MovieViews- Felidae

'What do you know about the word 'Felidae'?"

My god this film. It's brutal, it's unforgiving. It's not a true children's film. There is animal violence; seriously, there is mutilation of the feline-like and it is on screen. Felidae is an interesting film in that fashion; it's not a particularly good film, it isn't even that great, but it does take great risks. This film is a German Crime Thriller featuring cats and Burt Reynolds, John Hurt, and Christopher Lloyd being questionable felines in the grand scheme of this film. This is of course a foreign film and there is little to no information on the director, but this film does keep your interest even if it is not good.

Felidae is about a cat named Francis, who moves into a new neighborhood with his owner, who is a writer. The house they move into turns out to be the former home of a mad doctor who performed horrific experiments on cats and recorded them before the doctor's alcoholism took over. Francis is haunted by dreams of dying cats at the hands of "can openers" (humans) and the first night he moves in, he sees the mutilated body of a fellow cat. Francis must solve the mystery of the cat killer with his friend Bluebeard (Reynolds) and his mentor, Pascal (John Hurt) while avoiding the fights and temptations of being a cat.

None of the actors really stood out other than Burt Reynolds as a street smart, elder Manx who teaches Francis about the rules of the neighborhood and acts as his foil, as Francis is optimistic and determined and Bluebeard is lazy and cynical. John Hurt does is job at appearing helpful as his character, but knows when to get points across to Francis to get him to figure out the killer's motives. The acting I can't stand is Joshua Jackson as Francis. My God his voice annoyed me at times. He tried so hard to sound like a 40's private eye but it came off as awkward with the voice the actor has. He did show the right emotion when he wanted too, but it was distracting when he spoke.

There is a scene in the film where Francis dreams about Gregor Mendel (the Father of Genetics) and he is using cats as his puppets to work his experiments. Its visually interesting and terrifying, but I did love the slow motion, ghostly effects along with the dark colors. The music and graphic imagery did add to the disturbing images in the film and when it wanted to be terrifying it was and the humor was a good contrast. Just the story telling was awkward and the voice acting wasn't all that good.

Felidae is a film about when we try to play god, but this is from an adult's perspective of how a child would tell the story, which makes it come off wrong and disturbing. The acting was meh and the dubbing didn't always match up in the English Translation, the pacing was too fast, and some scenes were there I believe to shock the viewer. However, the visuals are great, the story is deep and thought provoking, and the mood was done well. I say give it a shot; it is online and you will just lose time if you don't like the film. Maybe its a matter of taste, but I don't think I will watch this again in the near future.

Ciao!

Media Literacy Topic- Reading a Scene

 

• Describe what happened in the scene you watched; How does the scene make you feel? What techniques did the filmmakers use to make you feel that way?

This is the bar scene from Quentin Tarantino's alternate WW2 epic Inglorious Basterds. I feel anticipation whenever I watch this scene. I know there will be a ton of action about to take place. The director uses acting, tension, and setting to create the intense mood.

• How did the pacing of the scene (fast or slow) or the movement of the camera affect your reactions?

 The scene actually runs slowly, but it builds up tension between the characters. You feel that something will happen between the characters based on the slowness of the scene. There are obviously Nazis and Allies present under a guise and you are waiting for the fight between them to occur. The conversations between them add more to the build up of the action. The part where the guns start pointing at each other quickens the pace of the film, but only slightly to keep the interest of the viewer and leaves them at the edge of their seats.

• List all the visual qualities such as framing, camera angles, colors, setting, costumes, décor, and lighting.

This scene includes medium shots, panning, quick cuts, harsh contrasts with shadows and lighting, the costumes are recognizable as an evil connotation, the lighting is dimmer to create a darker mood, and the setting is supposed to be "homey" since it takes place at a bar with friends having fun.

• What was the mood of the scene? How did the colors used in the scene contribute to the mood?

The mood of the scene appears to be light-hearted with friends having a fun time at a bar, but in reality it is spies from the Allies sneaking into Enemy Lines to kill Nazi officers. The colors are a harsher yellow which is inviting but also deceiving to the viewers. The only colors that stand out are the red patches of the Nazi uniforms which makes them marked enemies.

