Usually I leave the film reviews to Ken and stick to reviewing books, but I did want to post on Pixar's newest film, Inside Out.
With my academic and personal interest in psychology (I double majored in it along with English in undergrad), I was really excited to see that Pixar would be making a film in which the main characters were personifications of the emotions inside a preteen girl's brain. Pixar has a reputation for making multilayer-ed films that appeal to adults as much as to children, but Inside Out took this beyond most of their previous films (beyond maybe Wall-E). Topics that I'm sure went beyond the heads of the many children in the audience included core memories, long-term memories, abstract reasoning, and dream production. Oh, and my favorite, a "train of thought" was portrayed as an actual train which the emotions Joy and Sadness hitch a ride on.
Joy and Sadness, along with Anger, Fear, and Disgust, live in the Headquarters of protagonist Riley's brain. With Joy in the lead, the team helps her make sense of the world, and things are going smoothly until Riley's parents uproot her happy home life in Minnesota with a move to San Francisco. From there, conflict ensues at Headquarters and Joy and Sadness find themselves lost.
It's all pretty existential stuff that only Pixar could pull off, making abstract emotions into believable characters. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust look and sound the way we imagine the feelings they represent would. Anger is squat and red; Sadness is blue with a voice like Eeyore. The relentlessly optimistic Joy looks and acts like a fairy/pixie. And the green Disgust, voiced by Mindy Kaling, is all sarcasm and snark.
Yes, the kids in the audience, of which there were many, enjoyed Inside Out too. It's colorful and whimsical and funny, and not really scary (besides a couple scenes with a huge clown, which is terrifying at any age). But the content is way deeper than that of the average kids' movie.
I really appreciated the underlying message of the film, which was refreshing in a society that can take "positive thinking" overboard to the point of dismissing or suppressing all "negative" thoughts or emotions. Initially Joy tries to prevent Sadness from touching Riley's core memories and "tainting" them. Over the course of the film, however, she and the audience see that Sadness actually has an important place in Riley's life (and all our lives). It is Sadness that allows Riley to feel and receive empathy, and it is Sadness that finally urges her to open up to her parents about missing Minnesota.
I would enjoy seeing where Pixar would go with a sequel. After all, our emotions only get more complex as we age. Would they add more characters to capture nuanced emotions like confusion or impatience? Or would the main team of emotions work together to create these degrees and blends of feeling? Maybe emotions are like colors, with primary colors mixing together to create blends or giving off more or less saturation for various shades/hues. But I digress...
After a few lackluster films, Pixar is definitely back to doing what they do best: multi-layered movies that are deeper than they appear. Inside Out has something for pretty much everyone - kids, adults, people with an interest in psychology, anyone trying to navigate their emotions in a healthy way. Yeah, really, everyone.
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Monday, June 22, 2015
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Thoughts on Baz Luhrmann's Adaptation of The Great Gatsby
I'm not calling this a review, because there's other people, like Ken, who do those better than me, but I just wanted to offer my own however-many cents on Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel The Great Gatsby. I loved the book when I had to read it in high school (yeah, I'm a nerd), and I was interested in seeing how Luhrmann would bring it to the big screen. Being familiar with Luhrmann's other work, I had some idea of what to expect. I've heard him critiqued as being "style over substance," but Luhrmann's style imo works for much of the material he's worked with (simple, classic tales like his 1996 Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge, which I loved).
In the case of The Great Gatsby, however, many of Luhrmann's characteristic stylistic touches- abrupt camera transitions, musical numbers, cultural anachronism - fall flat, distracting the viewer from the storyline rather than pulling him or her into the characters' world. Add filming the subject matter in 3D and it's all becomes a bit of an overload.
