Annie Hall was a very enjoyable film! I didn’t know what to expect before watching it, but I actually really liked it! The story was intriguing and the two main actors, Woody Allen and Diane Keaton, were perfect for the roles! It was also very relatable and nothing was really blown out of proportion. Most love stories are, however, this one had some reality to it, which was refreshing. I was enthralled in the story and it kept my attention. That is half the battle for most directors- creating a story that the audience will be so enthralled in that they aren’t thinking of or doing anything else. I thought Allen accomplished this and that was the strongest element to the film. Overall, I thought Annie Hall was a great film and I would recommend it for those who want to watch an authentic love story.
Monthly Archives: May 2013
Film #12: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
If I could only use one word to sum up this movie, it would be “insane.” Literally. The movie is so weird! I thought the story was unique and the casting was good, but it was just weird to watch. The actors had their work cut out for them because acting like people who are supposed to be crazy doesn’t seem very easy. I thought each of the characters was really strong. The character arcs were very strong in this film.
The cinematography was neat because it showed many medium close-ups, close-ups, and extreme close-ups. It helped the viewers get into the mind of the characters and understand what they were going through just by looking at their faces. Overall, it was a very interesting film but I think it could’ve been shorter and still made the same points.
Film #11: Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard was a very interesting film. I thought the story was odd and the strongest production element was the cinematography. The main character, Norma, was very annoying. She was too dramatic, even though I understand that that is her character. Joe was not very likeable either. It was never clear what his motives were or what he wanted. I didn’t understand anything he did. The actors had strong performances, but I just think that this film was a little bit weird- a young man “falling in love” with an older woman, a butler who used to be his master’s husband, and Joe’s and Betty’s love affair. I think this was an interesting film, but not very entertaining to watch.
Film #10: Some Like It Hot
Some Like It Hot was a weird, but great story! I thought the casting was the strongest element to this film. Marilyn Monroe is gorgeous and she obviously knows how to play a beautiful, popular, woman falling in love. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon played their parts well. I think they had the most challenging roles because they are actually men playing the roles of men who are pretending to be women. And if that’s not hard enough, they were constantly switching their gender roles in the film! I thought the story was intriguing because the viewer doesn’t know what’s going to happen when everyone finds out that Joe and Jerry are men. The only one who doesn’t seem to care is Sugar because she’s in love with Joe. However, everyone else is shocked because men aren’t supposed to pretend to be women and they certainly aren’t supposed to kiss other women. I liked the setting of the story and the situations the characters were put in. It was fun to watch!
Film #9: On the Waterfront
On the Waterfront is a very interesting film and one that I think modern audiences can understand. The strongest feature to this film, I thought, was the casting. All the actors fit their roles and none of the performances was awkward, but I was especially impressed at Marlon Brando’s performance. The only other film I’ve seen him in is A Streetcar Named Desire and his character in that film is awful. I really liked seeing him in a role that some people like and some people don’t like. The audience has to choose for themselves whether he is good or bad. The other actors were great as well. Karl Malden playing the role of Father Barry and Eva Marie Saint playing the role of Edie were my other favorite parts about this film. These three characters were cast very well. Without a convincing cast, a movie isn’t as intriguing. However, through the strong performances of the actors, I was able to enjoy the film more.
On the Waterfront is a bit of a strange film and I was confused about some parts of the story. I think if the actors were different it wouldn’t have been as good. Elia Kazan directed a unique film with a timeless story that audiences can enjoy still today.
Film #8: The Searchers
I am not a fan of old western movies, so before watching this film, I already thought I wasn’t going to enjoy it. However, I was proven wrong! The Searchers is a wonderful film! The production elements were spectacular and I was actually invested in the characters and the story the entire time. The screenplay, cinematography, and costumes were the best parts of the production. The story was very appealing because the characters were so likeable and interesting. The story had flow and everything made sense, which is becoming rarer all the time. I liked this movie because it was wholesome, there was an end goal that the two main characters were trying to meet. It seems like the story was very well thought out because everything made sense and I wasn’t confused about anything. Overall, I think this film was very good and it surprised me! I really enjoyed The Searchers and I recommend watching it.
Film #7: Gone With the Wind
This was an inspiring film! What an amazing story! It was a 4-hour-long film, but the story kept me intrigued the entire time! I loved the cinematography and the costumes. The cinematography captured the characters’ faces beautifully. Vivien Leigh was gorgeous when there were close up shots of her in the light. The camera captured her reactions well. The costumes were spectacular! I loved the dresses that the women wore. Scarlett wore many dresses in this film, signifying that she is a well-to-do woman and very fussy about the way she looks. The simple and pretty dresses that Melanie wore showed that she was a humble woman with a heart of gold and doesn’t care about the things of the world. Overall, I thought this film was really well done and I highly recommend it.
Random thought #1: Vivien Leigh is gorgeous and she played the role of Scarlett perfectly.
Random thought #2: The way women are treated in this film is horrifying. They are the “damsels in distress” and I didn’t like seeing them treated that way.
