M

I watched this movie on Halloween and it scared the hell out of me. M is noted for being the very first serial killer film, the first film to ever use a musical theme to signify a character and was Lang's first sound film.
Made in 1931, this German drama-thriller directed by Fritz Lang, was written by Lang and his wife Thea von Harbou. M is supposedly based on the real-life case of serial killer Peter Kürten, the "Vampire of Düsseldorf", whose crimes took place in the 1920s, although Lang denied that he drew from this case. When the police in a German city are unable to catch a child-murderer, other criminals join in the manhunt. The murderer, played by Peter Lorre, lures his innocent victims to their death by whistling the tune "In the Hall of the Mountain King". Lorre himself could not whistle – it is actually Lang who is heard. This association of a musical theme with a particular character or situation, a technique borrowed from opera, is now a film staple. Before making this, Peter Lorre had mainly been a comedic actor.
The film has a very sour vision of contemporary life in Germany. This is probably due to the fact that Fritz Lang - a Jew - was alarmed at the rapid rise of Nazism and that even his wife Thea von Harbou had become a party member. Not surprisingly, the film was banned by Nazi Germany in 1934.
For me, the scariest part of the movie was near the end when the criminals of the city finally catch the murderer. They threaten to hold their own court for him and you can just see in their eyes- they're about to tear him limb from limb. Lorre did such an amazing job of being terrified, just scared out of his mind. Imagine how the children felt.

Never Let Me Go

After Pride and Prejudice, Carey Mulligan had the leading role in An Edcation, nominated for an Academy Award, and then I saw advertisements for Never Let Me Go. Coupled again with Keira Knightley, after Atonement and Edge of Love, this movie was destined for great things. With the added talent of Andrew Garfield after The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnasus and The Social Network, these actors were at their dramatic primes, and honestly, I think audiences were ready for this type of serious intellectual drama.
Never Let Me Go is a novel by Japanese-born British author Kazuo Ishiguro. It was made into a film directed by Mark Romanek in 2010. The plot centers on three children who become entangled in a love triangle and are scientific specimens, created in a laboratory and raised in order to provide their organs to severely ill patients. As children, Ruth, Kathy and Tommy, spend their childhood at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. As they grow into young adults, they find that they have to come to terms with the strength of the love they feel for each other, while preparing themselves for the haunting reality that awaits them. The novel and film follow similar themes to The Island, and AI: Artificial Intellegence.
The novel's title comes from a song on an American cassette tape called Songs After Dark by singer Judy Bridgewater. Kathy purchases the tape during a swap meet-type event at Hailsham. Hearing it as a mother's plea to her baby, Kathy on many occasions dances while holding her pillow and singing the chorus: "Baby, never let me go." On one occasion, while she is dancing and singing, she notices Madame watching her and crying. At this time Kathy does not understand the significance of the event. She then loses the tape and is devastated. A few years later, on a trip to Norfolk, Tommy and Kathy find the tape and he buys it for her, although it has lost its significance to her somewhat, by this point. Many years later, during the final confrontation between Kathy, Tommy, and Madame, she asks Madame about her tears after seeing her that day, years ago. Madame replies that the image she had seen was of a little girl facing the new world that was emerging, an efficient but cruel world, and asking the old world not to let her go.

Let Me In

I totally loved this movie. They took away every cliche about vampires and stuck to the really important details that makes vampire's such interesting villians- mostly their very particular weaknesses. Also the psychological aspect of vampires- which I think they really put an emphasis on- is aknowleged and the questions this facet brings to vampires as well. People become smarter as they age because the more experience you have the more knowledge you gain, making you wiser and eventually mature. The fact that vampires live so long means they must be very mature and how does a very mature person cope in a body that never changes, also, what does that imply about the girl/boy relationship of the vampire and her human companion. They also examine the human aspect of it, what kind of person would aid in the killing of others and even the idea of loving a vampire?
In this remake, as opposed to the Swedish original, this American version makes sure to discuss the human child conundrum of good vs evil, but without the distinction of religion or theism.

The Soldier's Girl

During Gay/Lesbian film week I decided to find a copy of The Soldier's Girl. I first heard of it when looking up the credentials of Lee Pace who was in one of my all time favorite TV shows, Pushing Daisies (which was sadly cancelled after it's second season due to delays during the writer's strike of 200). Pace was nominated for three golden globes for his performance as Calpernia, a transgender nightclub performer whose military boyfriend is beaten to death for his sexual orientation. Gay Rights is one of my favorite causes and I try to support my friends as much as possible, not to mention, gay films are usually way more interesting and have more heart. Relationships are bot better or worse, they are only different.
While Soldier's Girl barely scratches the surface of the true story, for a Lifetime movie, it is quite moving and strives to portray the human struggle, even in extraordinary circumstances, and that love- in any form- is not to be criticised.
Troy Garity plays Barry, the quiet, sexually confused soldier boyfriend from Kentucky who is later beaten to death with a baseball bat. Pace did win the Gotham award for Best Breakthrough Performance, sky rocketing his career. Soldier's Girl also won the Peabody award.