Luhrmann actually stays very close to the plot-line of Fitzgerald's novel. For those who are unfamiliar, it centers around the mysterious, newly wealthy Jay Gatsby (Leonardo Di Caprio, Romeo + Juliet), who moves to Long Island to be close to lost love Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan, Pride & Prejudice). Gatsby throws lavish parties hoping to catch Daisy's attention, but it is through his next-door neighbor Nick Carraway (Tobey McGuire, Spiderman) that he manages to re-enter her world. However, he soon earns the suspicions of Daisy's infuriated husband, Tom (Joel Edgerton, King Arthur). Tragedy ultimately ensues, and...well, I won't spoil anything, but the great Jay Gatsby is unable to realize his dreams of either Daisy or the life she represents to him.
I understand taking a highly visual approach to The Great Gatsby, a novel heavy on both symbolism and vivid depiction of an opulent, glitzy lifestyle. And I don't think all of Luhrmann's stylistic choices failed. Some of the shots, from the New York skyline to the green light by which Gatsby would watch Daisy's house across the bay, were absolutely gorgeous, as were the costumes. However, many of the early scenes felt disjointed. I thought the film worked better in the second half, when most of the party scenes were over and it finally began to delve into character and plot development.
All of the actors gave strong performances, but British actress Carey Mulligan especially was able to capture both Daisy's superficial charm and her underlying sadness. Tobey McGuire as narrator Nick Carraway was often reminiscent of Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge.
Much has been made of the film's anachronistic soundtrack featuring Jay-Z. The soundtrack actually shifted between period-appropriate jazz and modern songs from a variety of genres, with hip-hop heavy dance sequences at Gatsby's parties. At one point I caught U2's "Love is Blindness." I love this song, and it actually fit the scene, but that will give you an idea of how all-over-the-place this film's music is.
I actually understand the Jay-Z choice in an odd way. There are a lot of cultural similarities between the Jazz Age and the "bling" and ostentation of modern hip-hop, and Luhrmann is a fan of putting a modern pop-cultural twist on historical tales. However...yeah, the Jay-Z didn't really do it for me.
I did actually enjoy this movie overall. Understandably, though, Baz Luhrmann is not everyone's cup of tea, and Fitzgerald's novel may have been better served with less "style" and more "substance." For those who want a more straightforward film rendition, there's always the 1974 version featuring Robert Redford as Gatsby.
Not rating it 'cause that's not what I do. But there's my take.
In the case of The Great Gatsby, however, many of Luhrmann's characteristic stylistic touches- abrupt camera transitions, musical numbers, cultural anachronism - fall flat, distracting the viewer from the storyline rather than pulling him or her into the characters' world. Add filming the subject matter in 3D and it's all becomes a bit of an overload.
Luhrmann actually stays very close to the plot-line of Fitzgerald's novel. For those who are unfamiliar, it centers around the mysterious, newly wealthy Jay Gatsby (Leonardo Di Caprio, Romeo + Juliet), who moves to Long Island to be close to lost love Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan, Pride & Prejudice). Gatsby throws lavish parties hoping to catch Daisy's attention, but it is through his next-door neighbor Nick Carraway (Tobey McGuire, Spiderman) that he manages to re-enter her world. However, he soon earns the suspicions of Daisy's infuriated husband, Tom (Joel Edgerton, King Arthur). Tragedy ultimately ensues, and...well, I won't spoil anything, but the great Jay Gatsby is unable to realize his dreams of either Daisy or the life she represents to him.
I understand taking a highly visual approach to The Great Gatsby, a novel heavy on both symbolism and vivid depiction of an opulent, glitzy lifestyle. And I don't think all of Luhrmann's stylistic choices failed. Some of the shots, from the New York skyline to the green light by which Gatsby would watch Daisy's house across the bay, were absolutely gorgeous, as were the costumes. However, many of the early scenes felt disjointed. I thought the film worked better in the second half, when most of the party scenes were over and it finally began to delve into character and plot development.
All of the actors gave strong performances, but British actress Carey Mulligan especially was able to capture both Daisy's superficial charm and her underlying sadness. Tobey McGuire as narrator Nick Carraway was often reminiscent of Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge.