Random thought #3: Melanie was my favorite character because she was so kind and loving to everyone, no matter what they did to her.
Film #6: Raging Bull
The only word I can think of to describe Raging Bull is “interesting.” This movie was very strange to me. I thought that the cinematography and the lighting design were the best production elements. Besides that, I don’t think the movie is very appealing.
The cinematography was neat because it showed many important objects throughout the story. For example, the pitcher of iced water that Jake pours into his pants and the blood dripping from the rope after a brutal fight. It was the “a picture is worth a thousand words” idea. Showing the pitcher of water speaks volumes to the way Jake was feeling after having his first sexual encounter with Vicky. And the bloody rope reminds the viewers of the brutality of the fight they just saw. It shows that Jake is suffering inside and out.
The lighting in this film was very good. It practically put the spotlight on a character when the viewers were supposed to be paying attention to him/her. For example, when Vicky is lying in bed asleep and Jake walks towards the bed and passes her, there is a lot of light on her but the rest of the room is mostly dark. This was a brilliant placement of lighting because Vicky is being shown as “innocent,” while Jake is suspecting other things.
Overall, this movie was really weird. I didn’t like it. The production elements were good, but the story was lacking. It was very choppy. The scenes didn’t flow into each other and it seems like nothing was being resolved. Jake just kept digging himself in a deeper hole in regards to boxing and his relationships with his wife and brother. He never learned any lessons and kept his large ego the entire movie. He was such a jerk that I didn’t even care whether he won or lost in boxing. There were no characters to cheer for, there were no lessons learned, and the story didn’t seem to move forward or flow. Therefore, Raging Bull is not something I would recommend watching nor can I believe that it’s #4 on the AFI’s Top 100 List.
Film #5: Vertigo
Vertigo is a brilliant film done by Hitchcock. Honestly, I’ve never seen a Hitchcock film I haven’t liked, but this one had the most twists. I was in suspense during the entire film. The story, actors, and lighting were the best parts of this production. This is one of those films that makes the viewers think about what’s going on and they have to pay attention the entire time or else they might miss something. Vertigo succeeded at this.
The story is very intriguing. I kept guessing at what was going to happen, but was constantly proved wrong. There were four mysteries introduced throughout the film. First, the audience is wondering why Madeline is being possessed by Carlotta Valdes. Once Madeline is “dead,” then they wonder what John is going to do to cope with that. When he finds Judy, they wonder if he’s ever going to find out that it’s “Madeline.” Once that is resolved, they wonder what’s going to happen to John and Judy now that they’re together. I was constantly shifting gears and I really liked the way that Hitchcock introduced several different conflicts.
The casting in this film was superb. Kim Novak, the girl who played Madeline/Judy, was gorgeous! She played the parts really well. I thought she had the hardest job because she was supposed to act as an actress. Her role in the film was that she was pretending to be Mr. Elster’s wife. Novak played the role of the girl who was pretending to be Madeline Elster. So she had to be two different characters, but the same. I think she did an amazing job with this. Her character had many different moods and oddities about her.
The lighting played a crucial role in this film. The way the character’s faces were lit was important. It showed their mood and their thoughts, sometimes without them having to say how they were feeling or what they were thinking. I loved the way the sets were lit, especially the inside of the church and the hallway of the hotel in which Judy is staying.
Overall, I think Vertigo is fantastic! Hitchcock did another amazing job. The story, actors, and lighting stood out the most. I highly recommend this film!
Film #4: Lawrence of Arabia
Even this was a 4-hour-long film, there were several good things about Lawrence of Arabia. The production value was outstanding and I can see why this film is ranked 7 out of 100. I think the film could’ve been shorter because there were many things I felt were dragged out, but the production value made it bearable. I thought that every production aspect was exceptional- the cinematography, the scenery/sets, the actors’ performances, and the music. Everything was spectacular!
My favorite parts of this film were the scenery/sets and visual imagery and the music that accompanied some of the shots. The scenery was beautiful. Some of the views were breathtaking. I thought the camera did a good job of capturing the landscape. My favorite shots were the long shots of men riding camels through the desert with the dusty wind blowing across the landscape or the sun rising or setting as they trod along the sandy ground. The music that accompanied the scenes in this film made the imagery all the more beautiful.
The cinematography seemed to get all the right reactions, angles, and views that the viewer needed to see so that he/she understood what was going on at any given time. I was never confused while watching because the camera was right where it needed to be.
Overall, I enjoyed this film. I thought it could be shorter and by today’s standards, it probably would. However, the story, characters, and all the production elements were intriguing.
Random thought #1: Peter O’Toole’s eyes are stunning.
Random thought #2: This is the 3rd movie I’ve seen Claude Rains in. His performance in this movie wasn’t my favorite, but I do like him as an actor.
Random thought #3: The shots of the sky were breathtaking in this film. There wasn’t a shot of the sun, the clouds, or the dark sky that I didn’t like.
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