the workings of a tv/movie nerd.

Elephant:

The movie starts as a car has a hard time driving straight down the road in a residential area. We think some kid has stolen this car. Nah. It’s the dad driving his son to school, and he’s drunk. The teenage son must take over. So, adults give up all responsibility towards their children and mayhem can take place. The film shows one day in the life of several teenage students as they go in and out of classes. They live their student lives and we follow their steps through the corridors and doors, taking them as guides one by one, like avatars in a giant video game.

On April 20th 1999, two highschool boys carried a daunting arsenel of weapons harnessed with military web gear into Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, and gunned down thirteen students. Gruesome though it was, the incident was just one of eight fatal high school shootings between 1997 and 1999. These traumatizing events began a debate about what was wrong with the nation’s youth, an issue that is the subject of Gus Van Sant’s Elephant.

Elephant was the winner of the Golden Palm at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, Elephant is a brilliant and deeply affecting film that makes a corageous attempt to grasp today’s youth. Van Sant shows us all the surface rituals: the girl cheerleaders, boys playing football, hallways lined with lockers,  the academic discussions, yet an ineffable feeling of loneliness pervades. The picture features impeccable acting by a group of non-professionals from the Portland, Oregon area. Each character is introduced separately and we see them going about their business on a seemingly ordinary school day. The steadicam-tracking camera follows them as they walk through the sterile halls that seem endless. The school appears without life — a place where one feels a desperate sense of loss.

All the characters are completely diverse from one another, We see John (John Robinson), a blonde-haired surfer type, take over the driving from his father who has had too much to drink, then get called to task by an administrator for being late for school. Eli (Elias McConnell) is a photographer who asks classmates, including John, to pose for pictures. Football player Jordan (Jordan Taylor) meets his girlfriend Carrie (Carrie Finklea) for lunch. Three friends Nicole (Nicole George), Brittany (Brittany Mountain), and Acadia (Alicia Miles) gossip and argue about who is whose best friend. Michelle (Kristen Hicks) refuses to wear shorts, is admonished by her teacher, and then goes to work in the library. The paths of these students crisscross throughout the film and each has their own destiny to fulfill when the violence erupts.

The main protagonists, Alex (Alex Frost) and Eric (Eric Deulen) are modeled after Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold of Columbine. When we first meet Alex, he is being shunned by his fellow students, called names and pelted with spitballs in science class. Alex is more outgoing and creative, Eric more passive, but their personalities complement each other. Alex and Eric wait at home until a strange package arrives in the mail while Alex plays Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” on the piano. When they return to school, they are dressed in combat gear and ready to kill.

Rather than giving us pat answers, Van Sant bases his approach on the elusiveness of truth, and our insatiable desire to know more. The imagery and camerawork are almost painfully beautiful, while the disconnected narrative deliberately withholds closure. On top of all this, the pacing is superb, slowly building up the almost unbearable tension. When it is finally released, the explosion hits you with a frightening energy that is as unforgettable as it is chilling.

I think anyone should watch this, but i must warn people that it is quite confronting, i watched it twice and i think it is a amazingly brilliant film.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian:

The four Pevensie children return to Narnia, only to discover that hundreds of years have passed since they ruled there, and the evil King Miraz has taken charge. With the help of a heroic mouse called Reepicheep, and the exiled heir to the throne, Prince Caspian, they set out to overthrow the King, once again with Aslan’s help.

I got to see this film for the first time on saturday 7th with my friend and her family and i thought it was an amazingly mature and dark sequel to 2005’s The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. From the moment the film began i was immediatly engaged and interested.

The film starts off with a group called the Telmarines who have invaded and taken over narnia, wiping out loads of old narnian creatures. As it happens the Pevensie children, Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skander Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) are summoned to Narnia to help out Caspian and the Narnians.

I think what blew me away the most was how much the actors have stepped up to the plate in this instalement, they were great to watch in the first film, but in this one they have really fulfilled their roles to every degree and have matured. All four of the Pevensie kids, just like the last time, add the right amount of drama and humour to their respective roles. It is hard for me personally to admire a certain character in this movie because i enjoy all 4 of the Pevensie’s in different ways, but i particularly enjoyed Georgie Henley as Lucy, she has really matured as an actor and as her character in every way, I also really enjoyed William Moseley as Peter but he has been a favourite character of mine since the first one, I really enjoy him as a character because he is really the leader of the siblings and i guess you could say the protector and ive always admired that about his character and the way William portrays him. But like i said all the actors really stepped up and matured in their characters and in their incredible acting. I think what gets to me the most is the fact that these actors have to act to nothing most of the time, with all the animated characters, I think this must be an incredibly difficult part of the acting and this for me is why i think their acting is so well done.