Much has been made of the film's anachronistic soundtrack featuring Jay-Z. The soundtrack actually shifted between period-appropriate jazz and modern songs from a variety of genres, with hip-hop heavy dance sequences at Gatsby's parties. At one point I caught U2's "Love is Blindness." I love this song, and it actually fit the scene, but that will give you an idea of how all-over-the-place this film's music is.
I actually understand the Jay-Z choice in an odd way. There are a lot of cultural similarities between the Jazz Age and the "bling" and ostentation of modern hip-hop, and Luhrmann is a fan of putting a modern pop-cultural twist on historical tales. However...yeah, the Jay-Z didn't really do it for me.
I did actually enjoy this movie overall. Understandably, though, Baz Luhrmann is not everyone's cup of tea, and Fitzgerald's novel may have been better served with less "style" and more "substance." For those who want a more straightforward film rendition, there's always the 1974 version featuring Robert Redford as Gatsby.
Not rating it 'cause that's not what I do. But there's my take.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Time for a New Blog Start...
I first started blogging on livejournal when I was a sophomore in college...so way back in 2002. My livejournal blog started out largely as a place to rant, as I did a lot of ranting back in those days. It turned into a place to keep in touch with people as well as to write whatever and whenever the urge struck. Then livejournal started slowly dying. The people I was using it to keep in touch with either stopped blogging or moved on to other platforms, and I lost the drive to keep my livejournal current.
I'm thinking that now is the time for me to start a new blog. This one will focus more on social and political commentary and reviews of music, movies, restaurants, etc., but it will also feature the occasional meme, update on my life, and yes, rant/venting. And hopefully I will post at least semi-regularly.
So...welcome!
And to start with, I give you my write up on Les Mis. For some reason, Yahoo Voices, another writing outlet of mine, wouldn't publish this, although they did publish this one of mine. If you think you detect some bitterness there, you would be right. Ahem. Anyway.
Voila:
I’ve been a fan of Les Miserables since I saw the stage musical in 2002 at DC’s National Theater, so I was excited when I heard the movie version would be hitting theaters on Christmas day. Overall, I thought the film, directed by Tim Hooper (The King’s Speech), did the stage version justice and in some cases even improved upon it.
My review will focus largely on casting choices and the actors’ performances. When I first saw the cast list for Les Mis, I thought the choices were suberb, and most performances did not disappoint. There’s a meme going around describing the movie’s plot as “Wolverine vowing to raise Catwoman’s daughter while being hunted down by Gladiator,” and I admit it made me chuckle. Yes, sometimes there is a drawback to casting well-known Hollywood stars who are identified with a particular role. However, the acting abilities of Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman et al. outweigh their “big name actor” status for me. Jackman, who has a Broadway background in addition to his film experience, becomes whatever character he plays and was entirely convincing as Les Miserables’ lead, reformed convict Jean Valjean. Anne Hathaway I have typecast in my head as a Disney princess since 2001’s the Princess Diaries, but her outstanding, emotional performance as the tragic Fantine was Oscar-worthy.
Wide-eyed Amanda Seyfried, who showed her singing chops in 2008’s film version of Mamma Mia, was exactly how I pictured the adult Cosette. With all the big name stars, though, I was glad unknowns were chosen to play Marius (Eddie Redmayne) and Eponine (Samantha Barks). Barks especially excelled as Eponine; she has one of the strongest singing voices in the cast and truly delivered both musically and emotionally in her wistful performances of On My Own and A Little Fall of Rain.
There were a few disappointments. Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) and Helena Bonham Carter (Dark Shadows) provided much-needed comic relief as the sleazy inn-keepers the Thenardiers, but their musical numbers lacked energy. I know both are capable of delivering more, as they did in 2007’s film version of Sweeny Todd.
The biggest letdown for me was Russell Crowe as Javert. I thought his singing voice was weak, but more importantly, he lacked the intensity, self-righteousness and single-minded drive of a man who spends half his life tracking down a man who broke parole after stealing a loaf of bread.
