film is a bit of an emotional roller-coaster, which thankfully doesn't dwell on the political strife of 9/11. This being the case the events retain their true emotionally devastating effects without subverting from the original themes. Although the grandparents are less explored than I would have liked the focus on Oscar and his journey is the central. This is definitely one that is worth a watch, but you should be prepared for its emotional content.
The_Frase
He and his father first begin their search for the 6th borough of New York, the lost borough. This was an exercise to develop Oscar's social skills and to face the fears that hold him back. Upon his death the quest becomes one of inner strength and dealing with the unanswerable question of why?
Although highly acclaimed within the industry, the film has been given some negative press, due to its pace, the level of acting and some of the narrative events most specifically 9/11. I was happy to realise upon watching the film that these were baseless.
The screenplay (Eric Both) was well assembled and stayed true to the original plot and themes of the novel (Jonathan Safran Foer). The acting of Hanks and Bullock was emotive and understated, and Horne's interaction with each was excellently displayed.
The films haunting score and conventional structure helps focus on the characters and more importantly on the mystery and intrigue of the quest and the obstacles that face Oscar, including those of his own imposition and some from his condition.
The film is a bit of an emotional roller-coaster, which thankfully doesn't dwell on the political strife of 9/11. This being the case the events retain their true emotionally devastating effects without subverting from the original themes. Although the grandparents are less explored than I would have liked the focus on Oscar and his journey is the central. This is definitely one that is worth a watch, but you should be prepared for its emotional content.
The_Frase
Review The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
The English adaptation of the runaway success story of 'The girl with the Dragon Tattoo' was always going to be a large undertaking due to the 'best-selling' Stieg Larsson's Novel and the highly rated Swedish adaptation by Män som hatar kvinnor.
Even for a director such as David Fincher, who can boast a career built on many hugely popular titles such as 'Se7en', 'Fight club' and 'The Social Network', an undertaking of this magnitude and an inability to produce a film that was deemed worthy of its attachment to the novel would be disastrous. Although not doubting his ability, the undertaking of this project could be seen as a bold but exciting move. Fincher's adaptation is every bit exhilarating and in depth as the base material.
The intense intricacies of the novel are displayed well throughout the film. These are an essential foundation for the trilogy but are obviously detrimental the motion and speed of the picture. For a 2:40 hour film, these areas can slow the pace to a point where people around me were nearly nodding off. Combined with an inability of many English speakers to learn and follow the characters Swedish names, the opening of film can be challenging for those seeking easy gratification and not familiar with the characters.
The numerous side-by-side narratives that permeate into the main plot are very well constructed, shot and acted. It is through these vessels that Daniel Craig and in particular, Rooney Mata shine.
Mara's transformation into the 'cyberpunk-esque' hacker is flawless. I often completely forgot her as an actress, a true testament to her performance. I found that she breathed a greater sense of humanity into her version of the character which was a great loyalty to the novel.
Craig's performance is obviously integral to the film but it is all the better alongside the mesmerising Stellan Skarsgård as Martin. His performance is truly great and sits well alongside the strong acting casts' offerings.
The film displays the action and points of conflict in a heart racing trance, you cannot help but be consumed by the intensity and realism that's pouring out the screen. Brutal, unflinching but not prosaic in the slightest, these scenes bind the audience to the characters trails and battles in a very close and personal way. We feel their pain, think their thoughts and sympathise with their positions.
Throughout the viewing experience you are held by that feeling that the film you are watching is going to be something that not only will you watch again, but champion it to your friends and colleagues. I have already had discussions about this film with groups of people that some may regard as outside of the typical demographic. Like the novel and Swedish version this has the ability and power to mesmerise large portions of the population. An excellent adaptation expertly constructed and flawlessly acted.
8/10 The_Frase
The English adaptation of the runaway success story of 'The girl with the Dragon Tattoo' was always going to be a large undertaking due to the 'best-selling' Stieg Larsson's Novel and the highly rated Swedish adaptation by Män som hatar kvinnor.
Even for a director such as David Fincher, who can boast a career built on many hugely popular titles such as 'Se7en', 'Fight club' and 'The Social Network', an undertaking of this magnitude and an inability to produce a film that was deemed worthy of its attachment to the novel would be disastrous. Although not doubting his ability, the undertaking of this project could be seen as a bold but exciting move. Fincher's adaptation is every bit exhilarating and in depth as the base material.
The intense intricacies of the novel are displayed well throughout the film. These are an essential foundation for the trilogy but are obviously detrimental the motion and speed of the picture. For a 2:40 hour film, these areas can slow the pace to a point where people around me were nearly nodding off. Combined with an inability of many English speakers to learn and follow the characters Swedish names, the opening of film can be challenging for those seeking easy gratification and not familiar with the characters.
The numerous side-by-side narratives that permeate into the main plot are very well constructed, shot and acted. It is through these vessels that Daniel Craig and in particular, Rooney Mata shine.
Mara's transformation into the 'cyberpunk-esque' hacker is flawless. I often completely forgot her as an actress, a true testament to her performance. I found that she breathed a greater sense of humanity into her version of the character which was a great loyalty to the novel.
Craig's performance is obviously integral to the film but it is all the better alongside the mesmerising Stellan Skarsgård as Martin. His performance is truly great and sits well alongside the strong acting casts' offerings.