The Fall

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Cell, starring Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughan- a very unlikely but somehow fantastic pairing. This movie is one of my favorite for many reasons: unique, original, creative plot, and intensely stunning and imginative visuals. I also recently watched Ms. Petigrew Lives for A Day and was shocked to see Lee Pace play a supporting role and then realized he was in movie directed by the same person who shot The Cell, Tarsem Singh.
Lee Pace was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma and as a child, spent many years in Saudi Arabia, where his father was in the oil business. In 1997, Pace was accepted by the Juilliard School's drama division where he acted in several plays, including Romeo and Juliet as Romeo, Richard III in the title role, and Julius Caesar as Cassius.
The film is about an injured stunt man stuck in a hospital witht he company of a little girl with a broken arm. To pass the time (and to get her to help him steal medicine) he tells her a fantastical story about 5 mythical heroes. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, the line between fiction and reality starts to blur as the tale advances. The Fall is so visually stunning, the costumes are gorgeous and unique and each step of every scene is creative, imaginative, and beautiful.

The Secretariat

The best stories are the ones that are true. This could not be truer than with the story of The Secretariat. In 1973, housewife Penny Chenery Tweedy and colleagues decided to pin the last of her ailing father’s Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge on her precocious stallion. With the help of trainer Lucien Laurin, Chenery sets the unbeaten record for winning the Triple Crown in 25 years. In 1983, Chenery became the first woman elected as a member of The Jockey Club and has also served as a member of the judges' panel for the Dogwood Dominion Award.
I saw and liked Seabiscuit, but somehow, this movie was very moving in a very real and different way. I also appreciate the woman in a man's world aspect, which I never realised about the "legend" of the Secretariat.
The only thing that could ruin this movie is if you know anything about horse racing in the south, you know how the story ends, but again, there is something about this movie was very moving in a very real way. Maybe because of the gambling nature of the situation, in Seabuscuit they were looking for some sort of redemption, but in this film they have lost everything and there for, have the attitude that they have everything to gian, it's the 'hail mary' of all business strategies.

It's Kind of a Funny Story

It's Kind of a Funny Story lives up to it's name. I don't think an older audience can really grasp just how pointedly this film speaks to the new generation of over achievers. Growing up in the beginning of this educational standard shift and later realizing the quality of education I was recieving compared to others was a dramatic shock. Even though I never did exceptionally well in school, my grades were above average, leading me to assume a mediocer if not average education. Now at college, I'm realizing much of what I learned in high school and what it is that I learned and how it's important in my life.
Tagline: Sometimes what's in your head isn't as crazy as you think.
It's Kind of a Funny Story is a 2006 novel by American author Ned Vizzini. It follows a depressed teenager who becomes suicidal and checks himself into a psychiatric hospital. The book was inspired by Vizzini's own brief hospitalization for depression in November 2004. In the scene where Craig describes other classmates of his, when it shows him you can see he's reading the book Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini, who also wrote It's Kind of a Funny Story.
Craig, the narrator, is 15, and lives with his family in an upper-middle class Brooklyn neighborhood. He attends the prestigious Executive Pre-Professional High School, having studied arduously to win admission. Once admitted, however, he becomes overwhelmed by the school's intense academic pressure. His stress eventually manifests itself in an eating disorder, use of pot, affected sleep habits, and suicidal thoughts. After he stops taking medication prescribed by his psychiatrist, his depression builds until, unable to fend off his suicidal ideation, he calls 800-SUICIDE and is admitted to a nearby psychiatric hospital. He meets many other patients, some friendly, others reclusive or delusional, and is supported and encouraged by his family and school principal once they learn of his hospitalization. Craig meets a female patient, Noelle, who coped with a history of sexual abuse by cutting her face with scissors. In isolation from the outside world, and with help from Noelle, Craig confronts the sources of his anxiety and regains his health. During his recovery, Craig experiments with art, specifically stylized maps, and discovers he has a great deal of natural talent and ability. Once Craig has recovered, his counselor suggests he transfer to an art school, a thought that excites Craig. He returns home at novel's end having undergone a mental shift.
This film very much reminded me of Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and I think I'll go read the book version.
I think this film really reexamines the pressures and expectations we put on young people in our society, and it's wrong and it sucks and they are finding new and more destructive ways of dealing with it. When MTV is glorifying teenage pregnancy with it's own spot on cable TV and the rich kids use drugs and the poor kids use drugs and STDs are climbing along with teen pregnancy and religion no longer reforms and parents deny. We should all be talking to therapists, but the people who need to talk can't and the people who do talk are the ones causing the problems.