Other notes:
• The movie version of Les Miserables features a new song, “Suddenly.” Sung by Hugh Jackman as Valjean, it is a moving and emotional portrayal of the beginning of his life as father to Cosette. The music and lyrics fit well into the existing Les Mis score, and the song and the scene add a depth to Valjean’s character and relationship with Cosette that was missing from the stage musical.
• Empty Chairs at Empty Tables has to be one of the saddest songs ever written, and Eddie Redmayne as Marius delivers all the mournful intensity it requires.
• In many ways, Les Miserables is ideal for film adaptation. The filmmakers took full advantage of the medium with well-drifted action sequences and sweeping views of Paris from above mixed with more intimate shots of city and village streets.
So, do go see Les Mis, whether you are familiar with the stage musical or not. Next on my list: to read the book.
I'm thinking that now is the time for me to start a new blog. This one will focus more on social and political commentary and reviews of music, movies, restaurants, etc., but it will also feature the occasional meme, update on my life, and yes, rant/venting. And hopefully I will post at least semi-regularly.
So...welcome!
And to start with, I give you my write up on Les Mis. For some reason, Yahoo Voices, another writing outlet of mine, wouldn't publish this, although they did publish this one of mine. If you think you detect some bitterness there, you would be right. Ahem. Anyway.
Voila:
I’ve been a fan of Les Miserables since I saw the stage musical in 2002 at DC’s National Theater, so I was excited when I heard the movie version would be hitting theaters on Christmas day. Overall, I thought the film, directed by Tim Hooper (The King’s Speech), did the stage version justice and in some cases even improved upon it.
My review will focus largely on casting choices and the actors’ performances. When I first saw the cast list for Les Mis, I thought the choices were suberb, and most performances did not disappoint. There’s a meme going around describing the movie’s plot as “Wolverine vowing to raise Catwoman’s daughter while being hunted down by Gladiator,” and I admit it made me chuckle. Yes, sometimes there is a drawback to casting well-known Hollywood stars who are identified with a particular role. However, the acting abilities of Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman et al. outweigh their “big name actor” status for me. Jackman, who has a Broadway background in addition to his film experience, becomes whatever character he plays and was entirely convincing as Les Miserables’ lead, reformed convict Jean Valjean. Anne Hathaway I have typecast in my head as a Disney princess since 2001’s the Princess Diaries, but her outstanding, emotional performance as the tragic Fantine was Oscar-worthy.
Wide-eyed Amanda Seyfried, who showed her singing chops in 2008’s film version of Mamma Mia, was exactly how I pictured the adult Cosette. With all the big name stars, though, I was glad unknowns were chosen to play Marius (Eddie Redmayne) and Eponine (Samantha Barks). Barks especially excelled as Eponine; she has one of the strongest singing voices in the cast and truly delivered both musically and emotionally in her wistful performances of On My Own and A Little Fall of Rain.
There were a few disappointments. Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) and Helena Bonham Carter (Dark Shadows) provided much-needed comic relief as the sleazy inn-keepers the Thenardiers, but their musical numbers lacked energy. I know both are capable of delivering more, as they did in 2007’s film version of Sweeny Todd.
The biggest letdown for me was Russell Crowe as Javert. I thought his singing voice was weak, but more importantly, he lacked the intensity, self-righteousness and single-minded drive of a man who spends half his life tracking down a man who broke parole after stealing a loaf of bread.
Other notes:
• The movie version of Les Miserables features a new song, “Suddenly.” Sung by Hugh Jackman as Valjean, it is a moving and emotional portrayal of the beginning of his life as father to Cosette. The music and lyrics fit well into the existing Les Mis score, and the song and the scene add a depth to Valjean’s character and relationship with Cosette that was missing from the stage musical.
• Empty Chairs at Empty Tables has to be one of the saddest songs ever written, and Eddie Redmayne as Marius delivers all the mournful intensity it requires.
• In many ways, Les Miserables is ideal for film adaptation. The filmmakers took full advantage of the medium with well-drifted action sequences and sweeping views of Paris from above mixed with more intimate shots of city and village streets.
So, do go see Les Mis, whether you are familiar with the stage musical or not. Next on my list: to read the book.
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