I must mention the new worthy addition to the cast, Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian. He acts like a courageous and brave prince born to lead an army. I think this role is an incredible breakout for him. Also worth mentioning is King Miraz played by Sergio Castellito, a great villian since Tilda Swinton, as for a few cameo appearances you should also look out for, the performances are amazing.

The other outstanding details I loved, yet again in this sequel was the Cinematography, The Production Design and the Visual Effects. The shots were amazing and lavish. The Long shots were great and New Zealand yet again was a great place to film. The locations are outstanding, very vibrant. And of course the Visual Effects, those everlasting details add another level entirely. I think a lot of people will appreciate all of this coming together, I know I did.

The action and Battle Scenes feel very much like a stand to something no one can win. At moments I would be cringing at the action and then the next I would be laughing, its a mix of drama and humour, like i said earliar. It is filled with dark themes and more mature elements. When thinking back I think hey the first one was really good, but then I think Prince Caspian was really good also. To be honest I really think this film was better than the first, much more mature.

All I can say is, go and see it, you wont be dissapointed.

“For Narnia and for Aslan” – Peter Pevensie.

Smart People:

Into the life of a widowed professor comes a new love and an unexpected visit from his adopted brother.

I Saw this movie a few weeks ago and to tell you the truth it wasnt exactly that great, sure it had its moments but it mislead me a bit with the trailers.

“Smart People” isnt a laugh riot it’s more of a film that’s written very sharp and the lines are witty and intelligent. And the themes of characterization dominate much of the movie as each face a problem during their life. And this film really shows and proves that each and every person no matter how smart or dumb they are learn something as they go. The cast is super with veterans Quaid, Parker, and Church who give steady and seasoned performances and it blends well with Page’s witty and fresh intelligent turn.

Dennis Quaid is Lawrence Wetherhold a literature professor at a Pittsburgh, PA university who’s a cultured yet uptight and lonely social misfit who still misses his deceased wife. One of the things that keeps him going is his witty and smart as could be daughter Vanessa(Ellen Page) who knows everything from politics to pop culture she also has a sharp tongue she’s certainly a joy to listen to(much like Page’s “Juno” character). Also he’s just taken in his lonely and confused stepbrother Chuck(Thomas Haden Church)who does provide him some emotional support. Much of that changes for the better thru bad fate after Lawrence suffers a concussion and once he discovers after his treatment from ER doctor Janet(Sarah Jessica Parker)that she was once an ex student a friendship develops into love.

Along the way the film focuses in on each characters good points and their negatives as each learn the good and bad points along the way about one another. Ending in a surprise as this films proves no matter how intelligent or smart a person is they can always learn from life’s lessons and by making mistakes unexpected joys and happiness may arrive. You learn life as you go. This film is nothing great, but okay for the way it’s witty and focuses on different characterizations and it proves each must learn and the performances are well from the veterans topped off by Page’s wit.

This film kind of struck me as similar to the film (The Squid and the Whale) purely by the way it was written, i really enjoyed the squid and the whale but found it very strange, and thats how i found this one, but I guess people have to make their own desicion so see it if you liked “The Squid and the Whale) in my opinion.

The Black Balloon:

The Black Balloon is a drama-based Australian film which stars Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson, Gemma Ward as well as a cast of newcomers. It is directed by first time feature film director, Elissa Down.

I saw this fim on mothers day on sunday and it is i think one of the best Australian films in years and i really enjoyed it.

It tells the story of Thomas (Rhys Wakefield). He and his family move to a new home and he has to start at a new school, all he wants is to fit in. When his pregnant Mother (Toni Collette) has to take it easy, he is put in charge of his autistic older brother Charlie (Luke Ford). Thomas with the help of his new girlfriend Jackie (Gemma Ward) faces his biggest challenge yet. Charlie’s unusual antics take Thomas on an emotional journey that cause his pent-up frustrations about his brother to pour out.

Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) has just started at a new high school. His father serves in the armed forces and the family has to relocate regularly. His brother Charlie (Luke Ford) has severe Autism and Attention Deficit Disorder. He’s not able to speak and because he’s the size of an adult, caring for him is not easy. At the start of the film we see him grunt with delight as he tramples a newly-bought carton of eggs into the kitchen floor.

While Thomas’s mother (Toni Collette) has accepted her son’s condition, Thomas has not. He wants to keep his brother a secret from his new schoolmates but when one student (Gemma Ward) learns of his sibling, she’s not put off.