• What did the costumes tell you about the characters?

Other than the obvious Nazi uniforms to show that they are the enemy, Diane Kruger's character wears fancier clothing which shows that she is a prominent figure in Germany (in this movie's case, an actress). She has style and class and it comes out in her attitude and costume. The Allies are in Germanic uniforms, but they are hiding under guise to kill the officers. This could also show that they are just as cruel as the Nazis and also share the view that they are doing the right thing.

• How did the music contribute to the mood and what did the music tell you about the characters?

 There is little to no music in the scene, only the noises around the characters. This could build the tension in the scenes and you learn more form the characters personally through the conversations than other ways.

• What did you learn about the characters from the dialogue?

The characters, especially the Nazis, aren't as evil as they seem. They are under the influence of their revenge, brainwashing, and hatred, but here we as the audience sees they are normal people who have to do bad things to better each side, some reasons more unsavory than others.

• What were the values and opinions expressed in this scene?

Each side obviously thinks of themselves as the better side while the other as true hated enemies. They know that they will both die and so will most of the people in the bar; that is a hard thing to deal with and they both do it anyway because the other is the enemy and its their job to kill the enemy.  

MovieViews- Premium Rush

Finally a mainstream movie! This week I decided to hit a more mainstream film to do my review on and I'm glad that I did. Over the weekend a friend and I decided to see the high speed bicycle movie Premium Rush. I admit I was skeptical with this movie, which ran at the coat tails of summer ( aka the Dumping Ground of Summer Blockbusters), and thought the this was going to be a waste of time. Let me explain in full detail however in my review :)

The Review

My first impression with this film was DAMN! I didn't have high hopes for this film; the only reason I saw it was that it features my all time favorite actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and I wanted to add it to the list of the films I have watched with him in it. The plot was not the totally conventional "speed chase/robbery/drugs" rodeo, but involves a high adrenaline story about the value of money and how our decisions in life affect how we survive terrifying jobs. David Koepp, the director, makes interesting choices with scenes and uses clever writing and shocking, but hilarious scenarios to make this more than just a dumb movie. The film is akin to  Kiss, Kiss Bang, Bang (which I did like very much) and you find likable characters even if they act like jerks.

The plot of Premium Rush is about Wilee (Gordon-Levitt) a delivery bicyclist who gets caught in a theft between the Chinese mafia and a NYPD cop in serious gambling debt (Michael Shannon). Wilee also has a taste for speed and gets in accidents which caused his girlfriend and co-deliverer (Dania Ramirez) to break up with him for a safer and built cyclist Marco (Sean Kennedy). The story is told from different times ranging from present to past and past to future based on the two hours that it takes to deliver the priceless parcel from A to B.

I am a huge fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He can change from being an innocent golden child to a prick that you may have met or delt in your life. This role is no different from past roles he has played and his effort is shown here. He easily fits into this role as someone who does the right thing at all costs, but is still careless to a fault and almost loses his life. It's a stereotype but an enjoyable one at the same time. Michael Shannon was such an asshole in this film and I did hate his character, but in the sense of he was supposed to be loathed. The people you were supposed to dislike you did and the ones you were supposed to support, you do. The actors add to the attention invested into the story.

One major component of the film I did like was there are scenes where Wilee sees all possible outcomes when he rides his bike. This is reminiscent to the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes movies, where Sherlock sees into how he can perform a fight scene efficiently. I find it clever and gives the viewer an idea how the character thinks and shows the intelligence they serve. What is even better is that Wilee doesn't talk in his "visions" and instead relies on the imagery to shock the viewer or show them how a mind works. The music was typical action scene music and really wasn't that much of an impact on the viewing, but it does the job and keeps the action scenes full of action.

Watch the film just to see it; it's not a waste of time, but it does require you to not take too many things seriously. The plot is simplistic, but all action; Joseph Gordon-Levitt is great as always and so is Michael Shannon. I didn't have high expectations for this film, but I was highly impressed with this. I recommend it for fans of action. Just beware, some scenes can get graphic without being bloody.

Ciao!