The film displays the action and points of conflict in a heart racing trance, you cannot help but be consumed by the intensity and realism that's pouring out the screen. Brutal, unflinching but not prosaic in the slightest, these scenes bind the audience to the characters trails and battles in a very close and personal way. We feel their pain, think their thoughts and sympathise with their positions.
Throughout the viewing experience you are held by that feeling that the film you are watching is going to be something that not only will you watch again, but champion it to your friends and colleagues. I have already had discussions about this film with groups of people that some may regard as outside of the typical demographic. Like the novel and Swedish version this has the ability and power to mesmerise large portions of the population. An excellent adaptation expertly constructed and flawlessly acted.
8/10 The_Frase
The much hyped and eagerly awaited film release of one of this years' main award title contenders will always divide opinion based on its critical and public receptions. Here is a film that will most likely be enjoyed and celebrated by critics, those close to the industry and avid movie goers and perhaps less so by the general public as this film lack that easy to digest nature and offers little in the form of easy gratification....
Full review - read more:
The timely release of the latest and much anticipated Alexander Payne offering has lead the film to numerous nominations on both sides of the Atlantic. From best picture, best direction and leading actor the nominations point this film on a high flying trajectory.
The film from the outset develops a complex and emotionally gruelling story line of a severely injured mother, dysfunctional daughters, and an emotional distant, incapable father. The journey of the family's struggle to come to terms with their situation as well as deal with an historic land sale and embattled extended family subplots delves between the crushing blows of realisation, (beautifully executed examples by Shailene Woodley and Beau Bridges) and moments of hilarity (Clooney, Bridges and Nick Krause) that will turn in an instant keeping the emotional journey of the characters at the for front of the audiences experience.
Similar to Paynes other work, this bitter sweet combination of tragedy and comedy drives the narrative and allows the characters to slowly reveal their motivations and build the body of understanding and circumstance to the films events. The tightrope that us as the viewer tread between these two camps are also beautifully displayed in the shot construction, bouncing between the confined and bland surroundings of the hospital room and the grand majestic pans and establishing shots of the family's' land plot. There are numerous stunning shots that will echo the 'paradise lost' theme as the characters travel islands of Hawaii, adding the analogy that the family and every member were similar to the archipelago - part of one but forever separate and alone.
The stirring performance by Clooney, taking a step outside his usual area of comfort, is the perfect embodiment of a man far out his depth and ill-equipped to deal with the lesson life is about to teach him let alone prepare and shepherd his family through it. He is masterful in his achievement and without this backbone of a performance we would be greeting a very different film.
The film is an enjoyable and emotion watch, it will lead to a triumph of independent cinema, to challenge the audience's current view or expectation of themselves. But its only failing would be of its overall appeal to a larger, mainstream audience.
Lacking the prosaic and obtuse comedy elements that sit so well with the main studios as well as the grand feel good moment to round off the film and have everyone leave happy. It could also be argued that the film lacks the gravity or force to really challenge the audience. It does convey mixed messages and the overall conclusion or message of the story is open to interpretation.
The film is cleverer and less apologetic to such nuances of Hollywood convention but steers close enough to attract the attention and gaze of many of its flock. The film is well worth a watch and is a worthy award contender on this year's award circuit but may have been overawed by some areas of the critical community.
7/10 The_Frase
Full review - read more:
The timely release of the latest and much anticipated Alexander Payne offering has lead the film to numerous nominations on both sides of the Atlantic. From best picture, best direction and leading actor the nominations point this film on a high flying trajectory.
The film from the outset develops a complex and emotionally gruelling story line of a severely injured mother, dysfunctional daughters, and an emotional distant, incapable father. The journey of the family's struggle to come to terms with their situation as well as deal with an historic land sale and embattled extended family subplots delves between the crushing blows of realisation, (beautifully executed examples by Shailene Woodley and Beau Bridges) and moments of hilarity (Clooney, Bridges and Nick Krause) that will turn in an instant keeping the emotional journey of the characters at the for front of the audiences experience.
Similar to Paynes other work, this bitter sweet combination of tragedy and comedy drives the narrative and allows the characters to slowly reveal their motivations and build the body of understanding and circumstance to the films events. The tightrope that us as the viewer tread between these two camps are also beautifully displayed in the shot construction, bouncing between the confined and bland surroundings of the hospital room and the grand majestic pans and establishing shots of the family's' land plot. There are numerous stunning shots that will echo the 'paradise lost' theme as the characters travel islands of Hawaii, adding the analogy that the family and every member were similar to the archipelago - part of one but forever separate and alone.
The stirring performance by Clooney, taking a step outside his usual area of comfort, is the perfect embodiment of a man far out his depth and ill-equipped to deal with the lesson life is about to teach him let alone prepare and shepherd his family through it. He is masterful in his achievement and without this backbone of a performance we would be greeting a very different film.
The film is an enjoyable and emotion watch, it will lead to a triumph of independent cinema, to challenge the audience's current view or expectation of themselves. But its only failing would be of its overall appeal to a larger, mainstream audience.
Lacking the prosaic and obtuse comedy elements that sit so well with the main studios as well as the grand feel good moment to round off the film and have everyone leave happy. It could also be argued that the film lacks the gravity or force to really challenge the audience. It does convey mixed messages and the overall conclusion or message of the story is open to interpretation.
The film is cleverer and less apologetic to such nuances of Hollywood convention but steers close enough to attract the attention and gaze of many of its flock. The film is well worth a watch and is a worthy award contender on this year's award circuit but may have been overawed by some areas of the critical community.
7/10 The_Frase