It’s been a number of years since I’ve connected with an Australian film to the extent that I did with THE BLACK BALLOON. From the interesting title sequence at the start, we’re drawn into the challenges of life with a family member suffering a developmental disability. While, I suppose, an outsider could never fully appreciate just how demanding such a life could be, the film gives us a very good idea.

One of the film’s many accomplishments is its successful blend of drama and comedy. It could quite easily have been a depressing affair but many of the brother’s outrageous acts prove most amusing. On other occasions, they’re heartbreaking.

Equally fine is the performance by Luke Ford. Playing a handicapped character is a challenge for any actor, but Ford is totally convincing as Charlie. Never do we consider he’s an actor playing a role.

Rhys Wakefield Proves to be a young aussie ready to hit hollywood, he really impressed me the nature of his acting and his many moods throughout the film, sometimes you thought he was a real jerk and other times you really feel bad for him, he is awesome.

Toni Collette is first-rate as the ever-loving mother. She’s heavily pregnant and when complications arise from her pregnancy, we can’t help but wonder if the third child will be like Thomas or Charlie.

The most likable of the characters is Thomas’s classmate and later girlfriend, Jackie, played by Gemma Ward. Her acceptance of Charlie and her solid support for Thomas makes her most appealing. It’s interesting to note that while Thomas sees Charlie as a burden, his formal introduction to Jackie and the development of their relationship has much to do with his brother.

THE BLACK BALLOON is the work of first-time director Elissa Down, who studied film-making in Perth. She has done a sterling job. Having grown up with two Autistic brothers, it must be a profoundly personal work. The screenplay, by Down and Jimmy the Exploder, is honest and moving and the photography by Denson Baker is fine. I particularly appreciated his low- angle wide shots.

I think that people should see this movie because it brings a new light to the Australian film industry.

The Painted Veil:

The Painted Veil is a love story set in the 1920s that tells the story of a young English couple, Walter (Edward Norton), a middle class doctor and Kitty (Naomi Watts), an upper-class woman, who get married for the wrong reasons and relocate to Shanghai, where she falls in love with someone else. When he uncovers her infidelity, in an act of vengeance, he accepts a job in a remote village in China ravaged by a deadly epidemic, and takes her along. Their journey brings meaning to their relationship and gives them purpose in one of the most remote and beautiful places on earth.

I saw this film with a friend on saturday and really enjoyed it, it really touched me in a way that a film hasnt done in a long time, The acting was brilliant out of the three main leads and what i really loved abou this film was the cinematography, it was simply stunning.

Although I  saw this film 3 days ago I still feel this sinking in the pit of my stomach every time I think of it. Edward Norton’s character Walter really came alive on the screen (and the accent sounded flawless to me). He seems at first one-dimensional, but then he becomes, to his own disdain, more three-dimensional due to his wife’s actions. He pads through life, studying that which takes life (bacteria and disease) instead of living life. Yet, he finds it is that which surrounds you, whether the culture, disease, or your wife, which matters in the end. Naomi Watts’ character Kitty goes in the opposite arc: from out and about to understanding that it is what is unseen and not tangible that is important,such as love, friendship, and duty and obligation.

I haven’t seen a film that has impacted me like this for a very long time.

I encourage everyone to go and see it, because it is one of those films that you sit and think about afterwards and that you will think about for days later, you will feel happy that you saw it.

Definitely, Maybe:

Ryan Reynolds stars as Will Hayes, a 30-something Manhattan dad in the midst of a divorce when his 10 year-old daughter, Maya (Abigail Breslin), starts to question him about his life before marriage. Maya wants to know absolutely everything about how her parents met and fell in love.

Will’s story begins in 1992, as a young, starry-eyed aspiring politician who moves to New York from Wisconsin in order to work on the Clinton campaign. For Maya, Will relives his past as an idealistic young man learning the ins and outs of big city politics, and recounts the history of his romantic relationships with three very different women.

Will hopelessly attempts a “PG” version of his story for his daughter and changes the names so Maya has to guess who is the woman her father finally married. Is her mother Will’s college sweetheart, the dependable girl next-door Emily (Elizabeth Banks)? Is she his longtime best friend and confidante, the apolitical April (Isla Fisher)? Or is she the free-spirited but ambitious journalist Summer (Rachel Weisz)?

As Maya puts together the pieces of her dad’s romantic puzzle, she begins to understand that love is not so simple or easy. And as Will tells her his tale, Maya helps him to understand that it’s definitely never too late to go back…and maybe even possible to find a happy ending.

 I think that this movie was enjoyable, yet predictable, at many times throughtout the film I found myself sighing because I was very aware of what was going to happen, but i guess I did’nt mind watching it as it was free tickets to see it. I think this film was good enough to watch if your looking for a easy romantic comedy.