MovieViews- Tokyo Godfathers

Hello Watchers and Youtube subscribers. Time for another review from yours truly. This movie was shown at our anime club meeting this Wednesday and despite the noise, I understood the film through the subtitles as this is a foreign film (big surprise). This is an older film, but that doesn't change my views on this film.

The Review

First, I would like to say that this is not your typical Japanese anime film with cute girls in school uniforms and magic animals. This is a slice of life film about "small coincidences" and how our lives have an effect on others around us. Tokyo Godfathers is a beautiful film with rich animation, almost akin to that of Hayao Miyazaki, and well developed cast of colorful characters. Director Satoshi Kon made a cohesive and believable story with the animation that doesn't get wild and cartoony, but remains expressive to match the feelings of the characters. The actors who play the main three characters (Tōru Emori as Gin the former cyclist,  Yoshiaki Umegaki as Hana the transgendered woman, and  Aya Okamoto as Miyuki the high school runaway) give the characters the personality they need and don't sound miscasted. First impression was really great with this movie.

But what is the plot? The trailer captures the main idea of the plot and it is simple, but grows complex through the actions of the characters. Gin, Hana and Miyuki are three friends who are homeless and help each other survive in Tokyo. On Christmas Eve, the three find a baby girl in the dumpster and decide to find the parents in hopes of a reward for the infants return. The chase carries out through the holidays to New Year's Eve and wild events occur as secrets are found out and the past of the three main characters are found out. It's a slice of life story that takes on the issues of homelessness, gambling, and grief and it is done incredibly well. It's reality at animation's best and doesn't stray from that setting.

Honestly, I didn't have high expectations for the voice acting. One it's in a foreign language so I cannot determine if the acting was well enough; however, I knew how a character felt whenever they spoke. The actors do show incredible emotion when needed and the dialogue is pretty funny at times, especially the banter between the three. You can tell the three characters are good friends and the voices bounce off each other with ease, no awkwardness here. Aya Okamoto (the voice of Miyuki) even speaks English at one point of the movie, which is impressive for voice actors in Japan. Unlike Sita Sings the Blues, you can really feel the story unfold, rather than being retold like a book.

As far as scenes go, I will repeat that the animation is beautiful. The artwork is dark and gritty at times, but the next is welcoming and dim, like walking in your home after a long day at work. The animation fits the moods. There is one scene where Gin comes across a dying old man and the scene is really touching; it really focuses in on morality and coming to terms with life's misfortunes. The art direction was also incredible with harsh contrasts between Gin and the old man. The music changes from softer traditional Japanese music to faster more rhythmic drums whenever there is a chase scene or another form of high action. I was impressed with the film's atmosphere as it could have easily been too dark or too "cutesy". I love films with a timeless feel attached to it; of course this is set in the modern world, but it could have been anywhere from 1980's to today in 2012.

I say to definitely add this film to your viewing list. Even if you don't like foreign films, you can still enjoy the artistry and plot of the story. This film has anything you want, except for an English dub. There are subtitles to this film, so please check it out on Youtube or Netflix. You will not regret it.

Ciao!

MovieViews- Archipelago

Hello Viewers and Classwatchers, time for another weekly dose of MovieViews. This week I watched the British dark comedy, Archipelago. This movie has been on the list of many fans of Tom Hiddleston and most Anglophiles hold this with high regard. I do like some British Comedy films such as ensemble hits like Love Actually and witty, dark humor like Monty Python and The Full Monty; I am also a fan of Mr. Hiddleston after his portrayl of the trickster god and brother of Thor, Loki, in the Marvel films. But even with that much behind it, I can't stand pretentious British films; one may think American Indie films are high up there, but British goes far and beyond with uppercrust snobbish tones and First World problem angst that makes me want to bang my head against a bring wall. But I decided to give it a watch and here's the real review.

The Review

I will say this right now; I expected these feelings for this movie and how I felt afterwards. If you love complaining and whispering, you will love this film; if not, then you will be like me and cry tears of boredom. Archipelago is a pretentious, whiny, and boring film; I didn't even know what was going on half the time of the film's viewing. The director, Joanna Hogg, broke no new grounds with this film and it is rather forgetful for a film that you are supposed to relate to. Tom Hiddleston is also forgettable in his role as a emotionally distance college student about to do work in Africa, a role that has been done many times before, but could be interesting if perhaps he went through a complete mental breakdown. I couldn't even finish the movie all at once, but break it apart in days.