The Princess Bride

I never realized how truly great of a movie this is until I rewatched it recently. The thing that makes it believable, the one thing that kept this movie from being too cheesy to be a classic is the awesome costumes. They really took their time deciding which fabrics, deciding the set design, they knew what we were expecting and they made sure it wouldn't affend our fine artistic tastes, even when it comes to fairytales. That is what I love, respect, and appreciate about the film production.
The original book was written by William Goldman in 1973 and became an instant classic. When they made the film in 1987, Rob Reiner wrote the scream play and they went to about 13 relative unknown actors for the large cast. The Princess Bride was Robin Wright Penn's first screen debute and Cary Elwes first big role. Andre the Giant was a well known professional wrestler, but at the time in his life when this film was made his strength was failing him and he died 6 months after the movie made. Mandy Patinkin who played the revenge seeking Spanish swordsman was previously in Yentl, but is actually most well known for his gorgeous tenor voice. And with the cameo help of favorites like Billy Crystal and Peter Cook, the cast hooked a whole other demographic for the popularity of the film. Their fresh faces and sincere portrayals of their characters helped the syntax and voice of the novel come to life and not seem over-done. The story is presented in the movie as a book being read by a grandfather (Peter Falk) to his sick grandson (Fred Savage from the Wonder Years), preserving the crucial element of the narrative style of the book.

The Ballad of Jack and Rose

The Ballad of Jack and Rose is a 2005 drama written and directed by Rebecca Miller, and starring her husband Daniel Day-Lewis. It also stars a plethora of talented actors including Camilla Belle, Catherine Keener, Paul Dano, Ryan McDonald, Jason Lee, Jena Malone, Susanna Thompson and Beau Bridges. The film tells the story of an environmentalist and his teenage daughter who live alone on a secluded island commune, and grapple with the limits of family and sexuality and their complicated relationship as a heart illness brings his life to an end.
Jack, the title character, lives on the site of his abandoned island commune with his 16-year-old daughter Rose. Jack has sheltered Rose from the influences of the outside world, but now Rose's emerging womanhood poses troubling questions about the days ahead. A man who has lived a life motivated by environmentalism and other altruistic causes, Jack now rages at those who do not share his concerns, like developer Marty Rance, who is building a housing tract on the edge of his property. When Jack invites his girlfriend Kathleen and her sons Rodney and Thaddius to live with them, Rose feels betrayed and the situation quickly becomes precarious. Rose acts out wildly, like cutting her hair and sleeping with her new step-brother, creating chaos. As everything flies out of control, Jack finds himself trapped in an impossible place and is forced to take action. After Rose runs away Jack returns to Rose's hideout, and she is overjoyed with the news that Kathleen is gone. That night, Jack and Rose share an incestuous kiss. Rose sees nothing wrong, as she has never had anyone to love but her father. Jack breaks down in guilty tears. Jack's heart condition is worsening, and he decides to let the builders destroy the wetlands. He and Rose return home, and Jack dies within a few days. Rose had originally planned to kill herself when her father died, but after setting the house on fire and lying down next to Jack's body, she changes her mind and escapes. Two years later, Rose is shown living in Vermont and working in a greenhouse.
This is easily one of the most beautiful and tragic love stories I've ever seen. The fact that they were father and daughter didn't detract from their love, it enhanced it. Normally i wouldn't advocate incest, i mean there are reasons to shy away from the idea other than simple social convention. But for this story, in this specific circumstance, it makes sense. I've never seen two people more perfectly suited to one another. One of the major themes of this film is jack's inability to come to grips with his desire, impending death and uncertainty of Rose's ability to cope without him. Jack had lived so much of his life outside of the box, raising Rose in virtual isolation and with unconventional ideas about society and what it means to live independently in the modern world. The real tragedy is his lack of courage to let go of that hideous constraint wrought of a catholic upbringing, social taboos, and unwillingness to redefine what his relationship to his daughter is SUPPOSED to be. To see her with new eyes, as she really is: no longer a child but a beautiful young woman who (ironically, because of the way he raised her) has an open view and capacity to embrace her burgeoning romantic feelings. Jack's character is ridden with guilt over his desire for her and his seeming failure to guide her to emotional maturity as a parent should. But I think he failed on one hand and succeeded brilliantly on another. while Rose might have trouble functioning in normal society, she is a free spirit with incredible strength of character. As shown by her decision to live at the end of the film, and in perfect tribute to her father and the wonderful person he helped shaped her to be, by staying true to the hard-working, serene ideology of commune life. I think it was sad that they didn't have more time together. In the end i believe Jack would have resolved his inner demons and embraced their love for what it was.

The Social Network

I use facebook at least five times a day. Facebook helped Americans make the jump from e-mailing to texting like Asia and Europe. That is what Mark Zuckerberg helped us do. Or at least, that's what it turned into. I used the third version of facebook, after the harvard privacy and and after it dropped the "The", watching that story unfold and learning about what I was too young to understand at the time of it's creation. It also helped me understand how and why people use the internet as a social tool. It just really feels like my generation, people born in the last 20-25 years, really grew up with the new computer wave, and we are revolutionizing and redefining our culture with it. And it all started with facebook. We may be the major war power, but we are still behind Asia technologically and Europe ethically.
but about the movie. Some of the smartest, fastest dialogue I have ever heard. Mark Zuckerburg was an incredible genius, to portray him so dinfinately, writer Ben Mezrich, who wrote the nonfiction book The Accidental Billionaires.