The plot of Archipelago is a simple family vacation film setting in the Scilly Islands. Tom Hiddleston plays as Edward, a missionary going to Africa for volunteer work, seeing his family on holiday before he leaves. The family is dysfunctional and constantly getting into fights. They try to make things right for possibly their last holiday together as a family, even inviting a helping hand with a hired cook and a painting teacher to bring some light on to the vacation. It's your typical story about how a family is supposed to come together when they need each other.

The acting was melodramatic and full of whispers. I find that a movie doesn't do its job whenever you have to strain to listen to an argument and still have no idea what the characters said. The conversations went on for far too long with the same shot and that draws on the movie far longer than it needs to. Tom Hiddleston is the lost, misunderstood soul trying to make sense of his family; his acting is fine but the directing and writing was so bland and monotone that he couldn't flesh out his character enough. The others acting in the film don't add anything new, just more dysfunctional, whiny character cut-outs.

The one thing this film does have is beautiful, although lazy cinematography and fitting music. The film is mostly in wide shots and the scenes are very pretty with a light filter over the shots. Even though, some shots stay for too long, at least there is stuff to look at as well. There were no memorable scenes except for one involving a puppet, worked by Tom Hiddleston's character, which was adorable, but most of the scene was once again in a single, boring shot. The film had so much potential with the visuals and the film is pretty, but still dull with the camera work. The music is also the typical classical music, but I think it sets the melodramatic mood represented in the film.

Overall, Archipelago is a boring, pretentious, and quiet film. The camera work is horrible, some scenes don't make sense or were totally unnecessary. The characters are dull and self-centered to the point where you dislike them greatly. The only reason I would recommend this is to see Loki working a badger puppet to his mother. And I can help you there! Don't see this, unless you want to fall asleep.

Media Literacy Topic- Media Survey

Hello Again Readers!

Today we are going to analyze my media habits! Sounds like fun, right?

As the project in my Video Production class, we were meant to keep a log on all the different media we use during our own times. For me, my own choices are limited for my own tastes; for instance, my use of television is going to be low due to the fact of I do not watch TV often, if at all. So we wrote the log of all the media we used and now you shall find out the what's and which's that describe my habits.

I use a small variety of media on a daily basis:

Facebook.com: 1hr a day, except on Wednesday which almost tripled to 2hrs. and 50 minutes. This week I had spent 8 hours and twenty five minutes on facebook.

TV: 3 hours all together, the most being on Monday for 1 hr and 30 minutes.

Youtube.com: Roughly six hours a day, give or take a few minutes. Except on Wednesday which was only two hours.

Radio: Only had to listen to it in the car and my roommate's stereo. 1hr and 15 minutes in the car all week and 50 minutes with the stereo radio during the week.

Tumblr.com: I do not have a blog on there, but I do "stalk" the website 30 minutes per day except Wednesday was ten minutes less than Facebook at 2 hrs. and 40 minutes.

I have played any video games during the week and maybe had less than ten minutes of advertisements on the street as I never really left campus.

What does your media say about you?

It says that I need to get out more and that I spend too much time on the computer. Ha, ha.

Which media do you trust and why?

I obviously trust the internet and the websites on there. I am too focused in my work on the computer that I don't use anything else, not that I don't trust them, but for the fact that I just don't need a radio and TV blasting on at the same time as I work. 

Which media do you enjoy the most and why?

Computer and internet are what I enjoy because I can do everything I want on there. Listen to music, watch movies or videos, and play games if I desire. You have the most freedom on the internet to do anything you wish. You can't interact with the television (Dora doesn't count) and radio does have the perk of using the imagination, but then songs you dislike come on and you don't enjoy the media anymore.

Are you willing to broaden your exposure to different media?

Of course I'm willing, give me something that sparks my interest and I will be all for watch/viewing/listening to the media. There is good with staying in your comfort zone, but it does get boring after a while. I have my dislikes and most remain firm, but some forms of media have changed my interests greatly for the better. I am not a fan of sports films, heavy metal, and petty romance stories, but there have been a few to surprise me and I actually enjoy very much.

Always keep an open mind.

MovieViews- Sita Sings the Blues Review

"The Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told"

Hello Film Fanatics and Reviewers alike. This is my first movie review and I'd like to start with something a little bit different. Over the course of the summer, I heard of this tiny Indian animated movie called Sita Sings the Blues and was intrigued by the animation I've seen clips on. I am a fan of unconventional styles of animation (meaning anything outside of Disney and 3D animated films); one of my favorite films of all time is Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis (which if you haven't seen look it up). So I finally found the film, but didn't get the chance to watch it until now. So now, my own thoughts and feelings on Nina Paley's Sita Sings the Blues. 

The Review

Sita Sings the Blues is an independent, animated film covering stories from the Ramayana, the Sanskrit epic about a banished prince named Rama and his beautiful and coveted wife, Sita, and also the divorce of Nina Paley and her husband. These two stories run parallel to each other and teach lessons derived from these stories about love, loss, and sacrifice. As these stories are being told, there are interludes from three Indian shadow puppets providing background information and comical insights on the stories and also musical snippets by the late blues singer, Annette Sanshaw, that progress the story of Rama and Sita. Voices are provided by Indian voice actors, namely Anseem Chhabra, Bhavana Nagulapally, and Manish Acharya as the shadow puppet narrators. Nina Paley directed and provided the animations to all segments and stories and it is fantastic work! The different styles she portrays is beautiful and the interesting choice of playing 1920's blues in an Indian story works well with the quirky animations. The stories are deep and portray feelings and doubts we have with every relationship, even when it takes place in Hindu mythology.

The plot is just as was described in the last paragraph. Taking out all the mythical stories, magic, and gods, the whole movie can be summed up as a "break-up story". In the Ramanyana part of the film, Sita's fidelity is challenged by her husband, Rama, after she is kidnapped by the evil king, Ravana. She is pure and loving to her husband and through all the trials put against her, she remains faithful and gave birth to his twin sons. However, Rama is still firm in believing her infidelity and continues to push her away in anger. Running parallel to this story is Nina Paley's divorce. It starts where her husband leaves for India on a business trip and he creates excuses to stay in the country and prolonging his trip back home to his wife. Nina soon follows him and what begins the downhill spiral of their marriage. As previously stated, shadow puppets are seen between the segments telling the history of the Ramayana and give their own insights and tellings of the stories. This can be argued as filler, but the shadow puppets are educational to viewers new to Hinduism.

The acting is rather flat when it comes to the stories. When the actors are speaking, their tone is flat and its evident they are reading lines, but I believe this is intentional to make the scenes appear to come directly from the book. The shadow puppets, however, have an extemporaneous form of speech. Half the dialogue seems to come from their own minds as if they are remembering the stories and not reading them from a book; it is more intimate and you feel that a story is actually being told. Overall the acting was average, but passable for the style of the film. This movie is more visual heavy and music plays key here

I cannot stress enough of how beautiful the animation is in this film.  The styles change with the stories with classical Indian art with the narrative and shadow puppet portions of the film and simplistic cartoons for Nina's story and the musical segments. The animation separates the two stories, but at the same time works cohesively for the film as they tell the same lessons. The music is split between two genres: Indian and 1920's blues. Annette Hanshaw is the singer during Sita's "monologues". Her voice is sultry, but at the same time sad and full of want which matches Sita's mood and personality. There is one segment which doesn't make sense, but it's visually interesting. There is no plot, but it features Indian dancers and bright colors flashing along with traditional Hindu instruments. There is no way to describe it other than incredibly trippy. Overall, the visuals are great and really put the story together.

I recommend this film to anyone who wants to learn more about the Indian culture, especially the Hinduism and The Ramayana. It's visually pleasing and you will get a more personal insight of love and how sometimes we just have to let go of the former loves of our life. It's also free to view! You can view the movie in its entirety on either Youtube or Nina Paley's site: www.sitasingstheblues.com. Go watch it; you have literally nothing to lose.

Happy Viewing!